The Tale of the Three Maidens
by ponchoninjax3
Summary: While Naruto is away training with Jiraiya, Hinata befriends a kunoichi from a faraway village who has taken up residence in Konoha. After many adventures, Naruto will soon return to Konoha. Can their friendship survive when Hinata's one true love returns? Or does the dark nature of the shinobi world spell out ruin for them all?
1. The Arrival

**Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. As it says in the summary, this story is based off of the NaruHina fan fiction that Tallman0029 is famous for. He hasn't announced this yet, but he gave me permission to write this story to fill in the gaps time skipping sometimes leaves behind. Just as a heads up, one of the main characters in the story is a kunoichi who grew up in another village. I thought this could be an opportunity to ask questions and address some issues that popped up in the series. We only ever had the perspective of Konoha shinobi on everything, filler arcs/episodes notwithstanding. If there were ever any technical/philosophical questions you had about the Naruto universe, PM them to me and I'll work them in.**

 **I have been writing fan fiction and stories for a long time, but this is the first set of pieces I have gone public with. That being said, I really appreciate all of the support I have received from you all so far. Tallman0029 kind of had to strong arm me into this, because I've had some bad experiences sharing my writing in the past (*cough* high school English teachers *cough*). I have quite a bit of this story written out so far, so as I go though the editing process I post chapters fairly frequently. If you have any questions, comments, etc, feel free to PM me. Also, as I said I'm fairly new so reviews are much appreciated. This is getting long, but if you're curious about my artwork, you can take a peek at it on deviantart. My deviant ID is the same as here, ponchoninjax3.**

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Tsukimori Seiichiro was a prematurely aged man of 35. His straw blonde hair was graying at the temples, even when he let his hair out of his top knot. Worry lines were settling into his forehead and at the corners of his eyes. He frowned when he saw the lines forming at the corners of his mouth, which he knew just made that problem worse. These marks of old age found origins in the many years he had spent silently stewing over negotiations and his ambassadorial work for the king of the Land of the Moon.

Seiichiro had no stomach for politics, and as such he was not one of the king's favorites. His tendency to never sugarcoat or to tell white lies kept him from reaching political power; however it was the one reason why the king kept him around. Seiichiro was honest to a fault. Another unbecoming tendency of his was that he spoke infrequently. He realized as he got older more can be learned from listening rather than speaking. It also helped that if a man spoke seldomly, people were more likely to listen to what he had to say.

Although his mind had steered him through more tough situations than his body had, he still remained stout and strong. Seiichiro was well over six feet tall, a veritable giant amongst men, let alone the scrawny diplomats he usually dealt with. He always wore his armor and carried around his eight foot studded kanabo, something that often ruffled the feathers of other dignitaries. No one will believe you are a man of peace if you carry on like you are going to war, they would say. Seiichiro response was always the same:

"No one is better to speak on behalf of peace than one who has witnessed war firsthand."

This was no way to make friends, but relationships had always proven difficult for him. He had lost his wife, the only person he had ever fallen in love with, ten years ago. Yukihana had been even more closed lipped than he was, and so she was the only person he had ever felt comfortable confiding in. He was the third son in his clan and was on bad terms with both his brothers, one for marrying Yukihana out from under him and the other for marrying her at all. His fifteen year old daughter, Beki, held just as complicated a place in his heart. She was the only thing in this world he held dear, and so he tried to shelter her from all the ugly truths of the world. However, all the travel his work demanded of them exposed her to so much worse than he was prepared to explain. This made it hard for him to have casual conversations with her.

Beki, the ever talkative, energetic, easygoing, and open hearted child made him feel that much older and more cynical. Every time she spoke of how nice the people of a village were, he wanted to tell her how cruel and prejudiced their leaders were. Whenever she talked of how beautiful the traditional crafts of a town were, he wanted to tell her they were all fakes; inferior dupes of all the great things that came before. He seethed when he thought about how he had brought a child into this debaucherous, hateful world. He hated himself even more when he caught himself buying one of said tacky trinkets for his daughter just to see her smile.

He was a spiritual man, so he prayed about it all. He prayed for guidance on the issues he represented on behalf of his king and his village. He prayed for safety for himself and his daughter on the long roads they traveled. He prayed for the soul of his departed wife and for the salvation of his own tattered soul. He prayed for that ugly world every night, and that he somehow could make a small difference in it. When he wasn't praying, working, or training, he caught himself talking to his wife. It comforted him to remember her and imagine the advice she would give him. Even in death she was his moral compass. That's what he was doing right now: talking to his wife about his latest dilemma while Beki slept soundly in her futon on the other side of the room.

"Something dark is in the works, Yuki-chan. The king has never asked me to leave Beki behind," He mumbled. He created a small blue flame in his hand using an illumination jutsu. He pretended it was her spirit flickering in his hand. He heard her voice in his head:

"And you refused. Do you not trust your king?" Yuki shimmered.

"I don't trust those in his court, and," Seiichiro sighed. "I told him I would keep her in the village I will be negotiating with. I told him if I used her as collateral they would be more likely to trust me in a large village."

"So you will just leave your daughter to the whims of the Leaf?" Yuki burned accusingly.

"I-I don't know, Yuki. For once, I don't know. No amount of praying or meditating or anything is bringing me the answer. I don't even know why I said it, to be honest," Seiichiro stammered. "It just came out of my mouth when I thought about Beki being left alone with all those vipers in court. I would rather get her an appointment as an apprentice to a weapons smith on the other side of the world than leave her there. They'd rot out all the good in her and turn her into a hollow shell."

"Like you?" Yuki smoked.

"Like me," Seiichiro sighed.

"The forces at hand are always mysterious and we can't always see where we are being guided, Tsukimori Seiichiro. Walk with faith and the world won't know you ever stumbled." Yuki said.

"You're right Yuki, as always," Seiichiro sighed.

"Go put another blanket on the girl," Yuki chastised, tiny flames licking his hands. "I can hear her teeth chattering from here."

Seiichiro smiled and snuffed out the flame with his other palm. He walked over to her, threw his blanket over Beki (whose teeth were chattering), and sat down to sleep with his back against the wall and his eyes on the door.

…

"Why do I need all this stuff?" Beki asked as she pulled the wagon of supplies. By looking at her, you could tell she came from the same stock as her father. She was on the taller side, with long lean muscular limbs. Seiichiro had kept her out of active duty as much as he could, so although she was in title a kunoichi, Beki had seen little action in the field. This kept a softness about her that other girls in her situation lacked. The other evidence of her absence from action was her obscenely long hair. It was the silvery gold that ran through most of the Tsukimori line, thick as a lion's mane and braided it reached down to her waist.

"I don't know where they are going to end up putting you up, and so help me god I don't want people saying we're paupers." Seiichiro glowered. The longer he stewed on leaving his daughter behind with the Leaf nin, the more he considered finding her a nice blacksmith to apprentice for. Some of the biggest nightmares in shinobi history had come from that village: Orochimaru, Madara, and Uchiha Itachi. Not to mention the damned jinchuriki they had running around like the town pet. All he could picture was Beki getting crushed under a giant orange paw.

"They're going to have food and toilet paper, I'm sure," Beki looked at the supplies. "I mean, bring a decent bottle of wine and maybe some rice. Anyone who gets upset over me using their paper towels is not someone I want to stay with."

"I just want to make sure you are provided for," Seiichiro said.

"Then take me along with you, dammit." Beki said. "No one needs to know. I'll camp out a few miles from town whenever you have to go in."

"The king will know, Beki, and I can't go back on my word." Seiichiro said.

"You're not a samurai, Dad, you're a ninja. Ninja are supposed to be all trickery and deceit," Beki looked at him slyly.

"All I'm good for is my word, Beki. That's part of my nindo." He explained. "A Tsukimori is where he says he is, fights where he says he'll fight, and always-"

"Stands his ground," Beki finished. "I know. I know I know I know. But I'm an Asou-Tsukimori. And their credo was a little different."

"Burn the ashes and salt the earth," Seiichiro smiled. "And run if you know you can't win."

"I remember mom saying it more like 'Live to fight another day and fight like hell," Beki corrected.

"That was her version of it," Seiichiro chuckled.

A silence fell over the two of them, Beki focusing on not overturning the wagon on the rocky country roads, and Seiichiro ruminating on how much a person is like their parent, even after that parent is gone.

"What if they want to hold me under house arrest in some tiny dank apartment with creepy old men watching me all the time?" Beki asked.

"Then you'll make dainty little curtains out of the bed sheets I bought you," Seiichiro said, his face deadpan.

"What if all they give me to eat with my rice are natto and nori?" Beki whined.

"Then I'll bring you lots of mint chewing gum the next time I'm in town," Seiichiro face cracked with a slight smile.

"You're impossible. You don't even feel bad about leaving me behind, do you?" Beki asked, pouting.

"I'm not left with much of a choice Beki," He looked down, ashamed of his disloyalty. "The King demanded you remain behind while I negotiate this deal and I worry of the intentions for you at court."

Beki looked at him long and hard. Admissions like this were rare from her father, so she relented.

"Alright, if you say so. I'll try to behave. But if they try to make me eat natto I'm going to throw a tantrum." Beki smiled.

"You have my permission," He smiled back.


	2. The Arrangement

**Ponchoninjax3 here again. Thank you for reading my story up to this point, and please check back often as I have a good chunk (like, 70 pages. I have no life) of this story already written and in the editing phase. This means that chapters get posted more often , but in like a month and half I'm gonna hit a brick wall and you all will have to wait. It's kind of like when you stumble across an anime you didn't about on Crunchyroll or you binge watch a show on Netflix that has like, three seasons up. Three days of your life are gone forever and you have to go back to waiting for weekly updates like the chumps who were with the show from the start. Unlike most anime, however, I don't intend to leave you with an empty void in your heart when you find out the first season was completed in 2013 and at this point, you will never get a second one (I'm looking at you, My Little Monster. You know what you did.) Don't even get me started on High School of the Dead. Okay. Okay. Rant over. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to PM me. As I am new, I really appreciate you taking the time to send me a review. It helps. I'm new to publishing this stuff, after all. If you're curious about my other work, I have a dA** **.** **My deviant ID is the same as here, ponchoninjax3.** **Check it out. Maybe I'll start updating that stuff, too.**

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Beki's eyes lit up at the sight of the gates of the Hidden Leaf. They were the biggest gates she had ever seen, and when she looked through them she caught glimpses of the legendary mountain with the faces of the previous Hokage carved into it. She was almost dancing with excitement and her father rolled his eyes. No leader ever took a man seriously if he had a flighty daughter like Beki. It was amazing his career hadn't fallen apart yet.

Seiichiro approached the guards at the station outside the gates and presented his papers.

"Welcome, Ambassador Tsukimori," They bowed respectfully.

He bowed in return.

"Thank you, gentlemen. If you wouldn't mind sending word to the Hokage we have arrived, I'm going to get us checked in at the inn."

He looked over at his daughter, who was staring intently at the headband of one of the guards.

"Uh, can I help you miss?" He asked, flushing slightly.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out the symbol. Is it a big swirly leaf or-?" Beki asked.

The guard chuckled good-naturedly and took it off to show her. Seiichiro was mortified to silence by his daughter's simple minded assumptions.

"This part, the curly part, is the wind. This little triangle bit is the leaf." The guard explained.

"Oh, so you're like a leaf on the wind. Catchy." She smiled.

"Excuse my daughter's curiosity. It's her first time out this far west," Seiichiro smiled, giving Beki the side eye that indicated she was to shut her mouth, promptly.

She smiled obliviously.

"I love getting to see the big villages."

The guards shared a subtle look, as though this blonde ambassador's daughter was about to become the butt of an inside joke.

"You'll see more of it once we're in the gates," Seiichiro sighed. "Come on, Beki."

She followed her father obediently, but her head snapped back and forth so often as she took in the sights her neck cramped. He checked them into a simple unassuming inn. Once inside, he told Beki to stay put until he sent word for her.

"Come on, Dad, it's just the Leaf Village! Let me explore a little!," She pleaded.

"So we'll have to send Leaf nin looking for you? I think not." He said.

"I'll just hang out on this street, I swear," She begged.

He sighed.

"Fine. Ask the innkeeper what shops are nearby. Make up your decision and tell them which one you are going to. If we send for you they'll know where to find you."

"Thanks, dad!" She yelled over her shoulder as she hurried out the door.

"If you get kidnapped by Orochimaru, I won't feel sorry for you!" He yelled out after her. In their family, Orochimaru was the boogeyman. He was the cause of Yukihana's death, and the threat of his reappearance in a closet or under a bed was something both Beki and Seiichiro quietly feared.

As he walked out of the room toward the entrance of the inn, he saw his daughter talking to the inn keeper. She was a kindly older woman and she was dressed as traditionally as her inn. She was laughing behind her hand at something Beki had said. Beki looked as excited as always as she listened to the innkeeper explain the surrounding area and all the treasures it held.

Maybe she'll be okay here, Seiichiro thought.

…

Tsunade was speaking with Hyuga Hiashi when word reached her of Tsukimori Seiichiro's arrival.

"If he arrives at the mansion before we are done here, let him know I will be with him shortly," Tsunade waved her hand dismissively.

Hiashi waited until the nin had left before he continued.

"As I said, she's been listless lately. After coming home prematurely from training to find her team out on a long term mission," Hiashi paused, trying to find the words to convey the situation. "I'm afraid she lacks a sense of purpose."

"Then we will assign her some missions here in town," Tsunade said as she reached for her log of available missions.

"She is no fool, Tsunade" Hiashi frowned. "She will know we are giving her busy work."

"Then it needs to be a long term assignment," She thought aloud. "I don't know what I have that would work, not a lot of visiting dignitaries-"

Her eyes lit up and a smile cracked her lips.

"What is it, Lady Hokage?" Hiashi asked, however his voice stayed flat, so it came out more like a statement.

"The ambassador from Getsugakure just arrived," Tsunade explained. "I know you are a busy man, Hiashi, but if you wouldn't mind sticking around for after my meeting with him I may have an assignment for your daughter."

"As his bodyguard during his stay." Hiashi made the same sort of statement/question.

"Perhaps," She tapped her desk with her capped pen absently. "Tsukimori has visited the Leaf enough and is far too clever a shinobi to need an escort of his own. However, he's also played the political game too long to refuse one if assigned to him."

Hiashi considered the proposal and after a moment replied:

"Alright. I will attend to an important matter and return shortly."

"That should work, Hiashi." Tsunade stood to see him out. "Tsukimori probably won't be here for another half hour or so."

"Until then, Tsunade-sama," Hiashi bowed and took his leave.

Please Tsukimori, Tsunade thought. Have some important sounding busy work for me.

…

Seiichiro drew attention walking through town in his great ancestral armor. When it was new, it would have gleamed silver and gold like moonbeams. The tales of his predecessors said that it had originally belonged to the first Tsukimori, Haruka, the Burned Maiden. Seven generations later, it had a dull greenish-black patina. The patterns inlaid into the metal had long since faded. The swirling shapes of their ghosts occasionally caught the light and gave the haunting impression of faces of lost souls trapped in the plates. It had black splatter stains of questionable origin that no amount of polishing could remove. It was almost a living thing, having absorbed the chakra of the great clansmen before him wearing it from their youth to their death. Legend had it more than once its wearer had fallen on the battlefield only to be immediately donned by their sons; the armor would mold itself to the new body instantly having felt its previous owner's passing. Seiichiro's donning of the armor had been less noble, but that wasn't a story he wanted to reflect on before asking a favor of the hokage.

The guards eyed him long and hard as he approached. He had kept his oni mask off so he met the physical description the guards before had passed along. They let him up the stairs, but he felt their eyes on his back the whole time.

Tsunade's assistant, Shizune, announced him.

"Lady Tsunade, Tsukimori Seiichiro of Getsugakure is here to see you," Shizune said with a bow.

"Long time no see, Tsunade-hime," Seiichiro said staring her down. "Surprised they could pry you out of the gambling hall to take this job,"

"I've heard you died in battle about a half dozen times in the last two years," Tsunade stared right back. "I see they were right. You look like a dead man walking."

Seiichiro liked Tsunade. She wasn't anything like the old windbag the 3rd Hokage had been. That man stank of all the sins of the old world. For years Seiichiro had avoided doing business with the Leaf because the 3rd had resumed his duties as Hokage. When word of his death at the hand of his old student reached Getsugakure, Seiichiro found himself thinking the old man deserved it. If he had stopped Orochimaru years before, lots of families would have been spared death and suffering. Tsunade had been just as screwed over by all that old world thinking, so Seiichiro didn't mind working with her. In a village where generations had been trying to hide the fact they were screw ups, Tsunade embraced her dysfunction. She was a drinker and a gambler, she was vain and she was proud. It was easy doing business with someone who kept all their cards on the table.

"Take a seat old man," Tsunade waved a lacquered hand at the seat across from her.

"That's funny coming from someone old enough to be my mother," He spat, taking the offered seat.

"So you're the man they sent to speak for the king?" Tsunade asked.

"I'm the only one who won't warp the message," He adjusted in the seat. Something could be said of heads of state keeping uncomfortable chairs in their office. Tsunade apparently didn't like people settling in and making themselves at home. "I'm not clever enough to look out for my own interests."

"So he is insisting you bring this information back and forth in person?" Tsunade asked.

"All the juicy stuff that shouldn't be in writing," Seiichiro explained. "No one usually bothers me on the road. I've been told it's my winning smile."

"So who's the pretty girl you brought into town with you?" Tsunade's informers had been hard at work.

"My daughter, Beki," he said. "I actually need to talk to you about her."

"She isn't a jinchuriki with supernatural powers and a hunger for blood, is she?" Tsunade smiled.

"No, just your typical teenage energy and idiocy," He replied. "But that's not the issue at hand. To prove we are acting in earnest through these negotiations, I am to offer my daughter as collateral."

"So a non-hostile hostage arrangement," Tsunade clacked her nails on the desk. "And why would we be interested in babysitting your kid?"

"It's both for you and for the king," Seiichiro explained. "If the facts don't match up I can't run off."

"Not that the thought would ever cross your mind," Tsunade eyed him coyly.

"Never," Seiichiro shook his head. "So the king has offered to pay for her living expenses in a location of your choosing. I am not supposed to put my two ryo into this but I would prefer it if she was not placed anywhere with bars and communal toilets."

"Of course not, don't be obtuse," Tsunade smirked. "I actually think I have something that would work perfectly. Shizune, bring in Hyuga Hiashi."

"A Hyuga?" Seiichiro asked.

"The Hyuga," Tsunade corrected.

Hiashi entered the room and the two men sized each other up. Tsuande stepped in to make the introductions.

"Hyuga Hiashi, this is Tsukimori Seiichiro, the ambassador for Getsugakure. He will be representing the interests of the king in some upcoming negotiations. In an act of good faith to our village, his daughter will remain here in Konoha for the duration of the talks," Tsunade explained. "Hyuga Hiashi's daughter, Hinata, was recently sent away on a special mission. Between then and her return, the rest of her squad was deployed on a long term mission. We have been looking for a longer term local assignment worthy of her skills and status as heiress of the Hyuga clan."

"Escort and bodyguard to the daughter of an ambassador would be a perfect fit," Seiichiro said, slightly impressed.

"It would be unbecoming for the daughter of an ambassador to be hosted somewhere unfitting of her status," Tsunade nodded. "There is no private residence more secure and prestigious than that of the Hyuga clan."

Seiichiro couldn't believe his luck. His daughter would be kept in a compound with the most prominent family in Konoha.

"My daughter, Beki, is fifteen," Seiichiro's mind was blank. He was still trying to process his good luck.

"The same age as Hinata," Hiashi seemed unphased, as if this deal had been a long time coming.

This just keeps getting better and better, Seiichiro thought.

"The king of Getsugakure has offered to pay for Beki's living expenses," Tsunade explain. "We can come up with an itemized list of her monthly needs and-"

"I won't hear of it," Hiashi shook his head. "It would be the honor and the privilege of the Hyuga family to host Tsukimori Beki."

"Hyuga Hiashi, I must insist-" Seiichiro interrupted.

"If you would like to provide your daughter with an allowance, I would take no offense," Hiashi stopped him. "Your daughter will be a guest in our house and shall be treated as such."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Seiichiro bowed, and Hiashi bowed in return.

"I guess all that's left is for us to bring in the girls," Tsunade smiled.


	3. The Meeting

**Something's actually gonna happen in this one, guise. I've been getting lots of good feedback and support from you all, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I'm still gonna use this card while I can: I'm new. The stuff I've published this week, let me learn you a thing. I can count on one hand how many people I've shared my work with. I got the bright idea to join a creative writing class. Thought it would be a bunch of theory and stuff. World building, whatever (something I'm notoriously bad at). The teacher gave us assignments, then we were supposed to turn in a copy to him and then SHARE IT WITH A GROUP. I was like, HUH UH and was strategically absent whenever we picked groups. So, even though I was in a creative writing class of, oh, 13 people, one of them saw my writing. The teacher. And I mean, I've had to show my Mom and my sister so they could proofread and such. They always seemed to like it, but immediate relatives, y'know what I mean? No one ever wants to be like, "Well, my mom thinks I'm special." (By the way, she does. Go hug your mom. Or don't. I'm just a bunch of text an over-tired civil employee is putting out here. I can't tell you what to do.). So, in a nutshell, Tallman0029 heard my idea for what to do with this time skip and was like "Do it." In that creepy Emperor Palpatine voice. So, here it is. As always, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to PM me. If you're curious about my awful attempts at concept work and fan art, check out my dA .** **My deviant ID is the same as here, ponchoninjax3.**

* * *

Hinata stood in the Hokage's office, numb and ready for her new mission. She hoped it would be dangerous or located somewhere far off. It had been so long since she could focus her foggy mind on something tangible. The Hokage waited until Shizune had closed the door and settled into position beside her. Tsunade always had a very stern expression, however today she looked downright ominous.

"Hyuga Hinata, I have an important assignment for you," Tsunade said, her voice almost a growl. "It will be your duty, and your duty alone to see it is carried out."

"Yes, Lady Hokage." Hinata nodded, then waited patiently for the Hokage to continue.

"Some very important talks will be going on between our village and Getsugakure," Tsunade explained. "There is no guarantee of how long they will last, but it will undoubtedly be for at least a few months."

Hinata grew hopeful. Getsugakure was on the other side of the world. Would she be escorting dignitaries there and back? That would surely be dangerous as well as time consuming. Anything to soften the eternity between now and when Naruto returned from training, she thought. She saw him in her mind's eye, his warm charming smile even in memory was enough to make her shyly smile back. Hinata realized that she had been smiling at the Hokage and flushed with embarrassment. Tsunade called no attention to it and resumed speaking.

"The ambassador for their village, Tsukimori Seiichiro, will be speaking on behalf of their king, and so throughout the talks he will have to travel frequently between the two," Tsunade continued. "To keep the talks from falling apart and as a demonstration they are acting in earnest, the king has offered the ambassador's daughter, Tsukimori Beki, to us as collateral until the deal is sealed."

Poor girl, Hinata thought. How awful would it be to be treated like a bargaining chip? As the heiress of the Hyuga clan, Hinata was in a similar position of value. So much so in fact, there had been attempts by other villages to capture her in the past, for both the ransom and her Byakugan. Hiashi, however, would never allow either of his daughters to be traded around the way it sounded like the king was doing with this Tsukimori girl.

"Because of your status as the Heiress to the Hyuga clan, we thought it would be fitting for you to play hostess and escort to Tsukimori Beki through the duration of the talks."

Hinata's heart sank. She would be playing babysitter to an ambassador's daughter. Hinata did not want to accept the assignment. As sorry as she felt for this girl's situation, Hinata did not want to be stuck pent up in her house and in the village for months with a strange girl tied to her hip. On the other hand, Hinata did understand Tsunade's logic. Hinata was an heiress, and that was exactly the sort of thing heiresses were expected to do. Even if Hinata had felt the urge to object, however, there was something about the way Tsunade spoke that had an air of finality. This whole arrangement had already been decided upon. It would not be fitting or proper for Hinata to refuse a direct request of the Hokage, especially with a delicate matter of state such as this. The only positive outcome she could hope for would be to go in graciously and accept it for the honor it was supposed to be.

"I accept the assignment, Lady Hokage," Hinata relented.

"Thank you, Hinata," Tsunade said. "This is a great favor to me and to your village."

Hinata bowed silently, cursing herself for her lack of spine.

"Beki is your age, Hinata," Tsunade's expression softened. "And her background as an ambassador's daughter may give you two some common ground. It isn't guaranteed, but this might be an opportunity for you to make a friend and ally of someone who may one day be a powerful figure in Getsugakure."

"Positions are inherited there, aren't they?" Hinata recalled something to that effect being mentioned back when she was in the Academy.

"Typically, unless there is no one to inherit the position or they were forced to resign due to scandal," Tsunade explained.

Something was nagging at Hinata about the assignment. It seemed straightforward enough, but it was as if some gossamer thread of important information was wiggling just out of her reach. Was there more to this than just keeping an eye on Konoha's ward through the talks? An idea crossed her mind, and before she could stop herself Hinata asked:

"Will Tsukimori Beki become the ambassador for Getsugakure in the future?"

Tsunade simply nodded, and the silence that fell between them was very telling. Hinata now understood the real motives behind the Beki's placement in her hands. Motives ultimately always turned out to be about politics or duty to one's family and village. They were hoping that Hinata, as a future potential leader in Konoha, would take this opportunity to benefit Konoha at a later time. Acid roiled in Hinata's stomach and resisted the urge to wince. Hinata just hoped that Tsukimori Beki felt the same way she did about all of this.

"Your fathers have arranged for you two to have dinner together while they discuss the arrangements," Tsunade broke the silence. "Try to have fun, Hinata."

Hinata bowed, keeping her expression blank. The image of Naruto's smile was the only thing keeping her from screaming in rage.

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

…

"She's my age?" Beki's eyebrow was cocked suspiciously.

"Yes, my child," Seiichiro sighed. He had told her the whole story and the two had sat in silence a full five minutes before she had responded. "And she is the heiress to the most powerful clan in Konoha."

Beki could only figure that to become the heiress of a clan from a ruthless village like the Leaf, there had to be trail of blood and bodies behind her a mile long.

"Is she nice?" Beki watched her father's face. He was an ambassador and a ninja. His dishonesties were nearly impossible to detect, but every once in awhile a twitch or slight aversion in his gaze would give him away.

"I have heard she is very kind and graceful," He sounded sincere.

Beki bit her lip. She was an ambassador's daughter, but she had always been affectionately referred to as Seiichiro's "Wild child". Good natured dignitaries had always chuckled at her bursting into important meetings with skinned knees, grass stains, and brambles in her hair. He was a single father, and she earned him a lot of sympathy points with her escapades. This Hinata girl sounded like the perfect politician's daughter by the sound of it. People described her as "kind and graceful". Beki was jokingly described as "oni-ni-kanabo", an unstoppable force. She worried their personalities would clash and the next few months would be miserable. Beki would infuriate Hinata by being too carefree, and Beki would be miserable trying to be good and always somehow causing mischief anyway, tarnishing that precious reputation of Hinata's.

"It's going to be fine, Beki-chan," Her father said as he placed his hand on her head reassuringly. "You have a good heart and that is what sees you through even the worst of your trouble. Anyone who sees you knows there is no meanness in you."

Beki hung her head. It was settling in. She would be separated from her father for months; that's why he was being so affectionate. This was going to be hard for both of them. Neither of them had ever really been alone so long. She would be halfway around the world, in a village known for wiping out other villages and cranking out serial killers like Orochimaru. Her father would probably be worrying about her constantly, putting his life and his career in jeapordy every time he traveled between the villages.

Seiichiro was a hard, strong man; Beki had seen stare him down groups of bandits with no one to back him up and a child clinging to his leg. She was going to miss him a lot. She would miss the security and safety he gave her. She would miss his company and his perfect diplomatic wit. Beki did something she hadn't dared since she was small enough to be scared of the dark: she hugged her father tight.

In that small moment of weakness she had shown her father she was still a little girl. For all his trying to make her strong and hard, Beki was still a lamb in the woods. He hugged her back and cried into his sleeve so she would never feel his tears.

…

Hinata had opened the windows to one of the guest rooms of her house. It was not the largest, nor was it the most luxurious, but if she were to have to stay in one of the other rooms it would be this one. It had some of the best light in the house. It faced the east, so it got all of the gentle morning sun but stayed cool during the hot afternoons. It was also a fair distance away from the master bedroom, so both girls would be sure to have some privacy. Hinata had also had the linens laundered, so the bed and towels were fresh. One her way home from the Hokage's mansion, she had popped in to the Yamanaka's flower shop and picked a bouquet of alstroemeria and daffodils-friendship and new beginnings. Their pinks and yellows brightened the room and gave it a fresh perfume.

Hinata sat on the edge of the bed and hoped that all this work toward ensuring another's happiness might make her happy, too. She prayed that Beki would be a kindred spirit, another lonely bird in a gilded cage, and somehow they might learn to sing together in spite of the forces that decided their lives for them.

…

Beki fidgeted nervously as she walked with her father from the inn to the Hyuga compound. She was in her finest kimono, its sleeves hanging almost to her ankles. It was an inky black, the color of the sky in the dead of night. Along the sleeves and around the back, smoky silver clouds hovered over a great golden moon. Beneath the sky was a lake, complete with cattails, dragonflies, and gently lapping waves. Her obi had been her mother's, and as such was the same icy blue of her eyes. It suited Beki's gray eyes and fair blonde hair, but it had been much more striking on Yukihana.

The kimono was a family treasure and should be in a damned museum, Beki thought. It wasn't fit for wearing in public, especially around people unfamiliar with the warped culture of her family. If people paid close attention they would notice the ghost lights hovering above the water, and when the light hit it just right the weave shimmered, revealing ghoulish faces beneath the surface. When asked, Beki always said the souls were fireflies, feigning ignorance. Fireflies aren't blue, and they don't look like they're actually made of fire. No one who noticed the faces in the water ever asked. Those people usually kept their distance.

The garment was morbid; everything about her village was fixated on death. The legend of the shrine that brought the town most of it's fame, the Shrine of the Three Maidens, was about the murder of three young women and their revenge after death. Girls from the three families that descended from the lines of the Three danced at the festival in their honor every year. It hadn't been until Beki was much older that she realized that the girls were reenacting those grisly deaths with serene looks on their faces and graceful flicks of the wrist.

When they at last arrived at the Hyuga mansion, they were let in ceremoniously by a member of the lower branch of the clan and led to the dining hall. Seiichiro told Beki to wait outside while he spoke briefly with Hiashi and left her on the cobbles outside. Beki looked down at the bouquet of sunflowers she had bought Hinata. What had she been thinking? It was good manners to bring a gift, but a well bred girl like her might think receiving a crop item offensive. It was just when she had been shopping, Beki thought that Hinata's name kind of reminded her of the sunny blooms. That being said, Beki was a moron and this girl was bound to be smarter than her.

Panic began to set in. Her eyes darted around the courtyard and she spotted some thick magnolia bushes on the other side of the reflecting pool. Beki turned tail and darted for the them. Bringing no gift was probably less offensive than giving her a bouquet of stupid farm flowers. Beki was not used to the restrictive layers of the kimono, nor the measured weight of the geta. She knew she would be in trouble even before she heard the crack.

Hinata had just finished getting ready. She was in her lucky lilac kimono with dainty white butterflies on it. She had put her hair up in a pretty comb Naruto had bought her and was feeling anxious but ready to meet her new charge. She was walking toward the dining hall when she saw a blond girl in a dark kimono running toward her with a bundle in her arms. Hinata watched in shock as the girls geta snapped and she tumbled face first into the reflecting pond. Instinctively, Hinata rushed forward to fish her out the water. She barely remembered to throw her sleeves behind her as she pulled the girl onto the paved path.

"Are you alright?" Hinata asked, the adrenaline giving her voice a slight quaver.

"I-I'm fine. Other than the fact that my dad is going to make me commit seppuku," Beki sighed.

"Why would he do that?" Hinata asked.

"Because I've probably ruined this stupid kimono that's been in the family for generations and I TOLD HIM not to let me wear it because I ruin everything and I KNEW this would be the next casualty of my bad luck."

"I-its just a little water," Hinata thought aloud. "If we get it taken care of in time we might be able to save it. Come on,"

Hinata pulled her toward the building where all of the garments were tended to. If anyone could save that kimono, it was wise old ladies that tended to the Hyuga's priceless kimono collection.

Beki flushed with shame and stayed silent through most of the process. She was peeled like an orange and given one of Hinata's yukata to change in to. She clutched onto a soggy bundle the whole time, chastising herself.

"I am going to make one hell of an impression," Beki muttered.

"On whom?" Hinata asked.

"I'm supposed to meet the heiress of the clan tonight, and here I am making an ass out of myself and borrowing her clothes," Beki sighed, flopping her arms in defeat.

"Why were you running in this priceless kimono?" One of the women asked as she hung Beki's kimono on a rack with the speed and precision of a master.

"I bought Hinata these sunflowers because her name has 'sun' in it but then I realized what a stupid idea that was and I was trying to stash them in the bushes so no one would know and now-'" Beki stopped and buried her face in her hands, grunting in frustration.

Hinata couldn't help but smile.

"It just so happens that sunflowers are my favorite."

Beki looked up at her in shock and awe.

"Nice to meet you, Tsukimori Beki," Hinata smiled. "I'm Hyuga Hinata."


	4. The Debut

**Hi everyone. I decided to forego two shorter updates this week for one good juicy chunk of story. This one took a bit more editing than the last few; as I've written more my dialogue has improved (IMNSHO). As I review this older stuff, I have to go in and tweak things to improve the flow, and this bit has a lot more conversation than the last few. In older posts, I've mentioned I'm new. Still am. If you have any questions, comments, or could take the time to toss me a review it is much appreciated. Thank you for reading my story up to this point. It's worth missing out on my usual binge sessions of K-Dramas and anime knowing someone is enjoying this. Til next time, ponchoninax3. By the way: See if you can catch the Mean Girls quote. :B**

* * *

Seiichiro had walked home hundreds of miles, in full armor, with a broken arm, three cracked ribs, and a sprained ankle after the last ninja war. He had lived through two of the longest and most severe winters in Getsugakure history, when a fifth of their village succumbed to the elements. It took all of the discipline he had developed over the course of his harsh 35 years to keep himself from blowing a gasket in front of Hiashi. Beki had disappeared from the dining hall, making Seiichiro look like a fool when he tried to present her. She finally was led back by the heiress of the clan herself. Beki was in a borrowed yukata, her mother's priceless kimono nowhere to be seen. Seiichiro's mind immediately began running through all the possibilities of hows and whys, and none of them were good. Unless there were orphans about to march in that she saved from drowning, Beki was in trouble.

"She saw me coming toward the dining hall and was heading over to greet me when her geta snapped," Hinata explained. "She fell into the reflecting pool so we had to rush her to the garment house to save that priceless family heirloom."

Hinata bowed and Beki followed suit.

"We apologize for our tardiness," Hinata and Beki said in unison.

They've rehearsed this, Seiichiro grimaced to himself.

"Accidents happen," Hiashi shrugged graciously.

Seiichiro took Hiashi's lead and heaved a sigh.

"Yes they do. Let's have dinner, girls."

…

Seiichiro walked away from the compound feeling bittersweet. After the kimono debacle, Beki had used her best manners. Even he had been impressed. It was as if the initial embarrassment had set her straight and she was the ultra perfect daughter for the rest of the night. She had reserved her speech for when it was appropriate, and when she spoke it was witty and almost insightful. Seiichiro had liked Hiashi from the get go and dinner confirmed his belief that Beki would be in a household that aligned itself with traditional beliefs. She would not be running wild under that man's watch. Hinata was also a breath of fresh air. She had all the demure qualities he hoped would rub off on Beki, but also a maternal kindness and understanding towards his wayward daughter. Beki would be in good hands, he was sure of it. He just was not so sure how well he would handle having his daughter out of his sight for that long.

For King and country, Seiichiro thought bitterly.

…

Hinata and Beki sat on the foot of the bed in Beki's new room. They had both changed into their pajamas and were settling in before they went to sleep.

"Thanks for saving my bacon out there," Beki gave her a grateful smile..

Hinata chuckled. "To save your bacon you would have had to have done something wrong. It's not your fault your geta broke."

"That's true, but thanks anyway," Beki looked around. "So is this whole house yours?"

"One of the perks of being an heiress, I suppose," Hinata smiled sadly.

"I don't know, to me it would be too lonely," Beki shuffled a little.

"It's supposed to be full of children and visitors," Hinata sighed.

"Well, you're one person toward that goal," Beki smiled.

"You must be exhausted, Beki," Hinata rose. "I'll let you get some rest. I guess I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yeah, have a good night, Hinata," Beki watched her leave.

"Goodnight, Beki," Hinata said as she closed the door.

Beki sat alone in her room staring out the window. The moon was half full and casting a soft glow on the grounds outside. The gardens were as beautiful by moonlight as they had been during the day. It surprised Beki that even at this hour there was still some bustle within the compound. It's like living in a tiny town within the village, Beki thought. The knowledge that she wasn't the only person still awake comforted her and helped her not to feel so isolated. Hinata was much nicer than she had expected. She had been kind and helpful even though Beki had made a total ass of herself. Beki also couldn't help but notice how damn pretty she was. Usually, heiresses were born of political arrangements, and so the two parties weren't always the most attractive. Somehow, though, Hinata had come from genes that boasted both flawless hair and a killer frame. In a weird way, Beki liked Hiashi, too. Hiashi had the same gruff formality her father did, from his disapproving look all the way to their matching frowns. Beki expected to adjust well.

Beki curled into the fresh soft sheets and breathed deeply. They smelled like sunshine and lavender and were some blend of angel's hair and satin. Exhaustion hit Beki like a sock full of nickels laying in that ridiculously comfortable bed and it was hard to keep her eyes open. In spite of her history of handling much more strenuous journeys, Beki was all tuckered out. She figured it was the emotional trauma of almost destroying her mother's kimono and humiliating herself in front of her new guardians. As she drifted off, Beki hugged her pillow and smiled. She couldn't wait for tomorrow so she could go exploring in the Hidden Leaf.

Hinata hovered in the hallway a moment. She had wanted to stay up and keep talking to Beki, but the poor girl looked as haggard as a corpse. She had to admit it was nice to have someone else in the house, even if it was a stranger. Naruto's absence had initially been a gnawing emptiness that followed her around wherever she went, however it had finally subsided into a dull ache. Hinata missed him terribly, but she was optimistic about her new roommate. Beki had an unassuming quality about her, a sincerity that reminded her of some of her favorite people. Naruto was like that, and so was Neji. The thing that made her most excited to have Beki around was that unlike the other girls in town, Beki seemed to have some of the same experiences with sacrificing for family and duty. The other girls always went out of their way to be nice to her, but deep down she knew that they could never fully understand her. How can a wild hare understand the trials of lap rabbit who has never been able to run free? That being said, Hinata knew better than to be careless. It would take some time, but Beki was someone she would grow to confide in.

Hinata walked down the hallway to her room and hoped that maybe she hadn't put the two of them too far apart. She had picked Beki's room hoping for privacy, but now she worried the other girl might think that she was purposely putting distance between them.

No, Hinata, she thought to herself. Don't over think this. You gave her arguably the best room in the house. She'll see the other rooms. She'll know what you were thinking.

Hinata stopped and smiled to herself. Beki would understand what she had been thinking. She didn't have to worry so much. With that thought in mind, Hinata climbed into bed, hugged the picture of Naruto she kept at her bedside, and curled up to go to sleep.

…

Either Beki isn't an early riser or she is very tired, Hinata thought as the clock struck ten. Most members of the Hyuga household were up around six or seven. Her father usually rose around four thirty. Hinata had slept in to an unheard of seven thirty and had been puttering around the kitchen for the last two and a half hours, afraid to do anything lest she might disturb her guest. She had wanted to have breakfast with her new roommate, but had gotten too hungry and eaten a bowl of rice porridge about an hour ago. She finally started to hear some movement upstairs and went into the fridge to get out the ingredients for pancakes.

Beki came thudding downstairs looking like something that had died and risen during the night. She had at least enough wherewithal to brush her hair before she came down, but she still looked absolutely haggard. Her skin was more pallid than Hinata had thought. Veins showed blue beneath Beki's ashen flesh, and her eyes had a glazed over quality that made Hinata wonder if she was sleep walking.

"So I should make a pot of coffee?" Hinata gave her a look of concern.

"Yes please," Beki yawned and took a seat at the kitchen table. "Oh, you're making breakfast? You don't have to."

"Oh, I just thought that you wouldn't know your way around yet," Hinata smiled, worry still etched on her face from the frightening appearance of her ward. "Are you alright with pancakes?"

"I love pancakes!" Beki smiled. "So does everyone in the compound get up early?"

"Yes, I suppose other people would think its early. We usually get up around six or seven," Hinata explained.

"So I can't stay up all hours of the night?" Beki gave her a mischievous look.

"As long as you aren't playing loud music or anything I don't think anyone will mind," Hinata said.

"Okay. Good to know," Beki yawned. "I'm kind of a night owl."

"Aren't all Getsu nin, though?" Hinata asked.

Beki cocked her head.

"Why would you think that?"

Oh no, Hinata thought. I went and said something offensive. She should never so foolishly have made such an assumption.

"I just thought, you know, with the whole moon thing..."

"Not my dad. He's mister rise with the dawn," Beki grumbled. "In Getsu or out of it, he's shaking me awake just shy of daybreak."

"My father is that way as well," Hinata flipped the flawless silver dollar pancakes.

"So," Beki started to braid her hair self consciously. "What should we do today?"

"I was thinking I could take you on a tour of the village," Hinata started to stack the pancakes on a simple white porcelain plate that probably cost more than all of Beki's clothes put together. "So you could get your bearings."

"That sounds good to me," Beki said as Hinata handed her a steaming stack of hotcakes. "These look awesome!"

"Thanks," Hinata smiled. "They're Naruto's- oh, nevermind."

"Who's Naruto?" Beki had inevitably taken the bait.

Hinata felt herself flush. She had wanted to avoid having this awkward conversation so soon. It always brought up uncomfortable questions about how young they had become engaged, which led to questions of why they had become engaged. The silence was stretching palpably and Hinata knew she had to say something.

"Uzumaki Naruto is my fiance," Hinata pinched her arm behind her back to help steel her nerves. "He's away on a long term training mission."

"Oh," Beki shrugged and then looked up from her plate. "Wait, you aren't having any?"

"I already ate," Hinata smiled. Of course! Beki had been taught diplomat's manners. She understood it was impolite to pry. Hinata put a cup of coffee down in front of each of them. "Do you take cream or sugar?"

"Just a little cream," Beki held out her cup.

A knock at the kitchen door interrupted their conversation.

"Come in," Hinata called over her shoulder.

Neji walked through the door and immediately began to speak.

"Good morning, Lady Hinata and-"

He paused for a moment, stunned to silence by the sheer awfulness of Beki's morning appearance.

"After I have my coffee I look about 60% more human," Beki offered a generous grin.

"Are you naturally that…" Neji's voice trailed off, lost for words.

"Pale? Yeah. Seven generations of deep woods and mountain dwellers." Beki took a sip of her coffee. "Tsukimori Beki."

"Hyuga Neji," He replied, remembering his manners.

"We're cousins," Hinata explained. "His father and my father were twins."

"Twins are cool," Beki said. "I wish I'd been a twin. Would have made it much easier to manage everything."

"Do you have any siblings, Beki?" Hinata inquired.

"No, it's just me and my dad," Beki sipped her coffee again. "I have a friend in Getsu that I practically shared a cradle with. That's close to a sister, I suppose."

"I have a little sister, Hanabi," Hinata finally sipped her own cup. "We'll probably run into her later."

"Cool," Beki swirled the dregs of her mug. "So, girly sleepovers are on the table?"

Hinata sighed.

"Hanabi would love that."

"Join us," Beki waved Neji over, gesturing to an empty seat at the table.

Neji sat down cautiously, as though he were afraid Beki would turn into the undead at any moment.

"So what are your plans for the day?"

"I was going to show Beki around the village," Hinata clarified.

"Would you like some company?" Neji offered.

Hinata felt unsure and cast Beki a questioning glance. It was hard to tell how she would feel. After all, the girl had been basically dropped off into a compound full of one big family. Hinata imagined she would feel isolated and out of place. Instead of looking uncomfortable, however, Beki smiled good naturedly, the color finally coming back to her skin.

"Sure, the more the merrier."

…

Twenty minutes later they were leaving the compound and headed for main street.

"Beki, I just realized: You're not really wearing a kunai bag," Hinata commented, perplexed.

"Oh, yeah, its just printed on my leggings." Beki smiled. "I'm off duty but it's weird not seeing the bag strap while I'm out, you know?"

Neji glanced at Hinata from behind Beki's back with a look of disbelief.

"So you're wearing clothes that look like you're wearing gear but you aren't," Neji phrased his question as a statement.

"Exactly!" Beki grinned obliviously.

"That makes perfect sense," Neji said, his sarcasm so seamless it was downright undetectable.

Hinata laughed nervously and they kept moving along. Good natured she may be, but Beki left a lot to be desired in terms of her kunoichi habits.

"So that big building over there is the Hokage's Mansion. Back beyond it is the mountain with all the great hokage's faces carved into it," Neji explained.

"Oh, there's the flower shop I went to yesterday," Beki gestured to the store across the street.

"The Yamanaka clan owns that shop," Hinata added. "One of my old classmates, Ino, usually runs it."

"Was she the blonde one without any pupils?" Beki asked.

"Yes…" Hinata replied uncomfortably.

"Okay, does she have an ocular jutsu like your clan?" Beki asked. "I know that's why you guys don't have pupils, but does everybody here without pupils have an ocular jutsu?"

The Hyugas stood there in silence looking at her in horror. Hinata noticed that Neji's draw had actually dropped a half an inch, and the usually composed shinobi was staring at Beki in open mouthed dismay. He caught Hinata's gaze, realized his loss of composure, and snapped his mouth closed.

"Beki, you can't just ask why people don't have pupils," Neji whispered in exasperation.

"Sorry, ocular jutsu aren't a thing where I'm from," Beki shuffled uncomfortably. "The kekke genkai are usually a lot less apparent. You can't tell so easily what people have by looking at them."

"You know where we should go?" Neji cut her off, his voice full of forced enthusiasm. "We should go to the school."

Hinata heard what he really meant and cringed, mostly because she agreed: we need professional help for this level of stupid.

As they walked, they very gently probed Beki's brain to see just how backwater she was.

"So, you lived in Getsugakure?" Neji probed. Hinata noticed that he kept Beki at a distance. She wondered if he was afraid her ignorance was contagious.

"I went to academy there, so sort of," Beki scratched her head. "The village I was born and raised in is about sixty miles further inland. Its up in a mountain pass in the woods."

"Oh, how many families live in your village?" Hinata smiled.

"Well, there's like, six clans," Beki kicked at the road. "Wait, no, five. Five clans. There were six, but I'm the last Asou. I'm a girl, though, so the family dies with me."

"Does your village have a specialty in terms of production or jutsu?" Neji asked.

"Well, we're Getsu, so everythings kinda...moon and water based…" Beki replied. "We have like, a 500 year old shrine. That's kind of the village's only noteworthy attraction."

"Oh, what's it a shrine to?" Hinata asked.

"It's so old no one really knows what it was originally built to honor," Beki explained. "A lot of the paintings are kind of water logged and the statues are decayed. If you believe the traditions passed down through the Miko it's a gate to keep hell at bay, or something."

"And if you don't believe the Miko?" Neji asked.

"Well, one way or another about 300 years ago it was rededicated to these three shrine maidens who were murdered protecting a wounded spirit who took refuge there." Beki continued. "It had the power to grant wishes, and some bandits heard about it attacked the shrine. The head priestess and two of her attendants held them off long enough for everyone else to escape-"

They had reached the school. It was right around lunch time. Neji turned and looked at the girls.

"Sorry Beki, this is really interesting but I have to try to catch the teacher before class starts again," Neji started to walk inside. "I'll go in for a moment and see if I can borrow a book for you Beki,"

"That's really nice of him," Beki turned to Hinata. "Your cousin is really nice, Hinata."

"He sure is," Hinata smiled back, knowing if Beki understood his intentions she wouldn't be so pleased. Is she really this dense? No. She can't be this dense, Hinata thought. There's no way a kunoichi could live this long with zero street smarts.

Ten minutes later Neji emerged from the school with a book in hand.

"This textbook is the standard one they use to teach trainees at the academy. It covers a lot of the sorts of questions it sounds like you have about our village."

What he left out was that it was for very young recruits, the equivalent of shinobi kindergarten and first grade. It didn't cover any jutsu, other than the section that nebulously explained what a jutsu was and how they worked in basic, kid friendly terms.

"This is great, Neji, thanks," Beki beamed and cracked it open, looking at the full color pictures as excitedly as the kindergarteners. Neji had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"Iruka sensei said if there was ever something you were really confused about, you could sit in in one of his classes on the subject." Neji said.

"Everyone in this village is so nice. I don't think I've been to a village where everyone is this nice!" Beki smiled, poring through the textbook. "I would have never expected this kind of courtesy from Leaf nin."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Neji asked, affronted.

"Well, I mean, per capita your village has the most notorious nin in the Bingo book," Beki started to count off on her fingers. "Uchiha Itachi, Orochimaru, the Copycat Ninja-"

"Half of those are ronin," Neji interrupted, his courtesy slipping.

"Do you know what other villages do with notorious ronin?" Beki's eyes flashed. "They have highly trained hit squads that take them out before they're a problem. Have you ever heard of a notorious Getsu ronin?"

"No, maybe that's because statistically they participate in too few missions to become notorious, or…" Neji's voice trailed off. Hinata was gently shaking her head at him, indicating it wasn't worth the argument.

"First hand accounts of foreign nin passing through Konoha or in the field indicate that before he left Konoha for good, Orochimaru had been suspected of conducting all kinds of gross experiments, and that the 3rd Hokage had several opportunities to stop him," Beki clearly saved her brain for debates like this. Two minutes ago, Neji had wondered how the girl figured out how to put her pants on straight, but now she spoke with the eloquence and confidence of a seasoned pro.

"When I was three, there was this field op, I'll leave out his name. It's unimportant," Beki closed the book and tucked it under her arm. She watched her feet as she spoke, the memory uncomfortable to recount. "He had started acting funny, saying off stuff, like the job was finally getting to him. He mutilated an enemy nin's body in the field. My dad got called in on a special meeting. He went to talk to the guy. Found him with the dismembered body of one of his squadmates. My dad took him down with one swing of his kanabo, right then and there."

Beki looked Neji dead in the eye.

"That's why little villages don't have all these escaped psychopaths. We see them turn and we take them down before they get loose and ruin families."

Hinata stepped forward and put a hand gently on Neji's arm.

"Weren't you supposed to meet Lee for training today?"

Neji looked at her, his brows knit with confusion. His eyes widened when he realized she was giving him the opportunity for a graceful exit.

"Oh, of course," He said half under his breath. "How could I have forgotten. If you'll excuse me ladies,"

Neji bowed politely and took his leave. Hinata turned to Beki with a look of concern that almost broke into a fit of laughter. Beki's stern face had morphed into a comical expression of childish rage. Her cheeks were puffed up as she glared after Neji.

"Forget what I said, he isn't nice."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, he's just very loyal to the village, and some of what you said might be hard to swallow."

"I guess that was kind of insensitive of me, but do you guys even know what the other villages think about you guys?" Beki flipped through the book.

"You mean about the ronin?" Hinata knew it was true Konoha had produced many legendary nin, good and bad.

"In the last shinobi war, you guys participated in the extermination of an entire enemy village." Beki closed the book, unable to find what she was looking for. "To the little villages, the big five are kind of just a bunch of blustering bullies."

Hinata had started to walk. Her hope was that getting Beki moving would blow off some steam. She would have to talk to Neji later and see if there was a way to reconcile him with Beki. Hinata would hate for discord to be sewn on Beki's first day in Konoha.

They walked through town, Hinata pointing out all of the relevant points of interest. The aviary, the market, weapons shops, and so on. They stopped to eat at one of the local diners and ran into Sakura.

"Hey, Hinata," Sakura greeted them. "And this is?"

"Tsukimori Beki," Hinata said. "Her father is the ambassador for Getsugakure. I'm her guard and escort throughout the duration of the talks between our villages."

"Nice to meet you-" Beki bowed politely

"Haruno Sakura," She smiled. "Welcome to our village."

Once their food had arrived, Beki tucked into it.

"Long day?" Sakura chuckled.

"This is a lot larger of a village than I'm used to running around in," Beki sighed. "I swear we haven't even seen half the town."

"We saw most of the important parts," Hinata explained. "As other things come up you'll at least have some landmarks to direct yourself with."

"That's true," Beki said. "Hey, you guys don't mind if I run by the Hokage's Mansion to see my dad? I'll meet back up with you at the compound."

"I should really go with you-" Hinata started.

Beki had already put down the money for her food and was halfway out the door.

"Don't worry I'll be fine," She waved behind her as she left.

Hinata watched her uncomfortably. She was torn between her duty and Beki's wishes, however all she could think about was losing her charge. Hinata gave Beki a five minute start, paid for her own food, and followed after her.

…

Beki flew through the streets gleefully as she made her way to the Hokage's Mansion. She was so proud of herself for remembering her way around. She had so much to tell her father!

Although Hinata had pointed it out, Beki hadn't visited the Hokage's Mansion yet. There were guards everywhere, but none of them seemed to mind her until she approached the steps.

"Uh, hi, excuse me, I'm wondering if Tsukimori Seiichiro is in a meeting with the Hokage?" Beki asked the tall gloomy looking one at the foot of the steps.

"Who's asking?" The guard said, eyeing her over.

"Tsukimori Beki, his daughter," Beki fished out her family's crest from under her shirt. It was an intricately carved crescent moon and maple leaves on a block of silver mounted on a leather tag. The guard eyeballed it for a moment before speaking:

"Yeah, they've been at it for the last six hours. They're not agreeing about something,"

"Do you think he'll be out soon?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No ma'am."

"If you're still on duty when he leaves, please let him know I came by," Beki bowed and took her leave, disappointment dragging at her feet.

The exhaustion was catching up with her again. Beki trudged along under the setting sun as she made her way back to the Hyuga compound. What a day it had been. She had gotten a good feel for the village and probably ruined a potential friendship along the way. For all her training under her father, Beki's temper always kicked in at the worst moments. Neji and Hinata were clearly close, but Beki had to go and get up on her soap box and make an enemy out of him. Beki wished she could have a jutsu that let her rewind the last ten minutes so she could undo the damage she had caused. Then again, knowing herself, she would probably just use that jutsu to refine her argument rather than avoid it.

When she arrived at the gates, Beki bowed and greeted the gatekeeper and made her way back to Hinata's house. Hinata wasn't home yet, so Beki found her way to the study and curled up on the loveseat to read her History of Konohagakure. 25 pages in, around the time Hashirama finally founded the village, Beki was out cold. Hinata came in to find her asleep with the book on her face. Hinata saved her spot with a bookmark with puppies on it, then threw a blanket over her. Hinata turned out the light and left Beki to sleep. Hinata had cried herself to sleep enough times on that couch to know it was comfortable enough for her guest.


	5. The High Ground

**Hi again everyone! I would have never thought I would be up to five chapters already. The story will pick up momentum quickly from here; I just needed to establish the relationship between Hinata and Beki before we moved forward with shenanigans. As I have mentioned in earlier chapters, having a main character from another village opens up a lot of opportunities to talk about issues in the Naruto universe. We really only ever get the perspective of Konoha ninja, so I thought it would be fun to have the characters talk some of it out. If there are any glaring questions that always stuck out at you that I haven't addressed or brought up (such as the no pupils vs. pupils situation, and the high percentage of S-Rank ronin from Konoha) PM me and I'll try to add it in. I'm still pretty new to this, so reviews are much appreciated!**

 **Also, In case you haven't noticed, Tale of the Three Maidens (here on I shall refer to it as TTM) HAS COVER ART. I DID IT GUISE. That deviantart I'm always going on about (same ID as here) has finally been updated with the higher res version of aforementioned cover art.**

 **I would like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to** **lVlulcan for being such great moral support. Thank you friend!**

 **Tallman0029, thank you for finally giving me your official endorsement so I don't look like a raving lunatic. Now there is proof I am your chosen apprentice. *cue Palpatine thunder and lightning, the soft, slightly menacing echo of "do it" in the background***

 **And as a side note to KindBacon, aka the Kindest of Bacon, yes. Those were Firefly and Sunflowers references. I make at LEAST one geeky reference per chapter. It's fun for me to lace them in there.**

 **On that note, happy reading all!**

* * *

The next morning Beki rose around eight and met Hinata downstairs. There were scrambled eggs still hot in the pan and fresh bread out to be toasted. Beki made herself a plate and took up a spot next to Hinata at the table.

"Thank you for breakfast," Beki said as she scooped up her first forkful.

"Of course," Hinata said as she read the paper.

"So, I had a question. The book said that there was a really long gap between the fourth and fifth hokage. What digs?" Beki wanted to talk to her about the fight with Neji, but she figured it was better to segue in on something less controversial.

"Oh, if you keep reading it will explain after the fourth passed, the third took up office again," Hinata explained.

"So it went third, fourth, third, fifth?" Beki asked.

"Yes," Hinata answered.

Beki's eyes narrowed as she thought about it. That sounded fairly suspicious to her. Why wouldn't they just skip from the fourth to the fifth? The 3rd Hokage sounded like one shady dealer to her.

"The book also talks a lot about 'the Will of Fire,'" Beki moved her food around on her plate. "What is it?"

"The Will of Fire is essentially a Konoha ninja's strength to fight against all odds, their uprightness of character, and their responsibility to carry on the hopes and dreams of their predecessors," Hinata recited from memory. When she was a girl, it hadn't made sense to her. It was the sort of thing that the teachers had them rehearse over and over again until it was as automatic a response as their own name. After spending time with Naruto, however, she had fully come to understand what all those words really symbolized. His strength gave her strength. It was how she convinced herself to get up every morning and face the day, even in the absence of her one true love.

"Do you have anything like that in Getsu?" Hinata mused.

"Not really," Beki leaned back in her chair. "I mean, everything is inherited there, from government positions to land titles, so I suppose you could say it falls back on whatever your family's code is."

"What's your family's code?" The idea intrigued Hinata. Even before Beki had a chance to respond, Hinata found herself trying to figure out what the Hyuga's family words would be. Probably something about "tradition".

Beki thought about it for a moment before responding.

"I told you before I'm the last in line of the Asou family. If their code was worth a damn, I wouldn't be the last one. On the Tsukimori side I'm a third son's daughter, so their code is probably the smarter of the two." Beki pushed around her eggs some more. "It's a lot of nonsense about not besmirching the family honor and not yielding to your enemies, ever. Nothing super inspiring."

Hinata watched Beki for a while. The two sat silently as they tried to figure out what the other was thinking. Hinata clenched her fists under the table and took an unprecedented first move.

"Do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?"

Beki swallowed hard. Hinata was her age, but she was being so mature about yesterday's scuffle. Beki had been mentally prepared for a screaming match or the cold shoulder; anything but this. Hinata was being respectful. Her tone was measured and open, inviting a response and showing no criticism. It made Beki feel even worse about what an ass she'd made of herself.

"I'm kind of sensitive about the whole Ronin thing," Beki started slowly. When she took too long to respond, Hinata offered:

"I noticed. Do you want to talk to me about it?"

In the expectant silence that followed, Beki was forced to fill it with something. She supposed she did owe Hinata, and maybe even Neji, and explanation.

"There are kekke genkai on both sides of my family. The Tsukimori kekke genkai has all but died out. My father is the first in three generations that even shows signs of maybe having some of it," Beki explained. "My mother was the most powerful user of her family's kekke in possibly the entire history of her family. When word got out that they'd had a baby, Orochimaru's men came to take me away. My mother died holding them off while my father got me to safety."

"Beki, I'm so sorry," Hinata said, her voice full of compassion. "I lost my mother young, too. I know how hard that is."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," Beki looked up from her almost untouched breakfast. "I shouldn't have lashed out at you and Neji. I need to have more of an open mind about all this. If I'm going to be living here in Konoha, I need to set aside my biases. I don't want to make things unpleasant for your family. You all have been nothing but nice to me and I'm just dragging my baggage through your flowerbeds."

"If you want we can go see Neji so you two can talk it out," Hinata suggested.

Beki shuffled uncomfortably. Neji seemed the stoic type to her. She hoped he wouldn't hold a grudge, but then again, she'd made this problem and it was up to her to face the fallout.

"Whether I want to or not, it's the right thing to do," Beki almost choked on the words. She hated taking the high ground, especially when things were her fault. Part of her just wanted everyone to forget about it and move on, but that mindset would only make things worse in the long run.

"I was thinking I should go around the compound and introduce you to the family," Hinata turned a page of the paper thoughtfully. "If you're up for it."

Beki tried not to let it show but the idea of more introductions and remembering gave her a headache.

"Sure, I'll need to get presentable first," Beki rose from the table, guiltily dumping her uneaten breakfast down the garbage disposal. She hated to waste the food, but the morning's conversations had nerfed her appetite.

"Of course," Hinata smiled understandingly. She was glad that Beki wanted to fix things. Part of her had been worried that Beki was a spoiled pompous ambassador's daughter. Hinata had been mortified for her when she went on her little tirade in the street. Then again, Beki had made a few fair points. Perhaps it was the stubbornness that came with the Will of Fire that pushed even the worst of Konoha ninja to great heights. Terrible, but great.

Hinata led Beki around the grounds of the Hyuga compound. They met all of the pertinent people in both the main house and the branch house.

"So Hinata, I know this is totally insensitive but it's killing me," Beki whispered harshly. "What's the difference between the Main house and the Branch house?"

Hinata sighed. Growing up in the compound, one forgot the confusion the division might cause. She should have thought to brief her earlier.

"The Main house runs the family and the branch house protects it," Hinata explained in low tones to avoid eavesdroppers. "It's a way to protect the secrets of our Byakugan."

"Hina chan, you're going to have to do a better job explaining it than that," Beki gave her the side eye. "I'm not that oblivious. They're branded. What's the deal?"

Hinata blushed and looked around. Even though she couldn't see anyone, she knew the possibility of interlopers loomed over them. They'd known each other two days and Beki had already given her a pet name. None of the other girls in town called her a pet name; not even Naruto had a pet name for her. Was this typical for girls their age? Or was it just Beki's battering ram personality?

"I'll explain all the technical aspects later," Hinata dropped her voice to the squeak of a mouse. "It's not something to be openly discussed."

"Oh," Beki tossed her hair and looked around. "Look where we ended up," Their last stop, around lunch, was back at the garment storehouse.

"I figured you would want to check on your kimono," Hinata smiled.

"You were right! Let's go see," Beki skipped inside.

The girls entered the building and chatted up the wise women of the storehouse.

"We have a gift for you," One of them giggled as she handed Beki a long box.

Beki peeked inside to see her mother's kimono back in perfect condition and wrapped in fine linen.

"The linen is to keep it preserved," One of the others offered. "There's a lot of moisture this time of year."

"This is wonderful, thank you all so much for your help," Beki beamed. They had kept the kimono similarly stored, but they had done something to it to bring it back to life. Suddenly the kimono wasn't a drab antique, it was a living breathing thing. The ghost lights flickered in the sunshine and stars she had never noticed before sparkled in the night sky.

"We figured you would want to keep it in Lady Hinata's house with you," another said.

"Yes, thank you." Beki couldn't stop smiling. "What did you all do to it? It looks fresh off the rack."

The youngest of the women winked at her.

"Hyuga family secret."

As they carried the box back to the house, Hinata reviewed the names and positions of all the family members she had introduced to Beki that day.

"Okay, so Umeko is the older cook and Miyo is the younger cook," Beki repeated, doing her best to retain all the new information.

Hinata caught something white and black darting off out of sight up ahead. Her eyes narrowed.

"Hinata? What's wrong?" Beki squinted up ahead. "What do your Hyuga eyes see?"

"Hyuga Neji, you come out right now!" Hinata called out up ahead. She was startled by the sound of her raised voice. She didn't know she could be that loud. Hinata felt her throat afterwards. The strain of yelling would probably leave her vocal cords sore for a few days. Then again, she was surprised and simultaneously angry at Neji for trying to avoid them.

Begrudgingly, he stepped out onto the path ahead of them and waited awkwardly for them to catch up.

"I was not avoiding you, I know what you're thinking," Neji spat out as soon as they got close. "I just suddenly remembered I forgot something."

Hinata suddenly lost her nerve. She had wanted to have Beki and Neji reconcile, but now that she had brought them together she was at a loss for how to proceed. An uncomfortable silence was stretching out between the three, when all at once Neji and Beki blurted out at the same time.

"Look I'm really sorry, what I said was out of line-"

"I let my pride get in the way and I spoke disrespectfully-"

They stopped, fell silent and stared each other down.

"Go ahead."

"No, you go ahead."

"I insist; I was interrupting you."

"Okay. I'm sorry. I forget that I'm a guest in the Leaf village now, and that even though we're all friends I should mind what I say," Beki sighed. "I just got here, and I'm all turned around; there was probably a better way for me to express my thoughts."

"After giving the situation some thought, I realized the same thing. I shouldn't have taken offense. Everyone has said things they don't quite mean when they're tired or nervous," Neji bowed. "I apologize."

"I'll accept yours if you'll accept mine?" Beki offered.

"Sounds like a deal." Neji nodded.

After Neji briefly updated Hinata on the goings on around Konoha that day, the girls returned back to the Hinata's house. Hinata took up some of her knitting while Beki read her textbook.

"Hinata, what did you guys have to do to graduate the academy?" Beki asked as she turned a page.

For the third time in two days, Hinata was left wondering how much she could safely divulge to Beki without breaking shinobi disclosure laws. She had dodged explaining the difference between the branch and main houses of her clan, but it was hard to avoid a question like this. She thought for a moment, and decided on a vague version of the facts:

"Well, there's a written exam, and then trainees have to demonstrate the ability to use a very basic ninjutsu."

Beki knit her brows as she thought. Hinata hated to think so, but the expression Beki made when she was puzzled gave her the appearance it took a great deal of power for her to think through things. It was as if it took all of her concentration and willpower to process new information.

"I guess that's not that different from Getsu," Beki said at last. "Instead of ninjutsu test, they drop us off in the middle of nowhere in the mountains or in the woods. We have to work our way back to town."

"Does a lot of your class graduate?" Hinata wondered. That seemed harsher than what they had Konoha trainees do. "Do they give you supplies?"

"It's a basic kit: flint rock, rope, a couple of kunai, a water canteen, and some rations," Beki explained. "It took me two days. Some kids they had to go out and find after day four. I'd say it's 50/50 on how many of us graduate. The students that don't make the cut go back to school and can try again in three months, so no real repercussions."

The girls chatted a bit longer about their experiences in the academy. A few hours later, they went to the dining hall for dinner. They ate with Hanabi before returning to Hinata's and settling in for bed. Beki was glad both her kimono was fixed and that she had worked things out with Neji. If more of the Konoha shinobi were like him and Hinata, she thought there was a good chance she could adapt to life here in the long run.


	6. The Green Beast

**This is the chapter where the "humor" portion of the "humor/romance" genre label comes into play. At least, I think this chapter is funny. From here on in, other characters from the series are going to start making regular appearances. I didn't directly do an encounter between Beki and Team 8; I thought the scene was funnier without it. I thought that having a run in with Gai and Lee would be one of those dangers a newbie to town would have to deal with, and so this scene happened. I also brought up some of the kinds of situations roommates would have to deal with. Tell me what you guys think via PM or review. Commentary/questions are much appreciated.**

* * *

Beki rose earlier than the day before. She was groggy and irritable, but she was starting to adjust to the early schedule s of the Hyuga. She brushed and braided her hair in the vanity mirror and splashed her face with cold water. She was pale as death right after waking up, as usual. She put on black leggings and a gray tunic and headed downstairs barefoot.

Hinata had started the pot of coffee and was making rice porridge.

"Good morning Beki," Hinata called over her shoulder.

"Morning Hinata," Beki replied as she took her seat at the table.

"I forgot to ask you, what kind of food do you typically eat for breakfast and lunch?" Hinata had been worrying about what she had been feeding her guest. Hinata typically made food she had grown up eating in Konoha; she needed to make sure that there wasn't something she was being culturally insensitive about.

"Oh, anything is fine really. I'm not picky," Beki smiled slightly, the weight of the morning keeping her friendliness in check. "I'll eat whatever is put in front of me."

"I was just thinking if there was anything specific you would like the kitchen to stock, I could let them know." Hinata explained. "You know, any favorite fruits or vegetables, that sort of thing."

"Okay, if I think of anything I'll tell you," Beki said as cracked open her textbook.

"You've been studying hard," Hinata commented. Ever since Neji had put the book in her hand, Hinata hadn't seen Beki without it. Anytime there was a spare minute, she had her nose buried in it.

"Things are just so different here," Beki said. "I'd like to stop making such an ass of myself all the time. Knowing about Konoha's history will hopefully help with that. I wish I'd had one of these for every major village I've been to. Would have saved my dad a lot of heartache."

"I'm glad you are taking the initiative. People will notice the effort," Hinata said as she doled out the coffee and porridge. "Regardless, people here are pretty friendly. So long as you make a point of being friendly to them, they'll return the favor."

A thought had been nagging at Hinata for a while. Several times Hinata had slipped and brought up Naruto. Beki never seemed phased, but Hinata was worried that she was just being polite.

"Beki, do you have a boyfriend?" Hinata asked hesitantly.

"No," Beki said matter-of-factly. "It's kind of hard maintaining relationships with the whole hopping around from village to village thing."

"Not even with someone from the village you grew up in?" Hinata asked.

"There weren't really any boys there that liked me," Beki adjusted in her seat. "On the one hand, my dad is scary as hell, so that's strike one. Strike two is that there aren't a lot of people my age in the village. Pickings are slim, and compared to the other girls my age I'm not a popular choice."

"Why do you think that?" Hinata thought Beki was pretty enough. Her hair was a very lovely color and she kept it in complicated braids. Then again, Hinata didn't know what the other girls in Beki's village looked like. Maybe they all had hair that color.

"Probably my temper?" Beki looked up at the ceiling as she thought about it. "Oh. Or the fact that I don't want to get married at like, 17, and have seven kids and never see anything beyond my village."

"Oh," Was all Hinata could reply with. "That sounds sad."

"Remember how I said there are only 5 clans left in my village? Well, they all come from the same three lines. There are three offshoot clans now, but essentially we're all distantly related, right?" Beki thought for a moment about whether or not she should continue. She shrugged and kept talking. "So that means of the four boys around my age from Kami to Akuma, three of them are my first cousins."

"That definitely puts a damper on things," Hinata took a bite of her porridge. "So, do you all meet your spouses in Getsugakure?"

"Sometimes," Beki eyed her carefully, as if surveying whether or not Hinata could handle the next part. "See, my clan, and at least two of the other clans, think it's totally okay to marry a second cousin."

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise, to which Beki rolled hers.

"Come on. By the look of your entire clan, tell me that no one around here has married a cousin."

Hinata thought about it and had to admit that she could think of at least three marriages that had happened between cousins in her family, but they were usually at least third or fourth cousins. She stammered for a moment in frustration at Beki's satisfied smirk before she finally said:

"They aren't so closely related."

"Well, regardless of my dad's position as a third son making my prospects few to none, he didn't want me stuck there," Beki continued, as if they hadn't just discussed the ethics of marrying cousins. "Unfortunately, likely at some point he's going to have to use me as a bargaining chip and broker me into a marriage that would profit Getsu."

Hinata looked down at her plate. There was a very good chance that if she hadn't become engaged to Naruto, she would have been facing a similar fate. He had rescued her from her position as a bargaining chip. Their indiscretion had guaranteed her a lifetime full of love and happiness. When she was younger, Hinata would have never thought that doing something wrong and getting in trouble could lead to such good fortune. Maybe Beki had been put under her care so she could get her in the same kind of trouble.

"You might meet someone here," Hinata offered. "There are a lot of boys here our age. Almost all of them are single and they're generally nice people."

"I don't know, Hinata," Beki tapped her thumb on the table. "I don't know how long I'll be here, and as much as I would like to meet someone... Maybe if the right person comes along it'll be worth the work."

"That's the right attitude!" Hinata clapped her hands.

"Why did you ask though?" Beki asked. "Is it because you're engaged?"

"Well, yes." Hinata blushed. "I wanted to make sure you weren't in some complicated situation and I was making you uncomfortable bringing it up all the time."

"No, of course not," Beki shook her head. "Tell me more about him."

Hinata lit up like a string of lights. She talked about how brave and strong Naruto was, what good work ethic he had, his lofty goals of becoming Hokage, and how cute he was when he smiled. That is, until she noticed she had talked for twenty minutes straight and Beki was leaning back in her chair with a smug expression.

"You liiiiiike him," Beki teased.

"I should, I'm marrying him aren't I?" Hinata flushed with exasperation.

"This goes beyond an arranged marriage," Beki poked. "You liiiiiiike him."

"I have to admit, I have always admired him," Hinata's face was growing redder by the minute.

Beki paused to think and the wicked smile pulled at the corner of her mouth.

"How is he in bed?" Beki asked.

Hinata froze solid and turned scarlet from head to toe. She could feel sweat dripping down the back of her neck.

"Oh, okay, you're shy about that," Beki waved her hands apologetically, but the smile didn't fade. "Sorry I asked."

Am I that easy to read? Hinata thought.

"I think I'm going to try to run some errands today. I have to stock up on letter paper and such now that I know I'm not heading home any time soon," Beki rose and put her dishes in the sink. "I've got important ambassadoress-in-training communication to conduct. See you later Hina-chan."

Hinata watched Beki skip out the front door and wondered if they really were friends. Hinata had always wanted a girlfriend, but she thought it would be like the other relationships she'd built with her teammates. There would be a buildup of hanging out briefly over lunch, then running errands together, and then the whole secret confessions of the soul could happen. She had only known Beki three days and she was asking her how Naruto was in bed. Was that rude? Beki now lived in the Hyuga compound, her every moment spent in a fishbowl where her only solitude was in Hinata's house. Hinata was privy to all the things Beki did and said that other people didn't see or hear. Did that make her entitled to know some of Hinata's secrets, too? If Hinata asked Beki a very personal question like that, would Beki feel so uncomfortable?

Hinata finished her coffee as she mulled it over. Beki had been a little straightforward with that question, but she may have meant it jokingly. It was Hinata's own fault for opening that door when she spent five minutes talking about Naruto's rippling pectorals. Hinata decided when Beki got back later she would talk to her about it. Communication about feelings was very important, or at least that's what Hinata read in the relationship books she stole peeks at in the bookshops and the library.

A few hours later, Hinata heard Beki coming through the front door. Hinata was in the study writing a letter to Naruto about her new roommate, the adventures they'd already shared, and just how much she missed her fiancé.

"Hinataaaa," Beki cried from the kitchen.

"What is it Be-chan?" Hinata had decided that because Beki already had started calling her Hina-chan, she would give Beki a nickname, too.

"I think I accidentally joined a gang," Beki said as she walked into the study.

Hinata looked up to see Beki in a skin tight green spandex suit that left nothing to the imagination. Beki had a fairly large chest, and the spandex clung to the point of indecency. It was so tight around her legs and rear that Hinata was sure if Beki was wearing underwear, she would be able to see it. Hinata had seen several men wearing that suit, unfortunately including Naruto, which was awkward enough. Seeing it on a girl was downright vulgar. Beki read the trepidation on Hinata's face and shrugged.

"I know, you can see like every ripple and fold everywhere," Beki shuffled. "I think I'm going to have to ask if I can wear a leotard over it or something."

Hinata shook her head and refocused:

"So you met Rock Lee then? Or Might Gai?"

"Both?" Beki shrugged. "They aren't related, right? Even though they look like weird aged gapped twins?"

"That's right. Gai is Lee's sensei. He's also Neji's sensei," Hinata averted her eyes.

"Gai is Neji's sensei?" Beki jumped a little in surprise, jiggling. "No wonder he looks so grumpy all the time."

There was a knock at the door and Hinata called out:

"Who is it?"

"It's Neji, Lady Hinata."

"Speak of the devil," Beki folded her arms, for which Hinata was silently grateful.

"We're in the study," Hinata called out.

Neji walked in, saw Beki, and stopped dead. Color rose in his cheeks and his face twitched before he composed himself enough to speak:

"So, you met Lee,"

"I think I joined his gang," Beki offered.

Neji shook his head and averted his eyes, suddenly aware of how revealing the green jumpsuit was on a girl.

"So what do you have to do to be a part of Lee's…gang?" Hinata asked.

"There was a whole lot of talk about being youthful and dashing and I don't know," Beki plopped down on the loveseat. "I they were so excited about it all, and it made me feel bad to rain on their parade, so I just kind of got swept along in the current."

"Beki, you need to learn how to say 'no' to people here. I know you are new and you're nervous about being accepted but no one will hate you if you turn down something. Especially something this ridiculous," Neji gestured at the jumpsuit. "Please, rain on their parade. Hail on their parade so it gets cancelled."

"Is there a way for you to get out of his gang?" Hinata asked.

"I don't think so," Beki said. "Wait, I think he said something about a gang could only survive if it could count on its leader to always be there for them. So maybe if I like, I don't know, needed him to help me with something and it fell through I could get out."

"You might want to make that happen soon," Neji suggested.

"I'm supposed to go train with him later," Beki added.

Hinata opened her mouth to speak but Neji shushed her gently.

"Let her learn this one on her own." Neji patted her shoulder. "I'll be there, too. If things get too out of hand, I'll put a stop to it."

"If you're sure," Hinata shrugged.

…

Neji had to carry Beki home on his back at first, but her arms were so weak she couldn't even hold on to his neck. He threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, an arrangement which neither was happy about.

"Could you not, like…. bounce so much…" Beki groaned.

"This is what you get for agreeing to train with someone you don't know," Neji chastised.

"Just leave me here to diiiiiie," Beki moaned.

"Do you think I want to be carrying a sweaty girl in a jumpsuit tight enough to bounce a coin off through the village? No. No I don't," Neji grumbled. "Make this a little less unpleasant for me by not complaining so much."

"Thank you Neji," Beki whimpered.

He brought her through the gates of the compound, his face the image of composure in spite of his awkward cargo. Hiashi observed the two making their way to Hinata's house and shook his head. The Tsukimori girl certainly brought her own brand of strangeness into the Hyuga compound.

Neji brought her inside Hinata's kitchen and announced them:

"Hinata, we're back."

Hinata walked into the kitchen and saw the sorry state Beki was in.

"Oh you poor thing!" Hinata gasped.

"I hurt in places I didn't know I could hurt," Beki cried pitifully. "My whole body is on fire."

"Can you bring her upstairs?" Hinata was already clamoring at the medicine cabinet.

Neji heaved a sigh and headed up the stairs, Beki crying out a little with every step.

"Just set her on the bed," Hinata said as she came in. "I'll take care of her from here. Thank you Neji."

"Did we learn our lesson?" Neji asked Beki as he set her on the bed.

"Yes," She pouted.

"What do we say when spandex clad ninja asks us to train with them?" Neji asked.

"Not today," Beki squeaked.

"No," Neji bopped her on the nose with his finger.

"No," Beki repeated.

"Good," Neji left the room and closed the door.

Hinata looked over her incapacitated friend.

"Can you move on your own?" She frowned.

"Barely," Beki whimpered.

"A hot soak would probably help," Hinata walked into the bathroom and started the water.

"Hinata, if I ever agree to do something like this again, slap me," Beki whined.

"Alright, come on," Hinata held out her hands as she walked over to her. "I'll help you get to the tub."

"You're a good friend, Hinata," Beki mewed as Hinata hoisted her up.

Beki leaned on Hinata's shoulder all the way into the bathroom. Hinata peeled her out of the spandex while Beki leaned on the wall for support. Hinata's suspicions about Beki not wearing underthings was confirmed. She looked away from the breasts hovering in front of her face as she pulled the legs off one by one. Beki shimmied out of the last of the suit and stumbled for the tub. Hinata grabbed her arm to steady her and helped her get into the hot water. Beki's breasts floated to the top. I have that same problem, Hinata thought and then quickly pushed it from her mind. Her breasts weren't as large as Hinata's, but they would have most of the girls their age turning green with envy. Hinata shook her head. She shouldn't be so casual about assessing another person's body.

"You're okay?" Hinata finally brought herself to speak. "You won't drown if I walk away?"

"No, I don't think so," Beki sighed. "I will need your help getting back out. Of that I'm sure."

"I'm going to go make you some herbal tea. It'll keep the swelling down." Hinata said as she walked out.

"You're an angel, Hinata," Beki hollered after her.

Hinata brewed the tea and brought it upstairs. Beki had her head leaning against the back of the tub while she soaked the soreness away. Hinata sat on the corner of the tub and handed her the tea. Beki sipped on it weakly.

"I might not be able to get out of bed tomorrow." Beki said grimly.

"If you can't, I'll come up here and keep you company," Hinata offered.

"We'll make Neji be our butler," Beki gave her a mischievous look.

Hinata chuckled.

"He would probably do it, too."

The girls chatted for a while until Beki started to feel baked. Hinata helped her get out of the tub and gingerly wrapped her with the towel, trying not to accidentally grope anything. Beki waddled awkwardly over to the bed, dropped the towel, and collapsed.

"Aren't you going to put on your pajamas?" Hinata asked.

"Too much work," Beki groaned.

"So you are just going to sleep." Hinata said.

"Yes. Good night, Hinata." Beki's voice was muffled by the pillow she had planted her face in. "And thanks for the help."

Hinata walked over to pull the covers over her friend before she left. Beki was lying face down. Hinata tried not to look, but curiosity got the best of her. Beki's butt was a little larger and shapelier than her own. Hinata felt a small pang of jealousy as she pulled the sheet over Beki's curves, red as a pomegranate the whole time.

She walked down the hallway to her own room and got ready for bed. She hoped Beki would feel better the next day. Overdoing it with training was a miserable risk that went with being a shinobi. It had been odd for Hinata to help Beki get cleaned up, but there was no way her friend could have done it on her own. The only other available help had been Neji, who would have been an even worse choice. Hinata took Beki's lead by not letting it bother her much. As she climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep, she caught herself hoping they would have many more (but less awkward) adventures in the near future.


	7. The Return of Team 8

**Hi everyone. I decided on a pre-weekend update because, well, I'd rather do this than the list of things I really need to do. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far, and I really appreciate the reviews I have received. I have my preexisting script that I'm working off of, but now that I've almost completed the story it's fun to go back and spice things up here at the beginning. Enjoy the return of Team 8!**

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A few days later, Beki's father left Konoha for Getsugakure. Beki felt uncomfortable being cut off from him, but she hadn't seen Seiichiro since the dinner with the Hyugas. It was just a lingering thought in the back of her mind: if something goes wrong, I'm all on my own out here. Since he was going home, she had asked him to bring some things she realized would come in handy.

Hinata was excited because word had been sent ahead that Shino and Kiba were on their way home from their long term mission. She hadn't seen her teammates in months, and for Hinata it was like being separated from brothers. She couldn't wait for them to meet Beki, but Hinata also wanted to get some time with her old friends.

Hinata waited until they had been home for a couple of days for them to catch up with their families. On the day Hinata was supposed to go meet them, she baked chocolate chip cookies and little bone biscuits for Akamaru. Beki walked into the kitchen with a puzzled look on her face.

"Are these for something special?" She asked, eyeballing the cookies.

"Yes," Hinata said. "My squad mates have finally returned from their long term mission. I was going to go see them this afternoon. I'll probably be out late, so you'll have to have dinner in the main house."

"Maybe I'll just hit up the diner or Ichiraku," Beki shrugged and stealthily snatched a cookie. "I'll go study now. Holler in there when you're heading out."

"Happy reading," Hinata called after her.

…

Hinata had been spending time with her teammates for the last two days. Beki had wandered around town trying to keep herself busy, but she didn't know many people. Without Hinata there to make introductions, Beki just floated from place to place. People thought she was just another outsider passing through. She had finished the textbook on the history of Konoha and brought it by the school shortly after it let out for the day. Beki wandered in to find the halls were empty, so she stuck her nose in a few classrooms until she found a man sitting at a desk working on what looked like grading papers.

"Hi, sorry to interrupt you, but I'm looking for Iruka sensei?" Beki used her best grown up voice, but something about being in an academy made her feel like a little kid again. This feeling betrayed her and made her voice sound like she was asking for permission.

The man looked up at her and smiled pleasantly. He had an interesting scar across his nose, but Beki tried not to stare.

"You've found him," He said. "Sorry, I don't believe we've met."

"I'm Tsukimori Beki. Hyuga Neji borrowed this on my behalf and I'm here to return it," She handed the book to him.

"Oh, did you get through the whole thing already?" Iruka asked.

"Yes, it's been very helpful," Beki smiled. "With the culture shock and all."

"Oh," he frowned almost imperceptibly. "Are you adjusting okay?"

If I were to design the most teacher-y teacher ever, it would be this guy, Beki thought. The way he looked at her, the soft but encouraging voice he used, and his kind and professional demeanor were the ideal for an academy instructor. Beki wished she had a teacher like him back when she was at the academy. Her teachers were always snippy and short with her because they felt the only reason she got a spot was her father's position as ambassador. They thought that other more deserving children had missed out on the opportunity because of good old fashioned nepotism. It didn't matter that Beki had the endurance and pain tolerance of an adult at the age of five. It didn't matter that she picked up skills quickly and had a naturally disarming aura. All that mattered was that they didn't like her, so they were blind to anything that made her worthy.

"Yes, I'm adjusting well," Beki lied. "The Hyugas are taking good care of me and I'm making friends with some of the other kids my age."

His face lit up.

"Oh, really? Who have you met already?"

"Um, well I'm staying with Hinata, so I spend most of my time around either her or Neji," Beki explained. "I've met Rock Lee and Tenten, and they're both very nice. I've met Ino and Sakura in passing. That's about it."

Iruka smiled, remembering them fondly. "They're all great kids."

He thought for a moment.

"You would probably get along well with the rest of Ino's team. See if she'll introduce you to Shikamaru and Chouji. It's a shame," He said. "One of my favorite students is actually out of town training. He would have jumped at the opportunity to take you under his wing."

"Who is it?" Beki's curiosity was piqued.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka said. "He's befriended pretty much everyone your age here in Konoha."

"Hinata sure thinks he's the bee's knees." Beki said.

He chuckled at that.

"Iruka-sensei!" A boy said as he ran in the room. "I forgot my homework!"

The boy had a blue scarf that trailed behind him like a tail.

"Oh, Konohamaru," Iruka fished in a drawer in his desk. He pulled out a manila folder and took out a small packet. "Here you go."

Konohamaru took the paper but his eyes never left Beki.

"Hi kid," Beki gave him a friendly smile.

"Konohamaru, this is Tsukimori Beki. She's from Getsugakure and she's visiting Konoha for a while. Her father is an ambassador. Isn't that cool?"

"Yeah, it's cool," Konohamaru parroted, still staring at her.

Iruka looked at Beki.

"Konohamaru is the grandson of the third Hokage, so he knows all the ins and outs of the village. If you ever need anything, he's a good fellow to ask."

"I'll keep that in mind," Beki smiled at Konohamaru again. "So what do you say kid, you'll rescue me if I get into some trouble?"

"Well, I mean, it depends," Konohamaru flushed suddenly. "I mean if you do something stupid and get in trouble and need help, you should fix it yourself. But, I mean, sure. Yeah. I'll help you."

"I'll hold you to that Konohamaru. A shinobi is only as good as his word," Beki recited, a twinge of sadness hitting her when she heard her father's words come out of her mouth.

Konohamaru looked at her like she had imparted some great wisdom to him and then ran off.

"You're good with kids," Iruka offered. "Have you worked with children much?"

"Not really, but I know they like feeling important," Beki replied. "Just like adults. That's something I learned from my dad. Everyone wants to feel important."

Iruka thought for a moment.

"I know you aren't from around here and you might not be interested, but we have kind of a half day kindergarten Monday through Thursday. If you need help keeping busy, we could always use a hand."

Beki was a little shocked.

"But I'm not even from here,"

"I have known a lot of kids, Beki," Iruka smiled gently. "I know a good one when I see one."

Beki couldn't help but smile back.

"If you say so," she thought about it. "I'd have to ask the Hokage if that's okay."

"Just let me know Ms. Tsukimori," Iruka said. "If you're interested, the position will be waiting for you."

…

Beki made sure that she walked out of the school, but as soon as her feet hit the street she broke out into a full on bolt. Now that Hinata's friends were back, she would start going on missions and spending time with them. The thought of hanging out around Hinata's house by herself was painful. Beki prayed the Hokage would give her the go ahead on helping out at the school. There were a million reasons why she might say no, but Beki hoped Tsunade would make an exception all the same. She started to rehearse her case in her head, anticipating Tsunade's arguments and coming up with good counterpoints. She was so fixated on her imagined argument she didn't register the people walking out in front of her until it was too late.

Team 8 was now directly in her path. If she tried to stop or change direction now, it would only cause her to ram into them without any control for how it went down. There was only one thing she could do. She called out the universally accepted command all shinobi responded to immediately:

"DUCK!"

All four of them dropped low, just low enough for her to execute her plan. Beki planted her hands on Neji's shoulders and vaulted over his head, knocking him face down into the ground. Gai sensei and Lee immediately jumped up and cheered her.

"That was amazing, Beki chan!" Lee's eyes shimmered with admiration. "A dash of youth followed by a vault of triumph! A 9 out of 10!"

"I knew you were worthy of the tights," Gai sensei's smile sparkled. "Wait, why aren't you wearing the tights?"

"I uh," Beki caught herself responding but then remembered she had essentially curb stomped Neji. "Neji are you okay?"

"He's dazed," Tenten looked up her with exasperation. "Why did you do that?"

"I was lost in my thoughts and I didn't see you guys coming," Beki's voice wavered. "Neji?"

He sat up and shook his head. Neji turned to face his attacker, and his eyes narrowed for a moment. He heaved a sigh and shakily regained his feet.

"I should have known it was you."

"Sorry, Neji." Beki apologized.

"You obviously had something important to get to," He waved her off. "Don't worry about it. Get going."

"I'll make it up to you later," Beki called out over her shoulder as she ran away, prompting strange looks from both Tenten and Neji. Lee and Gai sensei were too busy discussing how to incorporate vaulting into their training to notice.

When she arrived at the Hokage's mansion, the guards nodded at her as she jogged up the steps. The guard outside the door held up a hand for her to wait. He popped his head inside and announced her in low tones. Beki heard Tsunade's voice, but she couldn't make out what she had said. The guard slid back out and closed the door.

"The Hokage wants to you wait out here for a few minutes."

"Okay," Beki stepped back a little to give him personal space. "So, um, what's it like being a guard?"

"Are you trying to make small talk with me?" The guard stared her down.

"It's that or stand here awkwardly in silence with me staring at my feet and you pretending to gaze at nothing." Beki shrugged. "Silence it is."

"Look, kid, standing outside a door all day is a pain, but it's my job," The guard used the same low tones he had to announce her. It must be hard to hear through walls. She was going to have to try it when she got home.

Shizune stuck her head out and smiled at Beki.

"You can come in now, Tsukimori san."

"Thank you," Beki bounced inside.

Tsunade looked tired. It was cumulative exhaustion, like she hadn't had more than four hours of sleep in weeks. Beki realized all her counterpoints might be mute. With the way Tsunade looked, her best bet was to plead her case, and do it in as few words as possible.

"I know you're very busy," Beki started. "Thank you for seeing me."

Tsunade heaved a deep sigh and waved her hand for Beki to finish.

"I was wondering if I could help out with the preschool class at the academy," Beki tried not to fidget. Her father said fidgeting made you look weak. "Hinata's going to start going on missions, and since I can't go on missions I thought it would be a good way to keep busy. Would that be okay?"

Tsunade and Shizune exchanged an uncomfortable look. The Hokage heaved another sigh and adjusted her shirt before she replied:

"While I appreciate you taking the initiative to contribute back to society, unfortunately you aren't a Leaf ninja," She explained. "Parents wouldn't be pleased to have a kunoichi from some faraway village handling their children."

"So the problem is I haven't proven my worth," Beki was fidgeting behind her back.

"In a sense, yes." Tsunade "Regardless, you've brought up a valid point. These talks are taking an eternity because of the paranoid king's demands all messages be brought in person. Your father and I are going to have to come up with something for you to keep busy."

"Can you promise not to let him apprentice me to a weapon smith?" Beki blinked back her childish fears. "He keeps threatening to do just that."

Tsunade gave a weak chuckle.

"Sure, kid. Weapon smithing is off the table. Now get out of here, you bother me."

Beki bowed and turned to leave. She waved at Tsunade and Shizune as she closed the door and started heading down the stairs. About halfway down, she got self-conscious and gave a shy wave to the guard at the door. He promptly ignored her, but she felt better for acknowledging him.

The potential volunteer work having ended in a bust bummed Beki out. On her way back to the compound, she picked up on the savory aroma of ramen. Her stomach growled; it had been hours since her last meal. She remembered Hinata would be out with her friends, so she shrugged and headed over to Ichiraku Ramen. The counter was full except for the squeaky seat at the end. She took it and pursued a childlike fascination with the way it squealed as she swiveled her hips back and forth.

Teuchi paid her infantile behavior no mind as he took her order. Beki liked him. He was one of the few people who didn't double take when they saw a Getsu nin running around. He also arranged her toppings into smiley faces. Beki was always under so much pressure to act grown up and mature that it was refreshing to have someone do something fun for her. It was as delicious as usual, its curative powers filling her belly and lifting her mood. She paid for her meal, took one last swivel on the chair, and started for home.

Beki was only a few feet away from Ichiraku Ramen when she saw Hinata waving her down. There were two boys with her around their age and a dog the size of a horse. Those must be her teammates, Beki thought as she approached the trio. Hinata had a big smile on her face, the boy with the dog looked unsure, and the third boy's face was completely concealed by his hood and sunglasses.

"Guys, this is my roommate Tsukimori Beki." Hinata said with a smile. "Beki, this is Aburame Shino and this is Inuzuka Kiba."

"And who's this guy?" Beki beamed, more interested in the dog.

"That's Akamauru," Kiba said with unease. "Be careful he doesn't like it when strangers-"

Beki was scratching his chin and Akamaru was stamping his foot with joy.

"Pet him," Kiba finished quietly.

"We were going to go train," Hinata offered. "Would you like to join us?"

"I probably should," Beki sighed. "I've been kind of neglectful of doing anything more strenuous than laundry."

Surprisingly, Hinata did most of the talking as they walked. Shino was silent, but Beki recognized it as a listening silence. Her father employed the same strategy and found it fairly effective at getting people to spill all they knew. Kiba was the next most talkative, arguing with Hinata about how events had transpired and trying to take control of the conversation. After about fifteen minutes of walking at a casual pace, they arrived at a large open field just outside of town.

"So how are we doing this, girls vs. guys?" Beki asked.

"We could do that," Shino replied. "Or we could square off one on one."

"Or two on one, in our case," Kiba gestured to himself and Akamaru.

Hinata looked at them all in turn before she said:

"Maybe teams would be best."

"So boys vs. girls it is," Beki stretched.

They all got into fighting positions and Beki took a deep breath. It had been some time since she had sparred with kids her age. Usually, her dad let her come at him and just gave her suggestions on how to keep her guard up. The way the boys were looking though, they would be taking this match seriously. That made her nervous. She closed her eyes and felt the underground river flowing beneath the training field. If things got tight and her chakra got low, she could always utilize the existing elements to aid her. It was a lot easier to manifest a jutsu using what was around them than converting the moisture in the air into something suitable for ninjutsu. Once the match began, Akamaru turned into Kiba and they started charging the girls, bobbing and weaving so it was hard to tell who was who. Shino hung back.

"Watch out," Hinata said as she dove out of the way.

Well that's silly, Beki thought as she dodged, but then she saw what Hinata was really warning her about. Kiba's charge had masked the cloud of insects Shino sent in behind him. They swarmed around her face and got in her ears and nose. She started coughing but it made it worse. The insects got inside her mouth. Beki used a water jutsu to gush water out of her mouth, expelling the insects from her lungs, windpipe, mouth, and nose. It was unpleasant as hell and gave her a headache, but it got the job done. She looked back up to rejoin the fight and saw one of the Kibas coming for her. She did her best to deflect the onslaught of blows he laid upon her, but he was fast.

Beki was tiring out. Using that water expelling jutsu wore through her reserve and dulled her senses. She was also severely out of practice, having not trained consistently for over a month.

This is just a sparring match, she thought. You can't get your ass kicked the first time you match up with these guys. You have to at least put up a decent fight, otherwise at best they'll think you're a loser and at worst you'll make a mockery of Getsu shinobi everywhere.

She jumped back to put some space between her and the Kiba. She looked over to Hinata to see her fighting the other Kiba and Shino.

"Water prison jutsu!" Beki cried, locking Shino in a sphere of water. That will incapacitate his bugs, Beki thought as she assumed a more balanced stance. Hinata took the opportunity to clock her Kiba with a set of blows so fast Beki couldn't track them. Beki released the water sphere, allowing Hinata to seamlessly refocus her attacks onto Shino.

Kiba came at Beki again and swung a roundhouse kick toward her chest. She leaned back as far as she could and his leg swept harmlessly just out of range. Beki snapped back up. Kiba was in too close and his body was still following the momentum of his kick. She punched him across the face as hard as she could and he went down facing away from her on all fours. Quick as a flash he had thrown his foot back and caught her on the chin. The blow knocked her off her feet and she smacked down on her back hard. Her head came down on something hard, probably a rock, and she saw stars.

"Kiba what did you do?!" She heard Hinata yell.

"I was aiming for her chest," He said apologetically. "I didn't know I was going to clip her on the chin like that."

She heard them all come over to her but she kept her eyes closed. When she opened them the world spun and made her sick to her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'll be fine just as soon as the world stops spinning," Beki groaned.

Akamaru whimpered with sympathy.

"I'm okay boy," Beki tried opening her eyes. Things were finally steadying and she couldn't feel her ramen creeping up her esophagus anymore.

That's when she noticed how far they all were keeping their distance. Their looks of concern were no longer necessarily for her. She sat up and the hair that had come loose from her braid fell in her face. It was an inky black instead of her usual silvery blonde. Oh no, she thought. Not now.

"It's okay," Beki laughed nervously as she sat up. "It's just how my body reacts to incaps."

"Your hair changes color?" Kiba asked incredulously.

"Yeah, it's, I don't know, like a dog puffing up its fur?" Beki started struggling to her feet.

"Is that all it does?" Shino's voice was full of caution.

"There are...stages," Beki said evasively.

"Beki," Hinata said steadily, her voice still filled with concern.

"Look, it won't ever be an issue unless I get taken hostage or tortured or something super gruesome like that." Beki was desperate to change the subject. "It's no big deal. That was a good kick, by the way."

Her hair was already fading back to its usual color, but the other stayed silent. They were watching her every move.

"You know what, you guys can keep training," Beki started stalking off toward the road. "I'm not feeling so hot. I'm going to go home,"

"I'll walk you," Hinata started after her.

"No, it's okay. Finish your training," Beki waved her away and continued off on her own.


	8. Tale of the Three Maidens

**Here it is at last, the tale of the Three Maidens itself. In truth, this is just the surface of the story. More will be developed later, but I figured it was about time you all knew what you were in for. For those of you who have been catching the references in here, I just wanted to mention that there is a larger, more subtle set of references I keep making. It may or may not have to do with a series of famous Japanese horror games. That's the only clue I'm giving you. Let's see if you can figure it out :B. I wanted to get at least two updates this weekend, so this one is short but sweet. Look forward to another update later this weekend, me hearties. PS: feel free to PM me with questions or comments, and as always, reviews are very much appreciated.**

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Beki didn't go back to Hinata's house. She wandered out one of the less guarded side gates of Konoha and trudged off into the woods so she could wind down. Beki had her mother's kekke genkai, but she had no idea how to control it. She never remembered her mother using it, and because she had been taken from them when Beki was five, she had never been taught what it was or how to use it. Her father did the best he could to explain it. When she was in distress, such as if she came under attack, it would activate as part of her fight or flight response. A series of physical changes would go under way to give Beki a more frightening and threatening appearance.

There was a quiet spot where a small river ran through a copse of trees. Birds chirped languidly, their song combined with the bubbling of the water to create a soothing melody. Beki stripped off her shoes and stuck her feet in the icy water. The cold focused her mind and slowly she felt herself returning to normal. Beki stayed there for a while enjoying the peace of the woods. She felt balanced again at last and headed back into town. In spite of her less disturbed state, the last thing she wanted to do was go back to Hinata's. She felt displaced and vulnerable, so she wandered around town until she stumbled across Konohamaru squared off with a couple of kids several years older than him. It didn't look good, and even though the fight hadn't started yet Beki could practically taste how bad Konohamaru was going to get his ass kicked. She snuck up behind the two older boys as stealthily as she could. In the low and quiet voice her father always used to scare off bandits, she spoke just behind their ears:

"How about you two just go?"

They turned to look at her with the usual preteen arrogance but the cockiness melted off their faces as soon as they laid eyes on her. They booked it back down the alley without looking back. Beki blinked a few times. She must have still had "corpse eyes", the milky whiteness her irises assumed whenever the kekke was triggered. Her hair turned first, and so it was the first to return to normal. She must have really whacked her head if her eyes had turned. Beki held her eyes shut for a minute and focused hard, on what she wasn't sure, but she hoped the act of focusing would make it fade. Beki opened her eyes and looked at Konohamaru.

"Onee-san, I had that under control!" He barked at her. The boy reminded her of an aggressive little dog.

She bopped him gently on top of the head.

"Don't pick fights you can't win."

"But they were teasing my friends!" He stomped his foot.

"Don't let them know it bothers you," She shrugged.

"But-" he began, but she cut him off:

"Kid," she sighed. "Your heart was in the right place, but if you start a fight with every jerk who looks at you funny no one will take you seriously."

Beki leaned toward him a little, as if she was sharing a juicy secret.

"Do you know what they call my father?"

Konohamaru shook his head.

"They call him 'the Reaper,'" Beki practically whispered. "Do you think you get a nickname like that starting fights with everyone?"

"Yea, and winning them all!" Konohamaru punched the air.

"No," Beki shook her head. "He got a name like that by training very hard, and then surprising people in fights by leaving them absolutely devastated. That's the other lame thing about picking fights all the time: everyone knows your moves."

He thought about this for a minute, his face twisted into a childlike exaggeration of reflection.

"I guess that makes sense," He turned and started to run away. "Thanks, onee-san."

Beki looked up at the setting sun and decided she should actually go home now. When she got in the gates, Hanabi cornered her.

"You are late for dinner," She spat accusingly. "You are in a lot of trouble."

"I hit my head during practice and got all foggy," Beki shrugged. "Cut me some slack."

Beki took a second to look at her and saw Hanabi was wearing a pair of Beki's shorts. As Hanabi went to walk away, Beki swatted her behind. Hanabi looked at her in shock and horror.

"You wear my shorts; I get to swat em." Beki folded her arms.

Hanabi stormed off in a huff and Beki went into the dining room. Hinata, Hiashi, and Neji were all sitting around the dining room waiting for her. They had all apparently eaten already. Upon her entry, Hiashi signaled for food to be brought to her. She took a seat at her spot and waited for the lecture she knew she was going to get.

"Where have you been young lady?" Hiashi asked, his voice calm and steady, as if he had asked her what the weather was like outside.

"I was sidetracked on my way home," Beki bowed respectfully. "Sorry for my lateness."

"Would it have anything to do with the incident at the training yard?" His tone was still as level as ever.

Beki bit her lip. They had snitched on her.

"No, sir."

"Would you like to tell me what happened there?" Hiashi stared her down. "I invited you into my house unaware of your possession of a kekke genkai."

"My kekke genkai is no threat to anyone," Beki stared at the floor. "As I tried to explain to my _friends_ earlier, it's a self-defense mechanism."

"And what exactly does this self-defense mechanism entail?" He pressed.

"I don't know exactly how it works," Beki shut her eyes in a childish hope that if she couldn't see it, the situation would disappear. "When I am in danger or under large amounts of stress my body tries to make itself more intimidating. There are physical changes, like my hair color and eye color change, and my skin gets very pale."

"How are you unaware of how your own powers work?" There was suspicion in his voice.

"This was my mother's kekke," Beki said. "We lost her when I was five."

Hiashi considered the facts and then turned to Hinata.

"Daughter, you saw this power with your own eyes. Was she in control and posed no threat?"

Hinata looked at Beki and then her father.

"Yes, father."

"Then I see no reason to continue on the matter," Hiashi waved his hand dismissively. "If there are any further unexpected developments in this matter, I will be inclined to inform the hokage."

Beki bowed, glad that this was not going to escalate any further.

"Thank you sir." She said, her nose almost to the floor.

"Enjoy your meal," He rose. "I have business I must attend to,"

Hiashi departed, and the silence between the remaining three could be cut with a knife.

Neji broke it with the force of a hammer on glass.

"I was there, Beki," He spat. "I saw your transformation. You looked like a monster."

"Monster' is a subjective term," She said evasively as she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat her dinner. Bless the cooks, she thought. They had kept it hot for her.

"Why are you keeping secrets from us?" Neji pounded a fist on the floor. "We invited you into our home-"

"Because it's not anyone's business," Beki growled, her voice taking a dangerous tone. "My kekke genkai is useless from a combat standpoint. It's just scare tactics."

"If you don't understand how it works, how can you say that for sure?" Neji prodded. Beki was getting a headache. She was emotionally and physically drained from her day, and the last thing she wanted to do was rub salt in the wounds she'd carried on her heart for a lifetime.

"Because my mom used it trying to fight off Orochimaru and it didn't work," She wanted to scream but she forced herself to stay calm. Her composure wasn't complete. Before she could stop herself, she spat:

"And he was a Leaf nin. Maybe I should be more worried about what all of you are capable of."

Silence prevailed again. Beki instantly regretted her words, especially after she promised to be open minded. It was so hard to be rational when people attacked you for no good reason. She put down her chopsticks and stood.

"I've lost my appetite. Excuse me," She said with a curt bow and walked out.

Everyone would know about that fight in an hour or so. Beki heaved a sigh of frustration and went into Hinata's house. She went up to her room and opened the window, climbed out over the sill and up onto the roof. Then, she laid on her back and stared up at the dusky sky. All she was looking for was something familiar up above, some celestial anchor to reorient herself, but she was too far west. All her stars were too far away to offer her comfort. Beki stared up at that strange sky for a long time. When he returned from Getsu, she was going to ask her father to take her home. She had no gift for politics like her father. She couldn't stand being all smiles and observed all the time, like a rabbit in a kennel, walking alone beneath the shadows of strangers in a land where not even the stars were the same.

Hinata peeked her head over the edge of the roof.

"Beki?" She asked hesitantly

"Yes, Hinata?" Beki replied flatly.

"Are you okay?" Hinata's voice was small and unobtrusive. You could miss it if you weren't listening for it.

"No, I'm not. But I will be," Beki grumbled cryptically.

Hinata climbed up onto the roof and sat next to her.

"Aren't you cold up here?" Hinata asked.

"Yes," Beki said matter of factly.

"Are you going to come inside?" Hinata asked.

"No," Beki barked.

They sat quietly for a while.

"Why are you so sensitive about your kekke, Beki?" Hinata asked cautiously.

Beki was quiet for a long time:

"Because it's brought my family nothing but grief."

She sat up a little and looked at Hinata. Her face was open and free of judgement, so she continued.

"On our side of the world there are rumors about the families that tend to the shrine in our village. The oldest one is that long ago a spirit with the power to grant wishes was wounded and taken in by the priestesses of the shrine. Bad men heard of this wish granting spirit and went to the shrine. They demanded to see this spirit, but the three priestesses sensed the wickedness in their hearts and barred their entry. The bad men overpowered the priestesses and killed them one by one," Beki explained. "The first they drowned in the lake. The second they hung from the sacred tree. The third put up the most fight, having been the head priestess. She held them off long enough for the other Miko and attendants to escape. When they finally overpowered her they gave her the most painful fate. They burned her alive."

Hinata was shocked to silence.

"The spirit was so saddened by their deaths and impressed by their loyalty that he resurrected them. Once they had arisen, he placed a blessing on them that they might not suffer the same fate twice," Beki continued. "The Tsukimori and the Asou, my mother's family, are some of their descendants."

"Most of my mother's family were hunted down and killed for their ferocity and the strength of their water jutsu," Beki picked at her nails self-consciously. "Through the generations my father's family's powers have waned to non-existence. My father is the first in three generations to demonstrate some of the traits of the burned maiden. Word of their union and the birth of their child must have interested Orochimaru. Their rumored ability to be invulnerable to two modes of death, I suppose. He and his men came for us and we fled. They were closing in on us, so my mother sacrificed herself so we could escape. She fought like hell but the bad guys won. That kekke genkai was legendary, but that's all it was: words and air against knives."

Hinata sat there quietly for some time. Beki's thoughts had begun to wander when at last, the heiress said:

"I'm sorry."

"It's no one's fault. It's just how the world works," Beki shrugged. "The part that sucks is that I carry around this kekke genkai that got my mother killed and may one day be the reason some crazy S-rank ninja comes after me to do experiments."

"Not as long as you're here," Hinata put a hand on her arm. "We'll protect you."

"That's sweet Hinata, and I really hope that's true," Beki looked back up at the stars. "I really truly do."


	9. Do Not Want

**Hi all, time for weekend update number two. If the spirit compels me, I might get another chapter up some time tomorrow. Anyway, some notes on this chapter. Hinata's least favorite foods are crab and eel. In case you're wondering, yes. I do look these things up. I chuckle whenever I find I have something in common with one of the Naruto characters, and then I laugh even harder when I picture Kishimoto san actually coming up with all of this super specific stuff about every one of his characters. He decided all of their birthdays, their blood types, their favorite vs least favorite foods. I don't think even George R R Martin has that level of dedication. Then again, I could be wrong. Back to the notes: a kanabo is a long wooden club that in mythology is used by the Japanese grim reaper. It is usually made of a sturdy wood, like oak, and is sometimes studded or has nail like protrusions sticking out of it. It makes a baseball bat look like a kiddie toy.**

 **Now that the notes are done, I'd like to thank you for reading my story and encourage you to check out my work on deviantart (same username as here). I also appreciate any questions, comments, or reviews I receive. I'm new, so that sort of stuff is really helpful to me. See you later, cowboys.**

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Beki's father returned to Konoha with a heavy bag and a heavy heart. The hour was late but word had been sent ahead to the inn he would be arriving. He was glad to see the innkeeper was waiting for him. She took him to his room and bid him goodnight. He had ridden hard for a week and a half to get to Konoha, but it was too late to call on his daughter. He sighed morosely and opened up his bag. He had letters for her from the Miko Reika, Yukihana's old friend and Beki's unofficial aunt, and Reika's younger sister, Beki's friend Ren. They had sent along good luck charms and some sweets Ren made herself. Seiichiro was pleased to see he had been careful enough on his ride that none of them had been damaged. Beki had forgotten her swimsuit and her favorite sweater, so he had brought those from home, as well as the family's only copy of his and Yukihana's wedding portrait. He hoped it would bring her some comfort, even though it made him nervous to let it go.

While he was on the road he had worried about how Beki was eating. She had always been a hungry girl, but he had never brought her out this far west. What if she hadn't liked the food there? What if it didn't agree with her stomach? He had swallowed his pride while he was in Getsu and visited his older brother Yasahiro (the one that didn't hate him so much). He had of course expressed displeasure Seiichiro had left his niece in the Land of Fire, but relented when he heard it was on the behest of the king. They had spent one evening together as a family, Seiichiro, Yasahiro, and Yasahiro's wife Umeko. They wrote down every traditional recipe they could think of. Umeko had also insisted he bring Beki one of her hairpins for good luck. It had been surprisingly cathartic, seeing his older brother again. It made Seiichiro feel like maybe at the end of all this they could try to be a family again. He didn't have the same hopes for his oldest brother, Ichiro. That bridge was burned.

This whole experience was putting things in perspective for Seiichiro. He had his job since Beki was a young girl, and although she had many opportunities to see different walks of life, he had neglected their roots. Their bonds with his family were weak at best and dysfunctional at worst. Seiichiro had always had Beki with him, and not having her around to talk to or to take care of her was making him lose his mind. He had no one he could talk to about these feelings. Most of the people he knew were political figures he wouldn't even trust with his middle name. Clearing the air with Yasahiro straightened that out for him. He could talk to his brother about all these personal feelings, and Beki could benefit from having a relative at a stable address she could write to.

The last thing he brought her was the hardest to part with. It was Yukihana's modified gauntlets. They had metal plates mounted on sturdy leather with adjustable buckle straps on the underside. The hand portion was held in place by a thin leather wrapped metal band that ran across the palm. The Asou family crest, a crescent moon hovering above crashing waves, was etched into the metal plate on the back of the hand. When activated by chakra, twin blades came out of the top of the gauntlets. They were short and gently curved, like the claws of a cat. He had kept them in a box under his bed for all these years. On the night they were attacked by Orochimaru's men, they had fled so quickly Yukihana had forgotten to take them. When they realized they would be unable to outrun their pursuers, Seiichiro and Yukihana had argued about who should stay and fight. Seiichiro insisted he do it, he was the man and it was his job to protect his family. Yukihana had looked at her bare hands, and told him she was better at unarmed combat. The look on her face when she told him to take Beki and run still haunted his nightmares. She was so afraid but she looked ready. He imagined that's the look she wore to her grave.

Seiichiro had never told anyone, but he went back to the spot where they were separated the night after. It was the middle of spring, but the whole clearing had been covered in snow and ice. Crimson blood stained the snow and splattered the trees. Yuki had put up a hell of a fight, but she was nowhere to be found. His wife had been taken, dead or alive, by Orochimaru. Seiichiro had cried that night. Over the years that followed, he had spent a lot more time than he was willing to admit crying over his wife.

Subconsciously he had summoned the little blue flame. It flickered comfortingly in his hand, casting a soft powdery glow over the room.

"I love you Yuki," He said.

"I love you too," He imagined her replying.

He snuffed her out and fell into a dark fitful sleep.

…

Beki was making omelets when she heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it," she called out.

"Seiichiro," Her father replied softly.

Beki tossed her spatula aside and ran for the door. She yanked it open and jumped up to hug her father. His arms were full so she dragged him down until her feet were back on the floor. He set down his bags and picked her up in his arms.

"I missed you Beki," He smiled.

"I missed you too, dad," She beamed back.

Hinata had gone out for the day, so Beki split up her omelet with her dad and put on a pot of coffee. He gave her each of her treats, saving the gauntlets for last.

"So will you be writing your uncle and aunt?" He asked as she looked over the recipe cards and toyed with the hairpin.

"Of course I will," Beki said. "This hairpin is to die for."

It was. It was formed to look like the branch of a plum tree in full bloom, each pink blossom a tiny work of art.

"I have something that I should have given you a long time ago," He sighed as he took the gauntlets from the bag. They were wrapped in an icy blue cloth patterned with white snowflakes and snow blossoms.

Beki unwrapped the bundle very carefully. Her eyes bulged when she saw them.

"Are you sure?" She touched the metal as gingerly as if it would melt on contact.

"Yes," Seiichiro said. "She would have wanted you to have them."

"Beki, I wanted to talk to you about your training," he said. "I don't want to go into details, but...the world isn't getting any better. I haven't pushed you to be combat ready. Your situational awareness and responses to situations are fantastic for someone your age, but…"

"You don't think I could fight my way out of wet sack," She frowned.

"No," He shook his head. "Sadly, I don't."

That statement hung in the air like a nasty smell.

"Get dressed for training," He stood. "From now on, when I'm in town, we train. I plan on discussing some training options for you during my absences with the Hokage."

Beki got up from the table wordlessly and went upstairs. She didn't have special training clothes. If she was being switched back to active duty, she should probably get some. She made a note to herself to talk to Hinata for some suggestions on where to get good gear.

She came downstairs and he led her off into the woods. It was surprising to Beki how the Konoha residents seemed to pay her no mind anymore; she supposed after a few weeks she had become a familiar face. Beki was wearing her mother's gauntlets and spent the duration of the walk getting the hang of channeling her chakra into the blades to extend them, then cutting off the flow to retract them. It took minimal effort after a short time and required a negligible amount of energy. The weight on her arms was awkward, and it would be difficult to use projectiles with the gauntlets. She sighed with frustration. After the embarrassment she suffered training with Team 8 using techniques she was familiar with, Beki was sure she'd make an even bigger ass of herself if she tried to fight them with the gauntlets on.

They reached a secluded portion of the woods and Seiichiro assumed a ready stance with his kanabo in hand.

"Wait, you're using the kanabo?" She balked.

He swung at her, full force.

Beki barely managed to escape its range. The force of the club rushing by tugged at her clothes and sent her loose hairs dancing. Seiichiro took a quick step and swung again. All those years wielding the same kanabo had made him lightning fast and silky smooth with his movements. He struck so often and in such variety, it felt like fighting five men instead of one.

Beki stumbled over a tree root dodging his last strike and he adjusted his arc mid swing to bring the kanabo down right on top of her. She rolled out of the way and came up to strike him, blades out. He released one hand from the kanabo and caught her wrist, twisting it painfully. She clawed at him with the other hand. Before her strike could even connect, he spun and released her, the momentum carrying her right into a tree.

"Dad?!" She cried, pain radiating from her lower back and up her arm from her raw wrist.

He rested the kanabo on the ground and leaned on it.

"Do you see, Beki?" He cocked his head. "I have failed you as a father. If you can't handle my training, I would rather take you out of this world myself than see you torn apart by it."

Beki panted in silence. She was rattled. She had seen her father fight but had always been safely removed from it. Having been on the receiving end of what she hoped was his holding back, she now understood why men lived in fear and awe of him. He was the Reaper. If she could survive his brutal brand of training, she too would become an unstoppable force.

"I'm going to do the training," Beki said confidently. "It won't be easy, and I might end up in the hospital once a week, but let's do this."

"Good," He said as he returned to ready stance. "Again."

…

Beki came home bloody and busted up. She looked like she had been mugged in a dark alley by a pack of angry baseball bats. Her ribs and elbows were bruised, her back throbbed, and she was pretty sure she had a black eye coming on. Seiichiro had only smacked her eye with the back of his hand, he hadn't punched her outright, but it hurt like hell.

Hinata was pouring tea when Beki walked in. One look at her sent Hinata pouring hot liquid all over the table.

"Beki!" She cried out and rushed over to her friend.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Beki grumbled. "I was just training with my dad."

"Training? Do you mean being beaten?" Hinata asked as she started assessing her wounds.

"No, it's not like that," Beki shrugged. "His logic is he's been too soft on me. Which he has, truth be told, so now he's over compensating."

Hinata bit her lip to keep herself from commenting. Quickly the need to comment passed as she realized no major damage had been done. Seiichiro was an expert. He had hit Beki just hard enough for her to experience pain, but her injuries, as ugly as they were, were all surface wounds.

"Can I get a bag of frozen peas for my face?" Beki pointed at the aching eye.

Hinata wrapped the bag in a hand towel before handing them over.

"Ten minutes on, ten minutes off," Hinata cautioned.

"I got it I got it," Beki waved her off.

"Oh, there was something for you in the mail," Hinata said, handing Beki a crude handmade envelope.

Beki sat up and opened the envelope.

"Aw," She smiled.

"What does it say?" Hinata asked.

"You're super pretty and nice, your secret admirer," Beki lowered the peas as she read.

"Looks like you made an impression on someone." Hinata gingerly patted her head.

"Might be one of the kids in the kinder class," Beki winced, and Hinata retracted her hand.

"That's an awful lot of work for a kindergartener to find out your address," Hinata cocked her head.

"Iruka probably helped them," Beki sighed. "That chump is a hopeless romantic; you can tell just by looking at him. I did eavesdrop on him talking to one of the other teachers though, so you could say it's as good as confirmed."

"Really?" Hinata blinked. Even though she was an adult, it was hard to think of her old teachers as people. It was almost like they were immortal beings separate from mankind, bound to the school and devoid of personal lives.

"Yeah, he ships his students," Beki chuckled.

"You're kidding?!" Hinata slapped the table involuntarily.

"Nope. But he's super secretive about it," Beki leaned in conspiratorially. "I mean, I'd be a pretty safe choice to confide in given I don't know half of the people he could tell me about, but his lips are sealed."

Hinata burned to know who he shipped Naruto with, but she realized it would be very unlikely that Iruka sensei would divulge such a secret, especially if he didn't ship him with her.

"Don't think I haven't tried everything," Beki put the ice back on. "I asked him about all the other girls in your class to do process of elimination, but I'm telling you, that guy could safely hold all the village's secrets. The man is an iron wall."

Hinata gestured to the box of treats on the counter.

"Are those yours?"

"Yeah, but have as much as you want. My friend Ren made the cookies, and the wagashi are from my favorite shop in Getsu." Beki pointed at them respectively.

Hinata poured them both some tea after she cleaned up her earlier spill and split some of the treats with her. They were surprisingly good. They were less sweet than she was used to but more flavorful. The girls gossiped a little more about who they thought Iruka would ship when Beki opened up one of her scabs.

"That one looks like it's going to be a problem," Hinata rose and walked over to the cabinet she kept her first aid kit in. She took out the ointment her family was so famous for.

"I'm sure it's going to be just fine," Beki eyed the slash that ran diagonally from the back of her shoulder around to the front of her elbow. She had probably earned that one getting tossed into the tree like a ragdoll.

Hinata washed her hands and brought the container over to the table. She popped the lid and dipped her first two fingers into the ointment. Beki immediately backed her chair away from the table.

"Oh my god, what is that reek?!" Beki coughed. "It smells like old cat piss and moldy leaves."

"This is an ointment. It prevents infection and boosts healing," Hinata grabbed at her arm. Beki yanked it out of reach.

"Oh no, you are not putting that shit on me," Beki shook her head and stood up. "No sir. I'm going to go wash it with soap and water and you can put your skunk gel away."

Hinata was losing her patience. Beki was just as old as she was and she was acting like a child.

"Beki, that cut is going to keep opening up and you're going to get it infected," Hinata stood and cornered her. "Let me put this on so it can seal the wound."

"Screw that noise, I'm out," Beki ran for the kitchen door just as Neji opened it.

"Oh, excuse me Beki," Neji began to step out of her way.

"No, don't let her leave!" Hinata cried out before she could stop herself. Beki tried to dart by Neji but he grabbed ahold of her arms.

"Dude, let me go," Beki stared him down.

"Lady Hinata, what's going on?" Neji looked over at her with confusion in his eyes.

"She got hurt during training and won't let me put ointment on her cut," Hinata stomped over and stuck out her hand to apply the medicine.

"NO!" Beki, with the sudden boost of energy of a disobedient child, wriggled free of Neji and made a break for the courtyard.

"Hold this," Hinata tossed the container to Neji and took two leaping steps to catch up with Beki. With four quick strikes to pressure points on Beki's back, Hinata fully immobilized her. Beki dropped to the ground flat on her face, unable to raise her arms to break her fall.

"WHAT THE HELL HINATA," Beki's cursing was muffled by the ground. "I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS AND YOU'RE BLOCKING MY CHAKRA AND SHIT. DON'T YOU DO THIS. DON'T YOU DARE PUT THAT CRAP ON ME I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU HINATAAAAAAA."

"There," Hinata sighed with frustration as she took the container back from Neji. "You would think she was a child the way she acts about a little smell coming off of the medicine-"

"Lady Hinata, look," Neji interrupted, pointing at Beki's body.

Somehow, she had begun to crawl with just her arms, sheer willpower dragging her body away at a snail's pace.

"How are you moving?!" The Hyugas cried out in unison.

"I DON'T LIKE IT! I DON'T WANNA!" Beki cried as she dragged herself away with the willpower of a thousand disgruntled children trapped at a family reunion.

Neji shook his head and pinned Beki's arms behind her back as Hinata applied the ointment to her wound. Beki whined the whole time, her complaints dying down to small pathetic grumbling noises.

"Come on," Neji sighed as he threw Beki over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Let's put you to bed."

"I will get you for this Hinata," Beki's eyes burned with ridiculous, childlike rage. "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day crab or eel are going to end up in your dinner and you will know it was me."

Hinata frowned at her. That was just the sort of impish revenge Beki would take on someone. Instead of acknowledging her, Hinata rolled her eyes and turned down the sheets. Neji tossed Beki on the bed unceremoniously and Hinata threw the sheets over her. The two walked out grumbling about how unreasonable she was. Beki was angry, but the exhaustion brought on by fighting through blocked pressure points put her to sleep in minutes.


	10. Enter the Sensei

**Hi everyone! Thank you for reading my story up through now. Also, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave me reviews. They are really encouraging and they help a lot. Please, if you can, keep them coming. I was in kind of a mad scientist mood while I was writing this one; there are several scenes I thought were hilarious but I understand if you're just left there, looking at your laptop wondering WTH just happened. Tallman0029 and I are planning to have our stories cross reference each other, so I'm currently in the process of brow beating him into publishing another chapter. I'm doing everything I can to keep the plot rolling, but chapters will probably be shorter until he publishes his next chapter so I don't run out of material. I don't want to go on hiatus; I just go started! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to PM me. Now that my rant is over, please enjoy chapter 10.**

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It was right around dawn that Beki was awoken from a deep dreamless sleep by timid knocking at her door. Unable to reply with more than a grunt, the door opened a crack. Hinata's form could be seen beyond, her long, baggy tshirt nightgown visibly rumpled and her hair mussed. It was obvious she had been roused without warning as well.

"Beki," Hinata's voice was smaller than normal, barely above a whisper. "Your father is waiting for you outside.

"What the hell," Beki growled into her pillow. "We aren't supposed to train until eight!"

She knew better than to keep her father waiting, however. Many years ago Beki had tried to sleep in after he'd summoned her, only to be roused by the traumatizing cold bucket of ice water he emptied over her head in a long slow stream. Another time she was awoken by being wrapped in her sheets like a mummy and thrown in a bathtub full of the same frigid water. When her eyes threatened to droop shut again, the hair on her arms and neck stood on end, anticipating the incoming of unbearable cold. Her rest ruined, she literally rolled out of bed onto the floor and walked on her hands and feet to the closet.

Her unusual form of travel attracted Hinata's attention. Her roommate opened the door all the way and took a seat on the side of Beki's messy bed. She watched sleepily as Beki stood begrudgingly and began tossing items out of her dresser onto the floor.

"Why do you think he's taking you so early?" Hinata mumbled behind half closed eyes.

"If I know him, it's not going to be good," Beki stripped off her pink and white striped nightgown violently, angrily shaking it off of her arms as she spoke. "He's probably going to make me hike into the middle of nowhere, strap a friggin oxcart to my back and make me haul it all the way back here."

Hinata had slowly sunk back into the warmth of Beki's bed, filling the cozy imprint her friend had left behind.

"Should you eat something?" She slurred into the pillow.

"No, I'll just end up throwing it up on my shoes," Beki pulled on her red sports bra and black compression leggings. It would probably get warm later on, but she needed the protection of full leg coverage knowing her father's history of training location choices. "He's usually nice enough to have a bento stashed somewhere along the way. I mean, he makes me find it first, and it's usually strapped to a tree limb or buried under a false bottomed rock, but he still feeds me."

Beki's comment was met with soft steady breathing. She looked over to see Hinata curled up and fast asleep in her bed. A dark gray sleeveless wrap shirt with a blue wave pattern caught her eye. It was cotton, and would compensate for her ventilation issues later in the day. She had the bright idea to sew shoulder pads into her wrap shirts because of how often her father made her haul carts and overstuffed hiking packs. They were a godsend, but made her look like the lead singer of a hair band. This look was strengthened by the fact she didn't have time to brush and braid her out of control mane. She tossed the blankets over Hinata as she walked downstairs, hurriedly tossing her hair in a messy bun. As she walked to the front door, she passed the hall mirror and caught her reflection. It's going to be a bad day when you start training looking like you just finished it, she thought.

Seiichiro was patiently waiting outside watching the sun slowly make its ascent in the morning sky. He heard the thudding of his daughter coming down the stairs. There was a lot he took pride in, but how she fumbled around like a freshly animated corpse had been a source of annoyance for years. As a shinobi, he had tried to drive home the importance of being able to rise and be alert instantly. However, as a shinobi and as a father, he had always had to drag the girl kicking and screaming to the academy every morning. For the longest time he thought that she didn't want to be a kunoichi or that she hated school. Long after she graduated, he realized that no matter what the day would hold, Beki would never be a morning person.

With that thought in mind, the door swung open and he was faced with his daughter. She looked as dead as she moved. No matter how much sleep she got or how much water she drank, she always rose with dark bags under her eyes and skin as pallid as snow. The look she gave him could curdle milk.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Her father suppressed a smile at the glower she gave him in response. "Are you ready to train?"

"Yes, daddy dearest," She hissed as she stumbled along the drive towards the gates. "I swear to heaven and hell if you make me pull an oxcart I'm going to run you over with it."

"If you can catch me while pulling an oxcart, I will gladly lay down in the road," He smirked and Beki rolled her eyes.

He's up to something, she thought. His snark levels are through the roof this morning. Whenever her father had something truly insidious waiting for her, he couldn't help but poke at her leading up to it. It was like he was patting himself on the back for something that hadn't even happened yet; applauding his own genius. To her surprise, instead of heading off for the forest, her father led her into town. Her suspicion mounted with each block they traversed closer to the center of the village.

What is he planning? Beki had broken a sweat already, her nerves a mess. Was he going to try to drown her in the hot springs? Knock her out and leave her in an abandoned building tied to a chair? Give her a key to a mysterious basement under a house somewhere in the city and leave her behind never to be seen again?

When he stepped through the entry of a diner and motioned for her to enter, the hair stood on the back of her neck and she had the pressing urge to flee. Of course, to an outside observer, this would seem ridiculous. She cursed under her breath as she pushed aside the noren to enter behind him. Too many times she had been forced into one of her father's traps by the peer pressure of bystanders. There would probably be some horrible potential arranged marriage waiting for her, a bunch of relatives she hadn't seen since she was five, or a really grizzly tattoo artist waiting for her. Her danger meter might be off; she had just woken up and had only had about four hours of sleep. Seiichiro might just be treating her to breakfast for once.

When he took a seat at a book across from the shadiest bastard she had ever seen, she knew she should have trusted her danger meter and ran for it. Now that she was inside and they were looking at her expectantly, she sank down into the booth beside her father. The man was in his late twenties or early thirties, with pallid skin and sunken cheeks that gave him a cadaverous look. He wore dark sunglasses with dorky round lenses, even though they were inside and the morning sun wasn't bright. He wore his Konoha headband like a do-rag that covered most of his dark hair. He wasn't physically intimidating the way her father was; even though he was above average height he was a whole head shorter than her father and about half his width. There was a quietness to him that she found unsettling. Years of experience with her dad taught her to be leery of watchers and listeners.

"Have you been waiting long?" Her father broke the silence with the nonchalance he was famous for.

"Not long," the man gave her father a pleasant smile and turned his attention to her. "So you're Haruka."

Beki blinked in surprise, now fully awake. She turned on her father with the speed and viciousness of a rattlesnake someone had poked with a stick.

"Dad!" She hissed.

"On all the official paperwork, your legal name is listed, Beki," Her father waved over the waitress and ordered them all coffee. "She seldom uses her first name, Ebisu."

"That's a shame," Ebisu frowned. "It's a lovely name."

"She doesn't like it because she's named for a relative," Her father explained.

"If by 'relative' you mean someone who has been dead for over two hundred years and is famous for burning people alive," Beki grumbled into her hands. It was too early for this shit. If she didn't know her father would grab her by the seat of her pants the second she tried to, she would have bolted already.

"Ebisu is a highly qualified trainer of young shinobi here in the Leaf," her father ignored how she had buried her face in her hands. Her breath came out in low growls. Unphased, he reached past her and fixed his coffee with sugar and cream.

"Your father has told me he's concerned about some of your basic skills," Ebisu folded his hands. "What do you feel your strengths and weaknesses are, Bekako?"

This was the classic brand of humiliation her father threw over her like a wet blanket. He would bring her around high brow types and the who's who of a village, only to talk to and about her like a child. Part of her wondered if he hoped someday it would all suddenly click, and she'd say all the right things to the right people. Unfortunately for him, at this rate it was more likely that she would snap, like a cord stretched too thin for too long, and kill everyone in the room.

"Well," Beki said after heaving a deep sigh through her hands. "I graduated, so I can't be that bad at basic skills. I would say my weakness is that I have limited field experience on missions of greater danger than a C rank, and my strengths are putting up with my father and tolerating shitty coffee."

Ebisu turned his attention to her father, not acknowledging her snark with even a raised eyebrow.

"Could you elaborate on what skills you would like me to target, specifically, for the next quarter?"

My god, Beki thought. Quarters? It's like meeting with an accountant.

"Like the girl said, she doesn't have much field experience," Seiichiro sipped his coffee. "I understand she can't be deployed under Konoha jurisdiction, but anything you could do to simulate field experience would be appreciated."

Beki stirred half and half into her coffee. She had hoped that this would be over soon and maybe she could go home and go back to bed, but the way the men were sitting gave her the impression she would be parked in that booth forever.

"Now, without going into any details about secret village techniques or anything, what kind of jutsu can you use, Bekko?" Ebisu had turned the gaze of his black beetle lenses back to her.

She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and sigh, and replied:

"Water based ninjutsu, the standard stuff," she tapped her fingers on the table. "I don't think I'm that bad at taijutsu...genjutsu are a no."

"Any reason why?" Ebisu cocked his head.

"It's messed up," Beki swirled her coffee. "If I'm gonna beat someone in a fight, I wanna do it with my fists. I don't want to get inside his head and crap. I wouldn't want that done to me."

"That might be something worth addressing," Ebisu said to her father. "Refuting one form of jutsu completely only makes you that much more vulnerable to it."

"I agree, but there's not much affinity to it," Seiichiro explained. "At least on my side of the family. I don't know much about her mother's side, but Beki tends to take after my side in general."

"Well, I think I've learned everything I need to set up a plan," Ebisu rose and bowed. "I'll contact you once I've arranged a schedule."

Beki waited until after he left to give her father "the look". It was a combination of rage, disbelief, sadness, frustration, humiliation, and betrayal. That's what it felt like on the inside. On the outside, it looked like a pout with furrowed brows and eyes that were somehow sad and dangerous at the same time. Her father laughed and drank his coffee.

"He's highly recommended, Beki."

"He's a chump. He can't even get my name right," She folded her arms and tried to minimize contact with her huge father in that tiny booth seat. After dodging his elbows for a few minutes she gave up.

"Look, if you're under his direct supervision, you can train with the Leaf shinobi your age," Seiichiro waved the waitress back over and ordered them some breakfast. "I know it sounds contradictory, but having a jounin's direct supervision will open up a lot of doors to you."

"Bull," She growled into her eggs.

"One way or another, I'm paying a small fortune to retain him, so you had best grin and bare it." Seiichiro downed the dregs of his coffee and dug into his eggs.

"You know, you could have let me know I would be meeting someone," Beki complained. "Give me some prior notice, so I could look decent."

"I thought he should see the 'real' you," Seiichiro teased. "From there you can only improve."

"When you're old, and you can't do anything for yourself anymore, I'm going to remember this," Beki threatened over a spoonful of rice.

"Child, I will die long before I'm feeble," Seiichiro laughed bitterly into his breakfast. "That's exactly why I push you so hard. That way you'll live long enough to get married and have kids you'll name after your wonderful father."

"No more family names," Beki grumbled.

…

"So you don't know anything about this Ebisu guy," Beki watched Hinata as she ate her breakfast. Hinata would never say so, but having someone watch her eat and asking her questions was making her uncomfortable.

"I've heard his name around," Hinata shyly bit into her toast. "I think he trained Naruto before the chunin exams, but other than that I don't know anything about him."

"Great," Beki knocked over pepper shaker in frustration. "Well, any day now he's gonna send over a training schedule and I'm basically his responsibility."

Hinata suppressed the need to clean up the spilled pepper. She knew it wasn't an especially destructive action, but Hinata wished Beki wouldn't lash out at her physical environment when she was angry.

"Maybe having someone acting like your sensei would be a good thing," Hinata was unable to ignore it any longer. She dusted the spilled pepper into her napkin and continued. "He's a well recognized adult from my sensei's generation. If you get on well with him, it will probably open doors for you in terms of training opportunities."

Beki pouted. Hinata knew she was seeing reason, and Beki wasn't happy about it. Later that day, Ebisu's schedule arrived. Hinata had never heard so many swear words strung together in a cohesive sentence. If she hadn't been so repulsed, she would be impressed.

"Training is every day at like 5 AM," Beki practically screamed. "And then there's a follow up training session at 5 PM. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

It may have been the lack of sleep, the stress of meeting her new sensei, the fact that she had only had frosted animal crackers for lunch, or that Pluto had just aligned with Mars, but Beki's brain quit. Right there, in the middle of the living room floor, Beki laid down on the floor and curled up into the fetal position. Hinata was immediately concerned by the soft whimpering she gave off and sat down on the floor next to her.

"Shhh, Beki, its going to be okay."

"No it's noooot," Beki groaned softly. "He's taken the two best parts of the day from me. Sleep in time and dinner time."

"Maybe it's just temporary, and once he knows where you're at skill wise you'll train with him less," Hinata suggested.

"No Hinata, he's evil just like my dad," Beki stared off blankly at the wall. "If he finds out something is important to me, he'll use it against me."

"I'm sure that's not true," Hinata was struggling for a way to get the 15 year old off her rug.

A silence fell between them. Hinata could physically feel Beki relax as she rubbed her back. In a voice as full of conviction and doom as a seasoned war veteran, Beki said:

"I bet he kicks puppies."

Hinata lost it. She wasn't sure if it was the paragraph long, swear riddled rant Beki had been on earlier, or if it was this last line, but she couldn't take it. She laughed long and hard, the kind of laugh it's hard to catch your breath from, and then you end up laughing so long and hard you laugh at how long you've been laughing. Beki looked up at her in horror. Hinata realized Beki had probably never heard her laugh this loud, and the look on Beki's face just fueled the fire. Hinata laid back on the rug and laughed so hard her sides started to hurt.

There was a knock at the door, which neither of them answered. Neji stuck his head in and concern immediately drew his face.

"What happened?"

Beki, in that same dead serious voice declared:

"Neji, I broke Hinata."

"N-No," Hinata managed to squeeze out between laughs. "It's just that face you're making, and the way you said that."

"What, that Ebisu kicks puppies?" Beki asked.

"Who kicks puppies?" Neji's face was dead serious.

Hinata looked at Neji, and then at Beki with their stone cold serious faces, and broke into another laughing fit. After considering a moment, Neji held out a hand to Beki, his eyes never leaving Hinata.

"We should go."

"Yeah…" Beki took Neji's hand and he hoisted her off the floor. They watched her the whole way to the door and left her there on the floor, laughing her head off.

…

Beki had a hard time deciding whether or not to make an effort for her first training session with Ebisu. She was sure he would be trying to figure her out, testing the bounds of both her skills and her wits. Her options were thus: try to impress him and look like a chump, or be comfortable and look like a chump. She chose the latter. Following her own lead from the breakfast debacle, she arrived at the designated training yard in the ugliest damn sweatshirt she owned. If she had a colorblind grandmother, she would have knit this thing for her for Christmas. Beki had seen it in a secondhand store in the Mist Village and decided to rescue it. No one else would ever appreciate it for the damned beautiful disaster it was.

One could almost call it striped, but the stripes broke into another color at random. It featured an angry magenta, a dirty mustard, a washed out purple, and a rainbow yarn of all the colors combined. It was so horrid looking, her father denied she was his daughter if she tried to wear it around him in public. The look of shame and disgust on his face made the 300 ryo she had spent on it a worthwhile investment.

Ebisu was going to test Beki, and the Sweater was going to test Ebisu.

She arrived five minutes before the requested time. Ebisu had his back to her as she approached. The way his head was hung, Beki assumed he was reading notes.

"You're late," He said flatly.

"I'm actually a little early," Beki shrugged.

"My students are expected to perform to a higher standard," Ebisu raised his head, but did not turn around. "From now on you'll be fifteen minutes early."

A power struggle, eh? Beki smiled to herself. He had never worked with a teenage girl before. This would be fun.

"Today we will be assessing your speed in relays-" Ebisu turned to face her. Beki smiled. The Sweater had broken him.

"What is that…monstrosity?"

"What are you talking about?" Beki's face was the picture of innocence.

Ebisu gestured with his hands in exasperation.

"That…thing. You're wearing. It looks like someone vomited their lunch on a sheep and they made…that out of it."

Beki's eyes watered. She reached down and held the hem of her sweater in her hands, gently caressing the ribbed edge.

"It's my favorite sweater," Beki sniffled.

"It's awful," Ebisu snarled. "And completely impractical. If you don't have appropriate training gear, you'll get some today. My time is valuable, Bekko, and I will not allow you to waste it with this nonsense."

He's a real nut buster, Beki thought. The Sweater was only mildly distracting, and the tears had left him unaffected. She evaluated her options. Her best bet for now would be to follow along with his training until he let his guard down. All the while, she would have to watch for weaknesses to exploit.

Ebisu worked her like slave driver. Her dad was brutal physically, but Ebisu was relentlessly barking orders at her. Her father was relatively quiet, letting her figure out her mistakes the hard way. If she did something wrong, Ebisu would make her do it over and over and over again until it was perfect. She was glad she had dressed comfortably and that her hair was up in a bun, because by the end of the morning she was drenched in sweat. After he debriefed her on her results, he handed her a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Beki panted.

"That's your new meal plan, Bekako." Ebisu folded his arms. "Based on the information your father gave me and the results of your testing today, you're approximately seven kilos overweight. This meal plan will optimize your diet for the kind of training we will be doing."

Beki stared down at the distressingly empty paper, anxiety rising in her chest. Coffee wasn't even on the list, let alone any of the tasty food she had been enjoying in the Hyugas' house. He had essentially put her on a diet of plain brown rice and unseasoned fish. As she skimmed the list, her eyes caught on a familiar nemesis. At least three times a week, Ebisu had designated she have natto. Beki decided in that moment that she hated him, and it was her life's work to be his undoing. She would undermine him at every turn, find everything he loved, and destroy it.

Ebisu took her silence as assent, and gave her a nod.

"I'll be seeing you later this evening, Bekiko."

Beki chuckled softly, imagining all sorts of dark fates for her new sensei.

"See you on the other side, Ebisu sensei."

"Excuse me?" He looked at her, puzzled.

"That's how we say, 'see you later' where I'm from," Beki smiled.

Ebisu thought a moment, nodded silently and walked away. It was midmorning, all the birds were awake and the world was full of song. He paused a moment when he detected a dark chord disturbing the melody. He shook his head. He had to be imagining it. Who was out here to be laughing that maniacally?


	11. The Thing in the Woods, Pt 1

**Here we are with weekend update number one of...one. Or maybe two. As I've said in previous chapters, I have a lot of the plot written out, but this mini arc is all new content. This means the writing is going a little slower than usual. I hope I can get another one out Sun or Mon, but if not, rest assured if nothing else you'll get another good long chapter Weds. Thank you to everyone who has read my story so far. Your reviews and support are really appreciated. I'm super encouraged, and that means lots of writing gets to happen. So you guys keep reading, and I'll keep writing. Feel free to PM me with any questions or comments, and if you're curious about my other work, my deviantart has the same tag as on here (ponchoninjax3). See you on the other side :)**

* * *

The sweat had plastered Beki's bangs to her face. Her braid had partially come undone, chunks of hair were sticking out and had generally frizzed her hair all over. Every inch of her skin felt grimy; her clothes clung to her in the uncomfortable, itchy way that only sweat soaked clothes could. The Sweater felt five times heavier than it had this morning. She had half a mind to peel it off and tie it around her waist, but that would leave her in only her sports bra. It had been stupid for her to not wear a tank top underneath. Then again, she had no idea that Ebisu sensei was going to work her like a dog on their first day.

Beki groaned at the sudden realization that she would have to do this all over again in a few hours. She knew it was a beautiful day, but that knowledge darkened the azure skies, made the birds' song piercing, and the sunshine blinding. Beki scrunched her eyes and looked at her feet, mentally willing each foot along one step at a time.

"Beki-chan!" A familiar voice called out ahead.

Oh god no, Beki thought. Please let her be alone. She looked up to see Hinata and her whole squad coming towards her on the path. Beki swore under her breath. Of course she would run into Hinata and her friends looking like a used dishrag.

"Hey guys," She tried to sound nonchalant, but even Beki could hear the razor in her words. She had stepped off to the side of the road to enjoy the shade of a tree. The trio plus Akamaru veered off course to join her.

"So you just finished training," Hinata was trying her hardest not to make a face, but Beki looked awful. Ebisu hadn't held back one bit on their first day. Poor Beki, she thought.

"Yeah," Beki sighed. "It was rough."

"What's rough is that sweater you're wearing," Kiba laughed. "Is that part of your training? To wear the ugliest sweater in history?"

"It's not ugly," Beki growled. "Maybe it looks ugly because you're colorblind."

"I am NOT colorblind," Kiba growled back.

"Then what colors am I wearing?" Beki raised her arms. "Huh?!"

Kiba started to stammer. Before he could answer, Shino chimed in:

"No, the sweater is ugly. Even if he was colorblind, it still looks like it was made of the pillaged remains of other ugly sweaters."

"Fair enough," Beki folded her arms. "But Kiba, what color IS my sweater?"

"Ugly. The color is ugly," Kiba scratched Akamaru's head self-consciously.

Beki eyed him suspiciously then relented. She could sense he was weak and she wanted to exploit it, but she was too tired to pry.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go clean up. Ebisu sensei wants me to train again this afternoon and I'd like to be comatose as much as possible in the meantime."

"Alright," Hinata watched her walk away. "Good luck!"

Beki grunted in response and continued the long march home, swearing vengeance on her new sensei.

…

Beki stared into her coffee mug with an intensity that suggested it would soon catch fire. Hinata eyed her with concern as she drank her own coffee.

"Just put in the creamer, Beki," Hinata pushed the bottle towards her. "Ebisu will never know."

Beki scrunched her eyes, picked up the mug, and took a long dreg of the coal black liquid. Instantly her face contorted into one of bitter disgust, as if someone had just told her that Seiichiro was in fact her mother. Tears welled in her eyes as she coughed.

"No," she cried. "I have to lose the weight."

Hinata huffed. It was wrong for a man to tell a woman she needed to lose weight, especially in such a callous manner. Naruto would NEVER tell her she needed to lose weight. When she thought about it, she couldn't imagine any of the boys she knew saying such a thing. Neji, Kiba, Shino- none of them would ever be so rude.

"Beki, why are you listening to him about your weight?" Hinata eyed her friend with concern. "Your weight is fine. You're healthy. I think you might be too skinny if you lose all those kilos."

Beki considered for a moment before she answered.

"I'm trying to prove something, Hinata."

"What are you trying to prove? Are you trying to impress a sensei who clearly isn't doing anything to win you over?" Hinata accused.

Beki sighed and took another gulp of the inky coffee. Her face twisted just as much as before, and stuck that way for almost a full minute before she could answer.

"I'm not trying to impress him, I'm…" Beki looked out the window. "Look, I don't want to give it away, but I have a plan. A good plan. But it involves me being the perfect little student for a while."

That worried Hinata. There was something in the way Beki spoke that set Hinata's hair on end. There was danger there, but she couldn't tell if it was for Beki or Ebisu.

"Beki, just tell me," Hinata urged. "Maybe I can help you." She put her hand on Beki's and gave it a squeeze. Beki stared at their hands for a moment in surprise. She regained her composure, gave Hinata's hand a squeeze and shot her a winning smile.

"Soon all shall be revealed," Beki said with the singsong voice of a fortune teller. She stood and dumped the rest of her black coffee and headed upstairs. She had training with Ebisu in an hour and a half. Beki made a point of being at least a half hour early every day, so she needed to leave soon.

True to her word, she had picked up some better training gear. It was basic and lacked personality, but that was exactly what Beki needed. Ebisu needed to forget that Beki had a mind of her own, that she had a mischievous spirit. The most dangerous opponent is one you forget exists. She threw on her gray and navy training gear and headed to the training yard. She passed the training field Team Gai was using and waved to them all as she passed. It looked like Gai sensei had them doing some kind of strange weight training exercises with enormous boulders. His training seemed twice as crazy as Ebisu sensei's, but at least Gai sensei was kind and fun to be around.

Her timing had been off that morning; she had spent an extra three minutes on her hair. She had decided this morning to put her mane out of harm's way by braiding it around her crown. It made her look like an old woman, but she'd rather that than her sensei slice her hair off during training. Instead of arriving thirty minutes early, Beki she got there twenty minutes early. Ebisu sensei was standing in the training yard, looking at his notes.

"There you are, Bekko, I was beginning to worry," Ebisu snapped the notebook shut and slid it in his kunai bag.

"Apologies, sensei," Beki bowed, and with the straightest, most serious face she could muster: "I helped some ducklings cross the road."

Ebisu watched her for a moment, trying to figure out if she was serious. He decided it wasn't worth it and continued.

"You have made significant improvement in the last few weeks," He explained. "I have arranged for us to do our first training with the Konoha teams of shinobi around your age. It took some coordinating with their squad leaders, but I think it will benefit all parties equally."

Beki resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had been on her absolute best behavior since the first training session. That duckling comment was the first questionable thing she had said to him since. She had even taken all of the sideways comments about her weight and being called the wrong name in stride. It was only because she knew soon she would have her vengeance.

"We will be meeting in the forest just outside the city limits. You will be given a thirty-minute head start, wherein you can do your best to hide your tracks and hide," Ebisu explained. "Each of the teams will be released, and their job will be to track you down and bring you in. They can either coordinate with the other teams, or within their own teams to do so."

That sounded promising. Beki had done a fair amount of wandering in the woods around Konoha, so she was already able to picture a few choice spots. It would be tricky to avoid so many teams, however. The bigger question was how could she make this humiliating for Ebisu? He had worked so hard to coordinate this with the other senseis. What would make him seem like a jerk?

"That sounds like a good exercise, Ebisu sensei," Beki cocked her head innocently. "When are we going to do it?"

He smiled at the praise. Even on her best behavior, Beki couldn't bring herself to compliment him often. The sight of him being happy nauseated her almost as much as the thought of eating natto.

"In three days, Bekiko. There's something else," He rocked on the balls of his feet with self-satisfaction before he continued. "All the teams, yourself included, are going out to eat together afterwards to celebrate everyone's hard work this season."

It was Beki's turn to smile. She had three days to set up her sweet revenge.

…

Beki came home sweaty but grinning, which made Hinata nervous. Usually after her afternoon training with Ebisu sensei, she groaned and complained for at least twenty minutes about how he was a snarky little yokai who was put on this earth specifically to torment her mortal soul. Then there would be conjecture about how he probably made mean faces at babies until they cried and double dipped at restaurants. Today was different. She rolled in the door and gave Hinata a big, sweaty hug.

Hinata's first instinct was always to lock up upon sudden physical contact, especially when it smelled so ripe. She eased into the hug and patted Beki's back as she nuzzled Hinata's neck.

"What are you so happy about?"

"I've got him Hinata," Beki pulled away and shook her friend gently. "I've got the bastard right where I want him."

Hinata blinked in confusion. It had happened. Ebisu had pushed her so far that Beki had snapped.

"There's no time to explain," Beki shuffled around in the supply closet. "Is there a grounds keeping shed on the property?"

"Um," Hinata thought long and hard about whether or not she should tell Beki where she could acquire pitchforks and axes. "Why?"

Beki eyed Hinata cautiously, realizing that she had probably said too much.

"You know what, don't worry about it, I'll take care of it."

Beki opened the fridge and poured herself a cup of lemonade and pulled out her half eaten sandwich from lunch.

"I'm probably going to be out late doing some, eh, supplemental training," Beki said between bites. "Don't wait up for me."

Hinata was growing very nervous. What could she do? Technically speaking, she was in a position of authority over Beki, but there was no way she could ever give Beki an order. If she did, the girl would probably laugh in her face and scamper off anyway. What did that leave her, bondage? Hinata shook her head. She was not going to hogtie or handcuff her friend for something she MIGHT do. Maybe she would have to wait until Beki DID do something off color, then she could imprison her when she had suspicions of misconduct.

Oh my god, Hinata thought. I did not just try to justify when and why I could hold another person against their will. Is this normal? Is this normal in a friendship?

"I'll see you on the other side, Hina chan," Beki took Hinata's hands and twirled her as she danced out of the house, singing something strange and menacing.

Hinata narrowed her eyes. That had decided it. The second that girl stepped out of line, she was going to put her in handcuffs.

…

That's how it was for the next three days: Beki would slip out for training, come home for lunch, slip back out for training, come home for a visit, and take off back into the night. Hinata had waited up for her the night before; Beki got home sometime after 2 AM. It was incredible she was holding up as well as she was, having to report to training at 5 AM. Today was the day that all the teams were meeting just outside the village for a special group session. Ebisu had cancelled Beki's early morning training session; she at least was able to catch up on some of her missed sleep.

Hinata was making oatmeal when Beki came down the stairs, stretching languidly like a cat.

"Morning, Hina chan," Beki purred. She sounded so self-satisfied. Hinata really hoped they wouldn't arrive at the group training to find Ebisu tied to a tree.

"Morning, Beki," Hinata put a bowl down in front of her. Beki had been so good about her diet, and in spite of her especially smug mood this morning, she stuck to it. "How can you eat that plain?"

"The same way I've been drinking plain coffee and rice by itself," Beki took a bite of the mushy oats. "Necessity. Always necessity."

"You're like a different person lately," Hinata grumbled. "You're so secretive. I feel like I'm living with a cheating husband or a criminal or something."

Beki laughed out loud.

"Don't worry Hinata, I'll stop skipping our chick flick nights. Believe me, when you see what I've been up to, you'll understand."

Hinata furrowed her brow. For the rest of the morning, she got ready with Beki in tandem. She had her talking nonstop, and hoped during the monotony of showering, dressing, and walking to the forest, Beki would let something slip. Unfortunately, all she did was chuckle when Hinata asked a leading question, or stop talking right in the middle of a sentence if she realized it would give something away. It was so frustrating. Hinata couldn't wait to get whatever it was over with.

They ran into Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru on their way to the forest as well. They fell into step alongside the girls, Akamaru giving Beki a smile and a tail wag as a greeting. She scratched his chin and talked baby talk to him, much to Kiba's annoyance.

"So how does it feel to be the fox for today's fox hunt?" Kiba asked pointedly.

"Crazy," Beki smiled. "I feel crazy like a fox."

"You know, our team specializes in tracking," Shino adjusted his glasses. "It's likely we'll be the team to bring you in."

Beki patted him on the shoulder. Shino shrank away from the unwanted and unexpected physical contact. She chuckled and sighed:

"Oh Shino, if you only knew. If you only knew." She repeated.

Shino and Kiba both looked at Hinata uncomfortably.

"Don't look at me, she's been like this all morning." Hinata folded her arms.

"What's the deal Beki? Your sensei overworking you or something?" Kiba poked her. "You aren't making any sense."

"It doesn't need to make sense." Beki rubbed her hands together. "It only needs to work."

"How about we just stop talking to her?" Kiba suggested.

"That might be a good idea," Hinata sighed.

"Agreed." Shino was dusting off his coat where Beki had touched him.

They walked out of the village gates and followed the road for a few minutes. They saw Gai, Ebisu, and Asuma sensei standing in a copse of trees off to the left. The group walked over to join them. Several members of the other teams were there, however a few faces were still missing. Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji were the first to spot them. Chouji waved them over.

"So Bitchi, I guess we're supposed to hunt you down today?" Ino tossed her hair.

Beki smiled sweetly as she shot back:

"How'd the operation go?"

"What?" Ino blinked at her in confusion.

"Sorry, with all the bandages it looks like you got a boob job and a sex change." Beki folded her arms.

"Okay, that's enough you two," Shikamaru shook his head. "Women are so troublesome."

The girls separated, but the tension could still be felt. Hinata face palmed. It was going to be a long day.

"Whatever, Beki, we're going to find you," Ino growled. "If I find you first, I'm going to kick your ass."

Beki put her hands on her hips and puffed up her chest.

"If you find me Ino, I will run down Canal Street in my underwear."

"You're on, Bitchi." Ino glared.

Hinata sighed. She didn't know what it was about Ino that bothered Beki or vice versa. Maybe they were fighting for the title of bitchiest blonde girl. Some days it was hard to tell who was winning.

"There you are Beki," Ebisu waved at her impatiently. "Go. Go take your head start so we can get this show on the road."

"As you say, sensei," She practically skipped off into the woods. The bounce in her step made Hinata nervous. She was way too happy.

Thirty minutes later, after everyone had finally arrived, Ebisu began to explain the drill.

"Gather round, everyone," Ebisu smiled pleasantly. "I don't know how much your senseis have told you, so I'll just go over everything. Your job, either as teams or in partnership with other teams, is to hunt down and bring Bekko back. Her job is to evade you for as long as possible."

Hinata cringed. Ebisu had been working with Beki for almost three weeks and still didn't know her name. No wonder she didn't like him. When he gave the signal, the squads took off into the woods. The three squads had all worked together closely in the past, however from the get go they all separated. Each team had their own idea of the best way to apprehend Beki.

"If I were Beki, I would dash as far and as fast as my legs could carry me," Lee called over his shoulder to Tenten and Neji. "We should look for her in the deep woods."

"That…actually makes sense for once," Tenten blinked in surprise. She turned to Neji. "Are you seeing anything?"

Neji looked around, his Byakugan activated, then shook his head. There were broken branches, twigs that had been stepped on, and partial tracks everywhere. None of them seemed to directly indicate Beki was near.

The team passed fallen, hollowed out logs, tall grass, and were approaching a stream when Neji stopped them.

"There's been human activity around here," He gestured to a recently felled tree. "Look, they cut it down and dragged it off into the woods."

"But it's too old," Tenten examined the tracks and stump more closely. "The stump is all dried out and the drag marks look at least a day old. This was someone else's work."

Neji didn't like it. Even if Beki had not come through here, someone else had recently. It could be the work of a local in need of some firewood, or it could have been ronin.

"Alright, we'll keep going, but stay alert," Neji ordered. "There's no telling who we'll run into out here."

They pressed on towards the stream. Trees grew closely on either side; there was no break in the canopy. River rocks projected up over the surface, creating a sporadic but natural bridge. Lee smiled at Tenten and Neji.

"I'm going to clear the stream in one leap!"

"Lee, now probably isn't the best time-" Tenten protested, but Lee took a running start. She ran forward to stop him, and felt something dig into her shin and snap. She looked down to see a trip wire, then up at Lee. Before she even had time to cry out, a log hidden up in the canopy swung down on a set of vines, sweeping into Lee in midair and knocking him ten feet away into the stream.

"Lee!" Neji and Tenten cried together.

"Wait!" Neji yelled as Tenten began to race to Lee. "Let me check for more traps."

He scanned the immediate area and found no other threats. It was bizarre. Who would do such a thing, and why? They were in the middle of nowhere, and the rig was complicated.

"Neji, he's out cold!" Tenten's eyes were full of tears. "We have to get him back to Gai sensei."

Neji looked around. Their teammate was hurt. Team Gai had clearly chosen the wrong path to pursue Beki with. By the time they got Lee back to their sensei, another team would surely have found her. It would be best to cut their losses and help Lee. He picked him up and carried him on his back.

"You're right. Let's go Tenten."

Team Gai reached the sensei's about fifteen minutes later. The senseis all seemed surprised to see them.

"What happened?" Ebisu asked as they emerged from the trees.

"We sprung a trap out there," Neji explained, lowering Lee gently to the ground. "Lee took the hit. He's unconscious but otherwise unharmed."

"Sorry we're so late," Tenten apologized. "So who found Beki?"

"No one has yet," Ebisu shook his head. "You're the first team we've heard from since you all went in."

"Lee would want you two to keep up the chase," Gai's eyes were filled with manly tears. "Catch her for him! Fill your hearts with youthful passion, and there's nothing that can evade you!"

"Yes Gai sensei!" Neji and Tenten cried out in unison. They would catch Beki, for Lee. They turned around and took off back into the woods.

"Well that was…peculiar," Ebisu adjusted his sunglasses. "I wonder if she had enough time to set up a trap?"

"With a thirty-minute start?" Asuma laughed. "Doubtful. That would have taken a lot of prep work, and she is just a genin with a limited tool kit."

"And her ninjutsu aren't wood based, so…." Ebisu shook his head. "It must have been left over from some training exercise long ago."

That's what Ebisu said, but it was eating at him. This portion of the woods was seldom used for training. He hoped it was a fluke, but at the same time he worried there might be other dangers in the woods he hadn't taken into consideration for his student.

…

Team Ino-Shika-Cho took a more strategic route.

"Beki isn't familiar with these woods," Shikamaru mused. "More likely than not she subconsciously stuck to trails and areas with more light to avoid accidental injury."

"Which trail do we follow?" Chouji asked.

"She's right handed, so she'll tend to go to the right," Shikamaru reasoned as the three followed the trail. "I hope we find her soon; this is such a drag."

"I do to. I'm hungry," Chouji held his belly. "I only packed enough snacks for about an hour out here."

"We have to find her first," Ino glared out into the woods. "I'm going to find Bitchi if it's the last thing I do."

"If we find her Ino, are you really going to make her run down the street in her underwear?" Chouji's voice was full of concern. Ino frequently got angry, but Beki's comments earlier had made her look like she could combust at any moment.

"In broad damn daylight," Ino's voice was full of conviction and rage. The boys fell silent, knowing it was better not to say anything that might turn that rage on them.

After about ten minutes, they heard Chouji gasp desperately.

"What is it?" Shikamaru followed his gaze.

Peeking out of the grass was the corner of a snack bag. Before they could stop him, Chouji ran over to his prize.

"No Chouji, it's obviously a trap!" Shikamaru ran over to try to stop him, but as soon as Chouji took the bag off the ground, there was a snap, and a log dropped out of the trees and took them out. Ino watched in horror as the log swung at them with incredible speed and knocked them away like ragdolls.

"Shikamaru! Chouji!" Ino ran over to her friends and checked their breathing. They were both okay; the impact seemed to have only knocked them out. She heard rattling in the bushes and pulled a knife, ready to face her opponent.

"Sorry, you missed me!" She cried.

"Missed what?"

Shino, Kiba, Akamaru, and Hinata emerged from the trees.

"What happened to them?!" Kiba cried in disbelief.

Ino did her best to explain the pathetic trap and how it had claimed both of her teammates.

"We should get them back to the senseis," Hinata suggested.

"We'll do it," Kiba hopped off of Akamaru and Shino helped Kiba load Chouji and Shikamaru on the dog's back. "You guys wait here. We'll be right back."

Kiba and his dog bounded off towards the forest entrance, leaving Ino, Hinata, and Shino wondering what the hell they were facing out here.


	12. The Thing in the Woods pt 2

**Okay, this chapter is really long so I won't do too much of an intro. This is the conclusion to the mini arc, The Thing in the Woods. I experimented with the story telling in this chapter and the last, and I would really like to know what you all think. Please pm me or leave a review. I also made a point of switching perspectives to less visited characters, and would be interested to know what you all thought of that as well. I'm really glad I was able to put this out before Game of Thrones premiered tonight, otherwise I would have had to put this out tomorrow. So here's my Sunday night gift to you, and remember the night is dark, etc.**

* * *

Beki's plan was going swimmingly. The traps had all worked flawlessly so far; the Konoha squads never anticipated she would have time to leave traps. That was the lynch pin of it: she needed to eliminate all of them to be successful. If Ebisu sensei looked like he had misled the other squad leaders, that would be plenty embarrassing. His student emerging on top, having played dirty and kicked ass. Normally, she would never take measures this drastic, but in the Konoha forests she was at a disadvantage.

The woods she grew up in were mostly pine. The woods around Konoha were largely deciduous, meaning there was less light and more tree roots to trip over. If she hadn't cheated, the squads would have had her almost right out of the gate. She consoled herself with the idea that she was doing a good job as a kunoichi. If she had been given this information and not acted on it, that would make her lazy and a fool. Most of her thirty-minute head start was spent getting to a secured location: a hollow in a great oak where she had stashed all her gear. Beki covered herself in mud and put sacks over her shoes. From there, it was just positioning herself up in the trees to watch the chaos unfold.

Chouji, Shikamaru, and Lee had already been eliminated. Beki wanted to take out Neji and Hinata next because of their vision advantage. Her next priority targets were Kiba and Akamaru because of their superior senses of smell. She rifled through her rucksack from her vantage point. If she could pull this off, maybe Ebisu would be so embarrassed he would drop training her altogether. She would likely make a couple of enemies today, but this was war.

…

"Shouldn't we wait until Kiba-kun gets back?" Hinata hesitated as Shino and Ino started to walk off into the woods.

"Kiba will be able to track us, Hinata," Shino explained. "We're losing valuable time."

"He's right," Ino shook her head. "The longer we sit around here the farther Beki gets."

Hinata knew they were right, but part of her still wanted them all to go as a group. Beki had obviously planned this all out, and they stood the best chance of catching her and surviving as a group. Maybe that had been the point of this exercise. Right away they had all separated into their teams rather than coordinating and working together.

The woods were oddly quiet. Perhaps all the commotion they were making was scaring all the birds. Even so, as far back into her training as Hinata could remember, this was the most unnerving silence she had ever experienced. Up ahead the brush parted and Tenten emerged, looking confused.

"Tenten?" Ino called out.

She looked at them and blinked, the confusion drawing at her brow.

"Have you guys seen Neji?"

The trio looked at each other.

"No. Did you get separated?" Ino asked.

"Yeah," Tenten shook her head. "We were walking along and we sprung a trap. We were able to avoid it, but we jumped off in different directions and I lost track of him."

"Where is Lee?" Shino looked around.

"Oh," Tenten got quiet. "He was knocked out by one of the traps earlier. We took him back to Gai sensei."

Hinata clasped her hands. She hoped Neji and Kiba were okay.

"We should look for Neji," Hinata suggested.

Tenten fidgeted for a moment before she answered:

"As much as I want to Hinata, our objective is to find Beki. Once we find her, all this will be over."

"That's what Neji will be working towards as well," Shino offered. "We may run into him during our search."

"Okay," Hinata nodded. She hoped they found everyone soon. Even though Beki was the one laying all these traps, Hinata couldn't help but worry about her. Something wasn't right. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she couldn't shake the feeling they weren't alone. All Hinata hoped was that the person watching them was Beki.

The group pressed on into the woods. Hinata activated her Byakugan to look for tracks. It took some time, but eventually they stumbled across some strange footprints leading into a dense copse of trees.

"Okay, we'll surround the area and go in all at once," Shino ordered. The girls nodded and took up position.

In the middle of the clearing was Beki, hunched over and covered with a grass blanket. It was a very basic form of camouflage, but Hinata supposed as they were all running through the woods, she would be easy to miss. Beki was hunched over something. It was well past midday, so Hinata figured she was eating something. Her stomach turned. She hoped the girl hadn't grabbed any poisoned mushrooms.

Shino nodded to Hinata, and she used her Byakugan to sweep the scene. It looked like Beki had a can of soda in her hand. She nodded to Shino, and he signaled everyone to attack. In a beautifully fluid leap, they were all upon her. Shino was closest, so he reached her first. He grabbed ahold of her arm, and she instantly burst into a spray of murky water. The girls shielded themselves against the spray. There was a clank as her soda can hit the ground.

"Clone," Shino spat.

"Dammit," Ino stomped her foot.

Before anyone else could say anything, there was a soft hiss and a pop as the soda can broke open.

"SMOKE BOMB!" Tenten yelled, and they all leapt back a safe distance.

That wasn't much of a trap, Hinata thought. Maybe Beki had this location set up as a diversion, or if she was being pursued she could use the smoke bomb to escape. She looked at the others to see what they thought when she noticed not everyone had made it out.

"SHINO!" She cried and leapt toward the smoke.

"No!" Tenten grabbed ahold of Hinata's arm and held her back. "Let it clear first. There could be something else in that smoke and we don't need to lose another person."

Hinata clenched her fist in frustration and closed her eyes. Everything Beki had done was harmless, she knew, but having her teammate taken out a few feet away and being powerless to help made Hinata feel helpless and vulnerable. As they stood there waiting for the smoke to clear, Hinata swore she heard singing. It was soft and low, almost a hum, but in the absence of birdsong it was clear. It was a song she had never heard before, and it was just far enough away she could only make out a few words. It was something about secrets and lovers and rain.

"Do you guys hear that?" Hinata whispered.

"The singing? Yeah." Tenten shook her head.

"That Bitchi is so cocky," Ino hissed. "When we find her I'm going to make her sing a different tune."

Hinata shuddered. Beki had her moments, but this was downright creepy. She would have to talk to her about it later. This was a training exercise and she was acting like it was an actual life or death mission. The smoke had finally cleared, so the girls moved cautiously towards Shino. He was laying on his back, coughing steadily. At least he's conscious, Hinata thought.

"Are you okay?" Hinata leaned over him.

"Fine," he coughed. "Damn, she's smarter than I thought."

"What do you mean?" Tenten was watching the trees, just in case there were more surprises waiting for them.

"Smoke bomb," Shino pulled down his cowl for more air. "The bugs…They're dazed."

"You sound pretty dazed yourself," Ino looked at the can. "It probably has a sedative in it."

"Let's get him back to the senseis," Tenten said as she helped pull him to his feet. "Can you walk?"

"A little," Shino coughed again. Hinata supported him under one shoulder and Ino supported him under the other as Tenten ran point.

"This was supposed to be easy," Ino complained. "A thirty-minute exercise. Leave it to Bitchi to turn this into the damned Shinobi Olympics."

Hinata was reminded of their experience in the Forest of Death during the chunin exams. Except, instead of trying to get to the safety of the castle at the center, they were hunting someone. Someone who didn't want to be caught. Hinata got that weird feeling they weren't alone again and scanned the environment with the Byakugan. Nothing. She was just getting paranoid. To be honest, she was surprised Beki could put up this much of a fight. Maybe they had all underestimated her. Then again, as Ino said, this was just supposed to be a basic exercise and Beki was turning it into a mind game.

When they arrived at the entrance of the woods, they found Chouji, Shikamaru, and Lee all conscious but laying low.

"Another one," Ebisu's face was grim.

"Beki smoke bombed us," Ino growled.

Asuma looked at Ebisu.

"Your student is taking this exercise pretty seriously, Ebisu."

"I know," Ebisu shook his head. "I hate to say it, but I didn't think she would. She's fairly applied, but this is almost excessive."

"I like it," Gai gave a dashing smile. "She's taking this opportunity to demonstrate the burning passion of her youth!"

Shino took a seat next to Shikamaru and Chouji, still coughing occasionally.

"Do me a favor," He looked up at the girls. "Sock her for me."

"Will do." Ino smiled wickedly.

"Has Neji been through here?" Tenten asked.

"Or Kiba?" Hinata chimed in.

"We haven't seen Neji," Asuma frowned slightly. "Kiba dropped off the boys and headed back into the woods about ten minutes ago."

"We must have just missed him," Tenten looked at Hinata. "We'll probably run into him out there."

"I hope we run into Neji too," Hinata said as the three girls headed back into the woods.

…

Kiba and Akamaru were bounding through the forest. Akamaru had caught Beki's scent and was tracking her down in full bloodhound mode. Kiba smiled to himself. If he and Akamaru could corner Beki, the two would make short work of her. They had speed, numbers, and the home court advantage over her. Akamaru was picking up speed. They were close. Look out Beki, here we come, Kiba thought.

A thin weight pressed into his chest, right below the collar bone. He collided with the steel cable, knocking him off of his mount. Akamaru bounded a few more paces before turning to check on his master. Kiba landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him. The wire was strung between two trees and was multiple wires wrapped together. This made it thin enough to miss with the naked eye, but strong enough to withstand impact and knock him down. Akamaru whimpered empathetically and Kiba scratched his head.

"I'm okay boy," Kiba sat up gingerly. He was completely unharmed aside from his pride. "She's got to be close by. Let's find her, boy."

They sniffed the air. Kiba detected the faint smoky aroma of a campfire. That was pretty cocky of her to be cooking, not because of the light but because of the smoke and the smell of food. Perhaps she didn't know about their keen senses of smell, or it was just a factor she had overlooked. Regardless, the boy and his dog approached the scent from downwind. In a clearing, she had set up a small campfire and had a pot of something over it. It looked as if she had stepped away and would be back at any moment. The boys laid in waiting in the brush. Sure enough, Beki reappeared from the woods with a bunch of mushrooms and what looked like roots. Kiba signaled for Akamaru to circle around on the other side.

Beki went about washing the mushrooms with her canteen, completely oblivious to their presence. Kiba gave the signal, and the boy and his dog charged her. Beki looked up and smiled at him. Instantly Kiba realized this had been a mistake. He and Akamaru began to change direction, sensing impending danger, when she covered her mouth with a cloth and opened the lid of her cooking pot. The entire clearing was suddenly filled with the funk of a pound of cooking natto. Kiba had never smelled so much natto being cooked at once. It was agony. It got in his eyes, his nose, his mouth. He could almost taste the rancid beans. Akamaru began to whimper and paw at his nose. Kiba crashed into the ground and started gagging. While they choked. Beki took a wad of the simmering natto, blew on it, and then hurled a wad of it at Kiba. It connected directly with his leather jacket and splattered all over him. The rank intensified a thousand fold and he began to gag. Akamaru sensed his distress and powered through the awful smell. He bounded up to his master, who clumsily mounted him, and they took off toward the entrance.

Kiba was so nauseous it was all he could do not to hurl on his dog. If it had just been his shirt, he would have tossed it aside and left it there, but Beki had gotten the beans all over his favorite jacket. If he could wipe it down and leave it in the shed to air out, it would probably be okay. In the meantime, the stink had given him an intense migraine. There was no way he or Akamaru could track like this. They would have to leave the glory of taking Beki down to the others.

…

Beki couldn't stop grinning. There was nothing better than getting to use the natto she had been sentenced to eat as part of her revenge. Unfortunately, it was a double edged sword. The same smell that had driven Kiba off the playing field now hovered over her like a raincloud. With more than half the Konoha ninja hunting her now, and less than half of her traps activated, Beki thought her odds were good to get cleaned up. It was too risky to just mask the smell with perfume, so she would have to try to wash it off. There was a nice deep river nearby she could hop in real fast, wash with unscented soap, and be back out and on her way before anyone noticed.

She checked her traps along the way. They were all holding up well, and none on this side of the river had been triggered yet. So long as they approached her from that direction, she would have plenty of warning if they were headed her way.

Beki set up her kit on the side of the river. She laid out her bag, her soap and a smoke pellet, just in case. First she peeled off the covers on her shoes, which were now saturated with mud and leaf detritus. Her shoes were next. She felt instant relief once her feet could breathe. Blood had been pooling in her feet from how much running and squatting she'd been doing. Even though it was unlikely she'd have to make a break for it, she decided she wouldn't fold her clothes so she could pull them on quickly. She set them up in the order she would put them on, so first she took off her pants and underwear and laid those out. Next went her shirt and her bra. If there was an emergency, she wouldn't have time to pull on her shoes. She put them in her bag, so if she did have to make a break for it, she could put them on later. Nothing was worse than being barefoot in the woods all day.

She was stark naked now, and it was exciting and made her nervous at the same time. Beki had bathed outdoors before, which was always exhilarating, but the added danger of being hunted made it that much more intense. The water was cool and felt good on her skin as she slowly slid walked into the river. It would leave too much of a trail if she got a good lather on, so she would just have to wash her skin enough to get the natto smell off.

…

Neji had been looking for Tenten for twenty minutes. He would have been happy to find anyone, but this nerve rackingly silent forest seemed empty save for himself. Not a single deer, bird, or person had made an appearance since he had triggered the last trap. He sighed in frustration. Leave it to Beki to turn a run of the mill training exercise into a nuisance. It was good that she took her practice so seriously, however Neji was quickly beginning to suspect that she had more than thirty minutes to prepare for this exercise. Either that, or she had been incredibly lucky that someone else had left all these traps out here. Based on his experiences with her, he suspected it was likely the former. Tsukimori had some of the worst luck he had ever seen.

At last he heard something. Someone was singing. It was low and soft, as if they were singing a lullaby. Neji was immediately leery; it was likely another trap. He activated his Byakugan and saw nothing suspicious. The sound was coming from a short distance away, so he crept along to draw closer to its source. Soon the soft babbling of water joined the melody and he stumbled upon a river. There, sitting on a rock that split the stream, was a naked young woman. He was stunned and found himself unable to look away. For a moment he thought it was an illusion; the way she combed through her impossibly long tresses gently with her fingers was so graceful, her skin looked like pure porcelain, and her hair glowed the color of starlight in the rays of the afternoon sun. Her back was to him and he was some distance away, but the gentle curves of her body were evident. He knew he should look away, he wanted to look away, but there was a part of him that had to know who this beautiful girl was.

A bird took flight on his side of the river, startling the girl. She turned to the sound and Neji saw that it was Beki. Shame and guilt instantly washed over Neji. He stumbled backwards in shock, flushing with embarrassment. He had been transfixed by the song before and had failed to notice the rope trap a few feet behind him. His feet caught in the rope and he was launched upside down into the air, suspended by his ankles. The trap was set in the trail leading up the stream. Neji was left swinging in the air directly within view of Beki. In spite of all the noise he had made, she had failed to notice him. Having sensed the bird was no danger, she had gone back to bathing.

Neji, his face beet red and now overwhelmed with regret over his spying, felt compelled to call out:

"Uh, Beki," He averted his eyes. "I can see you."

She froze solid and then slowly turned to face him. For a moment she was stunned in place, Neji an audience to a full frontal view of her dripping body. Beki didn't race to cover herself, she just slowly leaned down and picked up the soap, her eyes never leaving Neji. With a throw that would have impressed a professional baseball player, she hurled the soap full force between Neji's eyes. As he lost consciousness, he saw her dive into the water. His last thoughts were a debate on whether that really had been Beki, or a vision after all.

…

Beki could not have put her clothes on faster. Although Neji had been eliminated as a threat, the run in was enough to remind Beki she was being pursued. She slid on her shoes but packed up the sacks; at this point they were so dirty they would attract more attention than her footprints. She took to the trees and tried to locate her remaining pursuers. All that remained after Neji's elimination were Tenten, Ino, and Hinata. They had been out looking for her for at least two hours judging by how the sun had dipped in the sky. She wondered if Ebisu was getting weird looks from the other senseis yet.

The girls had heard the commotion in the nearly silent forest and eventually tracked down Neji's unconscious body.

"Neji!" Hinata and Tenten cried out.

"Another one, out cold," Ino grumbled. "This bitch has to go down."

"We can't leave him out here," Tenten sighed in frustration. "One of you will need to carry him back with me."

Hinata and Ino looked at each other. Ino shook her head.

"You two go. I'm going to finish this once and for all."

"Are you sure?" Hinata looked up into the trees. Beki was out there. Was Ino really the best person to bring her in?

"I want to do this," Ino glowered out into the trees. "Its personal."

"Alright," Tenten cut Neji down, and Hinata helped her lower him to the ground. Tenten took his arms and Hinata took his legs, and they began the long walk back to the entrance. The girls heard the soft singing again.

"I hope Ino finds her soon," Tenten looked around nervously. "I'm done with this forest."

"Yeah," Hinata's Byakugan scanned the tree line. "Me too."

…

Beki saw Hinata and Tenten hauling Neji's body back towards the entrance. That meant the only person left on her tail was Ino. Beki wasn't sure exactly what she specialized in. From her understanding, each member of the Ino-Shika-Cho team was fairly weak on their own. They were most dangerous when encountered together. Beki had hoped Ino would get taken out with one of the traps. She didn't have anything special in her kit to take Ino out the way she had been able to take down Shino and Kiba based on their specialties.

Beki figured her best bet was just to blitz her and take her out one on one. In a fistfight, she was sure she would have the upper hand against Ino. Beki slid down the trunk of the tree she was scouting in, and headed towards where Neji had been strung up. Beki arrived only to find the location abandoned. Ino's tracks headed off into the woods. Beki turned to follow when suddenly she heard a cry:

"MIND BODY SWITCH JUTSU!"

The world almost instantly went black. Beki could feel her body moving, but was powerless to do anything about it. She heard Ino inside her head:

"I'm just going to borrow this for a while."

"What are you doing?!" Beki cried out in her mind, to which Ino laughed manically.

"I just hijacked your body, Bitchi. You're going to carry my body to the finish and I'll be the one who brought you in."

"Fuck." Beki thought.

"Watch your mouth." Ino said as Beki felt her body hoisting up a heavy load.

"God you're heavy," Beki thought as loudly as she could. If Ino was hanging out in Beki's head, she was going to make it as unpleasant as possible. "Or am I carrying Chouji?"

"You shut your whore mouth," Ino growled. "You're just angry I beat you."

"With some bullshit secret technique," Beki sighed. "I bet if I wasn't so worn out from taking out the serious threats, I could bust out of this in two seconds flat."

"It's almost impossible to overcome this jutsu," Beki could hear Ino smiling. "You're welcome to try though."

It was traumatizing to lose control of your body. Beki was struggling against it as much as she could, but she didn't know how to struggle. It was a terrifying combination of two things Beki hated: Being trapped in darkness, and losing control. She could feel herself panicking. The cold chill of adrenaline was creeping up her spine, but she did her best to control it. She had no idea what would happen if her body activated her kekke genkai while another person was in control.

Beki gave up fighting Ino and just focused on keeping the panic at bay.

"You're suddenly very quiet," Ino smirked.

If Beki could roll her eyes, she would have.

"Shut up Silicone. I'm focusing."

"Silicone?!" Ino screamed into Beki's head. "Who are you calling Silicone?!"

"You, boob job. Now shut up, I'm concentrating."

Ino's barking inside her head was making it really hard. She could feel her hair starting to turn. The sensation was similar to having lukewarm water poured over the crown of your head. It trickled down from the roots all the way to the ends. Her body sensed it had been hijacked and it was not happy about it. They must have finally reached the entrance, because Beki heard voices.

"Beki?! What did you do to Ino?!" Ebisu cried out.

"It's alright," Beki heard her voice from far away. "It's me, Ino. I hijacked her body."

"Good work, Ino," Asuma said. "Let the poor girl go."

Beki felt her body gently set down its load. As soon as she got control back, she was going to kick Ino.

"Bye, Bitchi." Ino sang. "We'll set up your naked romp down Canal Street after dinner tonight."

Oh god, that's right. Beki cursed herself. She had said that. Slowly she felt Ino's presence leave her body, like a bandage being slowly peeled off her brain. Her vision was slowly returning, and she could wiggle her toes and fingers.

"Beki, are you okay?" Hinata whispered. "Your hair…its almost turned black."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Beki said in low tones. "I was freaking out on the inside. That jutsu is bullshit."

"Okay, we're glad to see everyone is finally back," Ebisu sighed. "This wasn't supposed to be an all-day training, but, oh well."

"Let's go eat," Asuma slapped his students on the back. "Good work, you guys."

Gai nodded and gave an award winning smile:

"My students demonstrated commitment to one another with the passion that only youth can provide. I'm so proud!"

"Me too!" Lee bear hugged Neji and Tenten. "I'm so proud of you!"

Gai sensei hugged them from the other side, he and Lee crying manly tears of pride.

"Okay you two, that's enough," Tenten peeled them away. "Neji just came to. Don't knock him out again."

"Are you okay Neji?" Hinata asked, concern in her voice. Since he had come to, he hadn't said a word. It was as if he had seen something out there that traumatized him. "What did you do to Neji, Beki?"

"I didn't do anything to him," Beki shrugged and looked away, the faintest hint of color playing at her cheeks. "Nothing that he didn't deserve, anyway."

Hinata could sense there was more to it than that, but now wasn't the time to pursue it.

…

The walk back into town was quiet, partially due to exhaustion and partially due to angry feelings between Beki and the crew. Once they were all seated in the diner, however, and the delicious aromas of their upcoming dinners had washed over them, they all finally began to relax. After another ten minutes or so, conversation was freely flowing back and forth between the senseis and the students.

All except for Beki. She stared into her mug of tea. There was a bitter taste in her mouth, and it wasn't her drink. For days she had planned, prepared, and executed her plan flawlessly. Ebisu wasn't embarrassed, the senseis weren't angry, and she had gotten her mind violated in the process. It went beyond disappointment. She was going to be punished, she knew, but she wouldn't get to experience any gratification to make it worth it. She sighed heavily and rested her chin on her hand and listened to the kids her age chatting merrily about their lives. To make matters worse, Ebisu came over and sat down beside her, cutting her off from the rest of the group.

"Bekiko, do you understand what the point of that exercise was?" He was using his teacher voice. Beki hated it. He used It when she did something wrong and he was going to be the better person and not be angry about it. Use it as a "teachable moment". He said all kinds of crap like that. It made her want to knock his teeth in.

"No, sensei. What was the purpose of the exercise?" She was too tired to do anything but say exactly what he wanted. That would make the encounter go by at double speed.

"Out here you are acting on your own, and you yourself have admitted to having little to no field experience," Ebisu explained. "This was a chance for myself and the other senseis to see how you handle yourself in the field."

"Why would you want to do that?" Beki was having trouble keeping her eyes open. She had been running on almost pure adrenaline all day. Now that the exercise was over, she was realizing she was exhausted.

"So that we can send you out on training exercises with the other squads," Ebisu squared off with her so she was forced to look him in the face. "I learned a few things about you today, you know that? First, I learned can't tell you anything you can use to your advantage and that you'll cheat to win. Second, I learned that I have seriously underestimated you. Even with knowing what you were up against ahead of time, you were able to hold your own out there against 9 shinobi of your rank or higher."

Beki couldn't be sure based on Ebisu's facial expression, but that sounded like he was giving her praise. That made her suspicious. She watched him carefully as he spoke.

"I think you're more than capable of training along with the shinobi of the Leaf your age. I also think that we can cut your training back to once a day," Ebisu smiled at her. "You've made it clear you have a solid grasp of the basics."

"So what is my next training exercise going to be?" Beki could hope he'd fall for the same trick twice.

"Oh, that's easy. You're going to be going through those woods with me and disarming all the traps you left behind." Ebisu's face was unreadable.

"Tomorrow?" She smiled nervously.

"After we leave here, Beki." His face was still as blank as paper.

"Wait, you called me my name," Beki's eyes went wide. "You never get my name right."

Ebisu chuckled.

"Of course I know what your name is. You just make the grouchiest face whenever I use the wrong name. It's hilarious."

Beki made the face.

"I hate you, sensei."

He reached over and ruffled her hair, and she tried to bite him. All was well.

…

Beki didn't get back from disarming the traps until well after 9. Hinata had waited up for her. There was a chill in the air that night, so as soon as she heard her friend coming through the gate she put a pot on the stove. Beki came in the door as Hinata was pouring her a cup of tea.

"Oh, thanks Hina chan," Beki accepted it gratefully. "What are you still doing up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about today." Hinata sat down on the couch and Beki followed her lead.

"What about it?" Beki sprawled out in her corner of the sofa.

"Well, a couple things," Hinata toyed with the bottom of her shirt. "So what happened between you and Neji?"

"Why do you ask?" Beki watched Hinata over the top of her cup as she sipped her tea. She was definitely hiding something.

"He hasn't said a word since we got back from the woods," Hinata watched Beki carefully. "And you've been acting strange about it, too. Did you two fight?"

"We didn't fight," Beki relaxed. "We did have a run in. He surprised me and I knocked him out. He's probably just embarrassed."

"Oh," Hinata knew there was more to the story, but she couldn't push Beki too much all at once. She was the type that gave more away while filling a silence than she would if directly pressed.

"So there's something I've been curious about," Beki rested her chin on her hand. "How is it that you got engaged to Naruto so young?"

Oh, here it was at last. Hinata sighed with frustration. Beki had been around the Hyuga long enough that she had picked up on how old everyone else got married. She supposed it would only be fair to tell her a secret to get her to tell Hinata one of her own.

"The Hyuga have an ancient law," Hinata began. "That if someone of the opposite sex sees one of our young unmarried clansmen naked, they have to be wedded."

Beki's eyes grew wide as the realization dawned on her.

"So Naruto saw you naked, and now you have to get married," She put a hand to her head. "Wow. Was it an accident?"

Hinata blushed fiercely.

"Of course it was an accident! I was…I was out training under a waterfall in the buff, and he…he stumbled across me. We were young and didn't know what else to do so we told my father. The arrangements were made immediately."

"Well, what would have happened if you had seen Naruto naked?" Beki cocked her head curiously.

"It would have been the same," Hinata explained. "It's not like if we see someone naked with Byakugan we have to marry them. It's really more about being in close proximity to someone when they or we are naked and unmarried. It's a propriety thing."

For some reason, the color had drained from Beki's face.

"What is it Beki? Are you okay?" Hinata asked.

Beki shook her head and regained her composure.

"I'm fine. Just got caught thinking about something. So, you uh, you had another question about today for me?"

"Oh," Hinata pulled her legs up on the couch. "I wanted to ask you about the song."

Beki's brow furrowed and she frowned slightly.

"What song?"

"The song you sang in the woods? The one about lovers and secrets and rain."

Beki frowned at Hinata harder and shook her head.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"When we were in the woods, there were several times when we were trying to find you," Hinata cocked her head as she tried to remember. "It was usually when someone had just been taken out. We heard you singing nearby. We thought you were teasing us."

The color was draining out of Beki's face again.

"Hinata, I swear to God that wasn't me. I don't…I don't ever sing."

A silence fell over the room as the weight of the facts came down on them.

"So someone else was out there with us," Hinata said softly.

"Or some THING," Beki looked around the room uncomfortably, her eyes wide.

"What do you mean, some THING," Hinata could feel herself getting nervous.

"When you heard…singing, did you look around with your Byakugan," Beki slightly pleaded.

"Yes," Hinata didn't like where this was going.

"Did you see anyone?" Beki was flat out pleading now.

Hinata thought about it and a chill went down her spine. She hadn't seen anyone or anything near the source of the singing, any time it happened.

"No," Hinata whimpered.

"Other people heard the singing, right? It wasn't just you?" Beki whimpered back.

"YES," Hinata cried louder.

The two stared at each other in horror for a moment before they desperately began looking around the house. Beki sprang off the couch and up the stairs. Hinata followed close on her tail, feeling like a child again. When she was young and had stayed up too late, she remembered the terror she felt running to her bedroom in the dark, feeling like something was hot on her heels. Hinata had the very real sense that she was in danger until she got her light on and her door closed. That was exactly what she was experiencing right now, and she was sure that's how Beki felt too.

Instead of going to her own room, Hinata followed Beki into hers. Beki closed the door behind Hinata and locked it, then raced over and threw open the curtains. Cool moonlight filled the room and cast strange shadows across the walls and floor. Beki dove under her covers fully clothed and Hinata followed suit. The two huddled together under the sheets, jumping at every sound and cringing at every shadow.

"It was about secrets and lovers and rain?" Beki asked, terror making her voice squeak. "Was that all you heard?"

"I-I re-really d-d-d-don't want to try to remember it," Hinata stammered.

Silence fell between them again. Hinata couldn't remember which of them dropped off first. In the morning, when they both woke up, they were back to back with the covers up to their eyes, like children cowering from monsters under the bed.

"You know, I bet there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for why you heard that singing yesterday," Beki said with her best grown up voice.

"Yeah, you're right," Hinata agreed. "Something completely rational."

The two stayed in bed for another ten minutes, neither of them moving from the safety of the covers.

"It's broad daylight, Beki. Aren't you going to get up?" Hinata asked.

"You're the morning person. You go first." Beki's grown up voice was wavering.

They sat there another minute before Beki said:

"On the count of three, we both get out of bed and run for the door."

"Okay," Hinata knew what they were doing was silly, but she was frightened just the same.

"One…two…three!"

On three they both jumped out of bed and ran for the door. Beki fumbled with the lock and Hinata squealed for her to get it open. Once she finally threw open the door, they took the stairs two at a time and ran out the front door squealing in terror. When they finally reached the outside, they both tripped and fell into the grass, laughing. A shadow crossed over them, and they opened their eyes to see Neji standing over them, worry on his face.

"What are you two running from?"

"Ghosts," They said in unison.

Neji sighed and helped them to their feet.

"You two are too old for this nonsense. Here," He led them inside, activated his Byakugan, and looked around. "See? Nothing. What started this foolish conversation, anyway?"

"Do you remember that singing in the woods, Neji?" Hinata asked.

He pondered a moment and then nodded.

"Yes, it was like a lullaby. What is it about, Beki?"

Beki smiled sheepishly.

"See that's the thing, Neji. That singing wasn't me. And we don't know who it was."

Neji's eyes grew wide after a moment and he took the girls by the arm.

"How about you two get dressed and we'll go have breakfast…somewhere else. Anywhere else."

"Sounds good," Beki said as she followed Hinata up the stairs. "Wait, Hina chan, you can't go alone! It's dangerous to go alone!"

Neji face palmed, then realized they were going to be changing their clothes together. He was instantly transported back to the river, picturing Beki naked in broad daylight. His face began to flush at the memory and he ran outside, deciding they were probably safe enough and he needed some air.


	13. The Night Run

**This is sort of a bonus chapter after the mini arc. The main plot point will be right at the beginning. For those of you who have read Tallman0029's work, I'm going to be bringing back a villain from Love Hinata. For those of you who are unfamiliar, or need a refresher, Hidiki Kenji and his father Asuka are found in chapters 12 & 13 of Love Hinata. I would like to thank everyone for the great reviews I have been receiving. To answer some of the questions I have been receiving: if you are curious about the lore of the Three Maidens and how they relate to Beki's family, a lot of that will be coming up soon after the crossover that will happen with Tallman0029 in the near future. It is going to happen by the way. I have special powers of Tallman0029 that bend him to my will, but he is resistant. As an additional side note, I apologize for the excessively long chapter before. I really didn't want to stretch it out to three chapters and I couldn't find a good place to break it off. So, to all of you who finished chapter 12, you receive 1600 xp, a health amulet, and the title of journeyman. Huzzah!**

 **...**

 **And I probably just scared off like, 50 readers. For those of you who stick around and continue to tolerate me, I love hearing from you and will get back to you ASAP if you PM me or leave reviews. See you on the other side!**

* * *

The next day Beki was coming home from a training session with Ebisu, sore and sweaty, when she noticed someone lurking around Hinata's house. He was about their age with dark hair to his chin and in a top knot. He was dressed in a modern rendition of traditional garb. He was peeking around the corners and trying to see in the windows.

"Can I help you?" Beki asked defensively. It wasn't like the Hyuga to let someone loiter like this.

The boy turned with a start, glaring at her at first, but then his face shifted back to neutral.

"I'm looking for Hyuuga Hinata," He tried a soft smile with her. He reminded Beki of a badger.

"And you are?" Beki circled around him, trying to put herself between the stranger and the house.

"Kenji Hidiki," He sensed Beki's trepidation and fished in his hapi coat. He pulled out an envelope and held it out to her "I don't mean to disturb you; I just wanted to give her this, miss-?"

"Tsukimori Beki," Beki gave him a curt bow. "I'll give it to her myself."

The boy eyed her over suspiciously, as if she was the trespasser on Hyuga land. He leaned towards her as he spoke. Beki was sure he meant it as a way to be intimate, but it came off forceful and creepy.

"If you don't mind me asking, Miss Tsukimori, what business do you have in the Hyuga compound?"

"I should ask you the same thing," Beki eyed him evasively.

"I think I'll wait for Hinata to return," Hideki pocketed the letter in his hapi coat.

"Look, buddy, I'm her roommate," Beki jangled the keys. "You can't hover around here all day. I'll throw it on her desk for you."

Hidiki paused for a moment, sizing her up. After some consideration, he held out the letter.

"It concerns a very urgent personal matter. See she gets it post haste."

"Can do, general," Beki gave him a mock salute.

He frowned at her and trudged away muttering something about inbred cows. Beki brought the letter inside and set it on the table. Something wasn't right about that kid. Forgetting about her disheveled appearance she jogged around the compound until she found Neji.

"Hey, Neji?"

"Yes?" He looked up from his book and immediately frowned at her appearance. "You look like you just left a prize."

"Who is Kenji Hideki?" Beki asked.

Neji threw his book aside and was on his feet faster than Beki could blink.

"Was he here? Did he do this to you?" Neji asked frantically, grabbing her shoulders.

"No," She shook her head. "He was hanging around Hinata's house and asked me to give her a letter."

"Did you?!" He shook her slightly.

"No, she's not home, she's out with the boys. It's on our table-" Beki pointed toward the house, and Neji immediately started running.

"Wait, Neji, tell me what's going on," Beki stumbled after him. "Who is this kid?"

"To put it plainly he is very dangerous and a direct threat to Lady Hinata," Neji said as he barged into their kitchen. "How did he get in? We'll need to tighten security around the compound and lock this house down until we figure it out…"

Neji fished around the kitchen and took out a pair of disposable chopsticks and used them to open the letter.

"You know it's a crime to read other people's mail." Beki leaned over his shoulder to read. "What's it say?"

"He's apologizing," Neji shook his head and grimaced. "The nerve. As if one COULD apologize after what he did…And asking to see her in person...this is ridiculous."

"What did he do?!" Beki yelled, forgetting she was next to his ear.

Neji retracted painfully, shooting her a look that could pierce steel, and then sighing.

"The Kenji clan is a powerful group of landholders with access to lots of valuable natural resources. His father wanted Hidiki to marry Hinata, which was something he himself desired. They didn't like her arrangement with Naruto, so Hidiki and his father kidnapped her. She was beaten, put under mental and emotional stress-Naruto went after her..." Neji's voice trailed off as he remembered the ordeal. He shook his head and continued: "If you see him again Beki, keep your distance. His family has a very powerful and painful genjutsu. Hinata and Naruto got lucky. I've seen people that have had that technique used on them. It mangles them from the inside."

Neji tapped his skull to demonstrate. Beki grimaced.

"How does a genjutsu mangle people?"

"It sends signals through the pain network of the nervous system," He closed up the letter and carefully put it back in its envelope, never letting it touch his skin.

"So what do we do?" Beki put her hands on her hips, ready for action.

"You will do nothing. You will not tell Hinata," He tapped her on the nose. "You will pretend this never happened."

"But-" She started to speak but he cut her off:

"It was a very traumatizing experience for Hinata. The Asuka and Hidiki supposedly fled the village after the incident. Their clan remains however, and are likely to provide them with aide," Neji explained. "If they're coming back, it isn't good news. Until we know exactly what they are up to, we need to keep this under wraps. It would only distress Lady Hinata."

"Shouldn't we warn her he's lurking around though?" Beki asked. "You know, let her know to be on the lookout?"

Neji thought about it and sighed.

"If we have her supervised around the clock it shouldn't be a problem."

"So you just want me to withhold something like this from her?" Beki stared him down. Hinata was her best friend, and she was 99% sure if someone was stalking her, Hinata would let her know. That's how homies do.

"Just for the time being," Neji patted Beki on the shoulder and headed for the door. "Just until we know what's going on."

"Hey, hold a sec," Beki grabbed him by the sleeve. "You and I need to debrief."

"Oh, about the, uh," Neji looked away and flushed. "The woods. What happened in the woods."

"Yeah," Beki stared him down. "So Hinata told me bout the whole naked equals wedding thing."

Neji looked up at the ceiling and heaved a deep sigh.

"I never thought this would happen to me, but...it's only proper. You've told Hinata, but I'm assuming we haven't told Hiashi yet. He's going to have an aneurysm if he finds out another member of the family violated the old laws…"

"No, Neji, I didn't tell her shit," Beki put her hands on her hips. "She only told me that's how she and Naruto got engaged. I was just letting you know to keep your trap shut and no one will ever find out."

He considered her as if for the first time.

"So we don't have to get married?"

"No, Neji. We don't have to get married." Beki crossed her arms. She wasn't sure how to feel about the grin that broke out on his face from ear to ear at the news.

"What the hell is that smile for?" Beki scowled. "Didn't like what you saw?"

Neji turned as red as a beet and averted his eyes. He immediately began stammering:

"N-no, that, uh, that's not it at all, it's just we're so young and we hardly know each other-"

"Okay, because if you were trying to tell me these-" She squeezed her boobs. "Weren't top notch, then your standing as a straight man in Konoha is going to come into question."

Neji couldn't bring himself to face her. Beki noticed he had stopped breathing when she grabbed her chest. Poor baby, Beki thought. He's not used to women being so direct.

"No, those are…ahem, fine. Perfectly fine. It was all perfectly fine."

Beki's eyes grew wide. She couldn't let this go.

"Oh my god, have you never seen a naked woman before? You have to be kidding me! You have x-ray vision and you've never accidently caught a peek?!"

"Beki, can I go?" Neji was craning his head so far to the side she was afraid it would snap off his neck. "You're just doing this to humiliate me. You win. You were the first naked woman I have ever seen."

Beki sat there in silence for a moment, then began to slowly shake her head.

"My god...I'm beginning to understand why you people have these laws. Go. Before your head explodes."

Neji could not get out there fast enough. Beki smiled to herself. Neji put up a good big boy front but God help him when it came to girls.

…

The next day, Beki was out running errands after training when she ran into Ino.

"Hey Bitchi," Ino smiled. "I've noticed you've been avoiding me."

"It's surprisingly easy to do," Beki said, not missing a beat. "Your arrival is preceded by a fishy smell."

Ino ignored that comment and squared off with her, forcing Beki to face her.

"About the whole bet you lost…?"

Beki sighed. She HAD to go and run her big fat mouth. At the time, her plan had seemed flawless, and how was she supposed to know Ino had some broken jutsu that let her hijack bodies? In that instant, she weighed her options. She could crack Ino over the skull with her kunai bag and put her in the hospital for a week, buying her time. That would be messy and probably involve her father being called. She could face this problem, run down the street in her underwear and be done with it, but if every clan was like the Hyugas she'd have to marry half the men in Konoha. She sighed. There was one thing she could do.

"Fine," she sighed. "When and where?"

Ino blinked in surprise and gave Beki the biggest smile she had ever seen.

"Oh. My. God. Beki. I thought you were going to chicken out. You know what, I'm going to let you pick because you're following through."

Beki rolled her eyes and thought hard.

"Okay. Thursday night around 11 PM. You and Sakura stand on one end, I give you guys my coat, I run to the other end where Hinata and Tenten will be waiting with another coat."

Ino leapt with joy.

"I'll let the girls know! Being a winner is SO much fun!" She patted Beki's cheek. "You should lose more often, honey. Your pout is adorable."

"One day I'm gonna rip those bangs right out of your head," Beki glared her down. "So your hair matches your botched boob job."

"Whatevs, Bitchi. See you Thursday."

…

It was unusually chilly for a summer night in Konoha. Beki swore under her breath. Of course it was pushing 10oC the night she was supposed to run in her skivvies. A slight wind had picked up, meaning on top of the low temperature, she was going to have a nice crisp wind chill to harden her nips.

"You don't have to do this," Sakura whispered into her ear.

"Yes she does," Ino scoffed. "She lost a bet."

"It's stupid," Sakura shook her head. "She's going to catch cold!"

"Botox is right," Beki sighed. "I gave my word. Better to do it now than in broad daylight."

Sakura sighed and took ahold of one side of the coat. Ino grabbed ahold of the other. She was so excited, Beki felt her hands shaking. Was she that much of a bitch that beating her made Ino this happy? Whatever, Beki thought. It's my bed. I gotta lay in it.

She stepped out of the coat into the brisk night air. The council of girls had decided that in addition to her underthings, Beki would be allowed her shoes. It was all fun and games until someone slipped on a riverbank and ended up paralyzed for life, after all. A strange thought process had taken Beki over earlier as she prepared for this night. It was as if she was a monarch facing the chopping block; everyone had gathered to see her fall from grace, but by God she was gonna look good going down. Beki wore her prettiest matching set. The push up bra and panties were made of powder blue cotton soft as a baby's butt covered with shimmery silver lace. It made her feel like an ice queen, and that's what she needed to be if she was going to survive the emotional trauma this night would bring.

"Beki, where did you get that set?" Sakura forgot to whisper. "They don't sell anything like that in Konoha."

"Can I tell you later? Its freezing," Beki shook as a breeze tore through her skimpy coverings.

"Yeah, sorry," Sakura flushed. "Get going before you get pneumonia."

"Go girl!" Ino slapped her rump as she took off at a full gallop down the street.

It was the longest hundred yards Beki would run in her life. It was as if time itself slowed so it could relish in her humiliation and misery. Every step she took made Hinata and Tenten seem further away. Without the safety and constriction of her clothes, Beki felt every inch of herself bounce and jiggle as she ran. Her face was growing red, as much from embarrassment as cold. After what seemed like an eternity, Beki reached Tenten and Hinata. They wrapped her in the bathrobe they had brought and Beki swore it was better than the warmest hug in the world.

"Beki, I don't know what to say," Tenten shook her head. "That was probably the stupidest thing I've ever seen someone do, but at the same time…I'm impressed. That took some serious guts."

"A Tsukimori doesn't back down from their word," Beki felt much more confident in public in a bathrobe. It was funny how perspective could do that for you. After her nearly naked romp, that robe might have been a suit of armor.

"Let's get you home and put you in a bath," Hinata was embarrassed for Beki. If someone held Hinata at knifepoint and told her the only way to save herself was to do what Beki just did, Hinata would die. No doubt about it.

…

Beki had put on the poofiest pajama pants she owned and a pullover. Hinata had made her a cup of tea, but Beki had a bad feeling she was going to catch a cold from her little escapade.

"Feeling any better?" Hinata plopped down on the sofa beside her.

"The tea is helping," Beki sipped at it. "My pride is going to need a while longer to mend."

Hinata gently slapped Beki's foot.

"It's your own fault. You should never have made that bet and you should have never followed through on it."

"I know, Hina chan," Beki sighed. "If you ever hear me start to say something like that again, you have full permission to stuff socks in my mouth."

Hinata sighed.

"So did I win my way into the girls' circle, officially?" Beki eyed Hinata warily. "Or will it take more hazing?"

Hinata shook her head.

"I think you definitely won them over, either with your courage or your stubbornness."

Beki leaned back in the chair.

"Well that's a relief. I was beginning to worry I would have to start taking Neji shopping with me."

"Neji really isn't that bad," Hinata looked at her feet. "By the way, have any of the boys caught your interest?"

Beki laughed.

"You're kidding me right? Let's see, Kiba and me are a no-no, I don't even know what Shino looks like other than his nose, Neji might as well be a brother at this point, and then you have…Lee."

"What about Shikamaru and Chouji?" Hinata could hope someone had caught Beki's eye. Hinata really wanted to be able to talk to someone about relationships. She could help Beki through the starting out stuff, and Beki could help her with the "my boyfriend is on the other side of the world and I only hear from him once every three weeks" stuff.

"Shikamaru thinks I'm about as smart as wet paint and my father made me promise to never get with a man that eats more than me," Beki gestured to the kitchen. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I eat as much as a man already."

"I wouldn't say that," Hinata was being gracious. Beki totally at as much as a man. She had eaten Kiba under the table the other day at the barbecue shop. Lee took it as a contest and ended up with a 1000 ryo bill.

"Maybe some dashing fire lord will breeze through Konoha and sweep me off my feet in a whirlwind romance," Beki teased. "That way we can have an equally forbidden relationship as you and Naruto."

"Don't tease me," Hinata pouted. "I just want you happy, is all."

"I know, and you're sweet." Beki rolled off the couch and put her cup in the sink. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late for a party with MC Pillow and DJ Blankie."

Hinata waved at her as she headed up the stairs. Beki was great company, but she wasn't Naruto. In the quiet moments, like now, when the world was cold and dark, she couldn't help but feel the chill. Naruto was her sunshine in the dead of winter, as comforting and reassuring as a towel right out of the drier after a shower. His letters made her equal parts happy and sad, because she could read them and hear his voice in her head, but she was also reminded he was a world away growing up without her. She cried for the first time in weeks that night, quietly, so as not to wake up her friend. At last she gave up the fight, headed up the stairs, and put herself to bed. Tomorrow would be a better day, she told herself.


	14. The Mix Up

The next week was uneventful, until Beki found another letter from Hideki tucked in the doorframe of Hinata's house. Following Neji's lead, she used her sleeve to grab it and hunted him down.

"Neji!" She ran towards him waving the note in the air. "Here's another one!"

Neji was in the zone. He had been meditating for an hour to hone his focus. The courtyard was abandoned, and the day was beautiful. Neji was absolutely calm. He lowered himself into position.

"8 TRIGRAM 64 PALM!"

Beki had just come within striking distance, taking a blow directly to the face. The bitch slap knocked her three feet into the air and back onto her bottom.

"AHAHOW," Beki rolled onto her side holding her cheek. A string of curses flew from her mouth that made Neji blush.

"Beki! Are you alright?!"

She glared at him, her cheek already swelling.

"Are you deaf?! I called out to you and everything!"

Neji blinked down at her. He had sworn he was alone in the courtyard. His hearing was usually excellent; maybe she had called out to him from too far away.

"I'm sorry about that," He held out a hand and pulled her to her feet. "I swear I didn't hear you coming."

She sighed.

"It's okay. It must be something I'm doing. Hinata clocked me three days ago during training."

Neji couldn't imagine Lady Hinata accidentally hitting someone and being able to live with herself afterwards.

"So what did you need my help with?" Neji brushed the dirt off her shoulder.

"Thanks," Beki held out the letter, still locked in her sleeve covered lobster grasp. "I think you-know-who left another letter."

Neji scowled and gingerly took it with his sleeve. He reached into his kunai bag and took out a senbon. He broke the seal and used the point to open the letter.

"Why are we using our sleeves, by the way?" Beki asked. "Is he a poisoner?"

"Not just a poisoner, a sadist," Neji sighed. "It's like a game for him."

"Oh," Beki eyed her sleeve suspiciously, then carefully rolled it so none of it would accidentally come into contact with her. "So what does it say this time?"

"More of the same, only with more urgency and less courtesy," Neji slapped the letter shut. "I can't believe he found another way in. What really concerns me is that he's already escalating. Before, he waited outside, now he's forced it into the house. The next letter you might find may well be in Lady Hinata's bedroom."

Beki stepped in closer and looked up at Neji, searching his face as she spoke:

"Does this mean we can tell Hinata now?"

Neji held her gaze for a moment before he looked off towards the main house and sighed.

"I need to consult Hiashi on how to proceed, given this recent development. I'll let you know what he decides."

"I would talk to him soon," Beki crossed her arms. "Hinata's on her way home now, and if you don't say something, I will."

Neji grabbed Beki's shoulder.

"Beki, please. It's hard for you to understand because you weren't here when everything went down the first time. As a personal favor, do not say anything to her. Not yet."

Beki stared him down. Neji didn't back down from her gaze this time, so she relented.

"Fine, but you had better keep me posted."

"Fair enough," Neji let her go. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

Neji walked towards the main house and Beki watched him go. It was strange for her to be caught up in another family's intimate affair like this. Part of her felt like she needed to put some distance between herself and the issue, but at the same time, because it affected Hinata she wanted to be even more involved. Beki walked back to Hinata's house, rubbing her puffy cheek. She would have to ice it before Hinata got home or she would have a cow.

Her first order of business was to remove her shirt with surgical precision. Beki didn't want there to be any contact between the potentially contaminated shirt and her bare skin. It took a full five minutes to take it off, but she was successful in avoiding any exposure. She was left standing in the kitchen wondering if laundry soap would be enough to remove any harmful substances Hidiki might have had on the letter. She shrugged and tossed all of her clothes in the wash and ran upstairs to shower. The entire time she was in there, her thoughts were plagued with all the possible ways Hidiki could break into the house. The Hyuga clearly weren't doing a good enough job maintaining the perimeter, so she would have to do a sweep on the house to make sure it was secure.

After she had tossed on some comfortable leggings and a baggy tshirt, Beki went about locking every window in the house. Most of the windows slid open. She would have to tell Neji they needed wooden rods to stick in the track to make it so they couldn't be slid open from the outside. She heard Hinata coming up the drive, so she grabbed a book and hopped on the sofa, trying to look as casual as possible.

Hinata walked through the door and sighed as she tossed her keys in a bowl on the kitchen table.

"Hey Beki, how was your day?"

"Pretty uneventful. How about you?" Beki turned a page in the book.

"Long and tiring," Hinata sat down on the couch across from her. "Kurenai sensei hasn't been feeling well, so we trained with Asuma sensei and his team."

Hinata patted Beki's leg.

"Do you mind starting dinner tonight? I'm going to go shower."

"Yeah, sure," Beki tossed aside the book and walked into the kitchen. "Curry sound okay?"

A cloud of worry crossed Hinata's face.

"How hot do you make it?"

Beki sighed.

"I promise I will cut the spice in half. You leaflings have the heat tolerance of ducklings."

Hinata laughed softly and went up the stairs, calling out behind her:

"Don't let Rock Lee hear you say that."

Beki spent the rest of the night battling her inner need to warn Hinata about the impending danger of Hikidi and the need to keep her promise to Neji. Hinata could sense Beki was troubled and kept trying to lure it out of her. Beki could feel herself cracking under the scrutiny of Hinata's lavender orbs of innocence, so she turned the conversation to the one topic that would take the heat off of her:

"Had any letters from Naruto lately?" Beki asked.

"Yes!" You could almost see the gears switch in Hinata's head. Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and she couldn't stop smiling while she talked. "He was telling me about the beach town they're training in. It sounded so charming! It's around the time of year that all the turtle eggs hatch on the beach. The ones that hatch during the day don't usually make it, because seagulls and all kinds of other predator animals are hovering around waiting for them. Naruto was telling me how he witnessed a whole nest of them hatch at night, making it all the way to the water unmolested. He called them clever little ninja turtles."

Beki just smiled to herself and nodded her head while Hinata went on for about ten minutes without stopping.

"Oh, sorry. I completely forgot. You have another note from your secret admirer," Hinata handed Beki a crudely made red envelope. Beki opened it and pulled out the note.

"You are very strong and you work hard, signed your secret admirer," Beki read. "Awww."

"Their craftsmanship is getting better," Hinata turned over the envelope in her hands. "Last time it was just a piece of construction paper they'd folded in half and taped shut."

"I know! It'll be presentable in no time!" Beki tucked the note into her book.

"Have you figured out who it is?" Hinata cocked her head.

"No, Iruka sensei asked me if I could help grade some papers for him last Friday. I scoped out the kindergartener's handwriting and I haven't spotted a match yet." Beki leaned back in the sofa and sighed.

"Have you checked the girl's?" Hinata suggested. "Your secret admirer could be one of the girls wanting to grow up big and strong like you."

"No, I should, you're right." Beki furrowed her brow as the thought. "I guess I would be kind of inspiring to the tater tots."

"I can't wait to find out who it is," Hinata smiled. "Having a secret admirer is so exciting."

Beki felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

"Yeah, it is." As long as you know you have one, she thought.

…

Beki was on her way home from shopping for training clothes. Ebisu was a big fan of making her run drills through woods full of thorny brush and sharp branches. She had torn through at least three shirts and a pair of leggings since she had been put under his tutelage. There had been a sale at the store that Beki had been unaware of when she went in. Apparently, every damn kunoichi in the village got their gear there. By the time Beki arrived, almost everything was gone in her size, the lines were out the door, and she had to deal with equally irritable pushy women the whole time. She was trying really hard not to let it ruin her day, so she had decided when she got home she was going to have a nice cup of tea and a soak in the tub. About halfway there, once her mood had finally taken a turn for the better, she heard someone yell out something. Immediately afterwards, she felt something warm splatter on her head, shoulders, and patter against her bag. Beki looked up to see Kiba and Akamaru fly by and her face fell with horror.

"No," She said as she put down her splattered bags and pulled at her shirt to get a look. Her worst fears had been confirmed. Out here, while minding her own business, at least fifteen minutes away from the nearest training ground, she had been peed on.

"YOU JERKS!" Beki screamed, all of her recently regained composure lost. "WATCH WHERE THE HELL YOU'RE MARKING!"

When she got home, she pulled her probably soiled new clothes out of the bags, tossed them in the wash, and stuffed the bags in the garbage. Hinata sniffed.

"Uh, Beki? What's that smell?"

"Akamaru peed on me. A lot." Beki's voice was full of revulsion as she peeled off her pee splattered shirt and stuffed it in the washer.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Hinata cried and ran over to her. "Here, just give me your clothes and I'll get the load started. You go upstairs and get cleaned up."

"Thanks," Beki finished peeling off her remaining garments and handed them to Hinata. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a five-hour shower."

Hinata watched her friend run up the stairs and shook her head. Nothing was worse than being peed on. She would have to talk to Kiba about that. Since she was doing a load already, Hinata tossed a bunch of her dirty clothes in with Beki's. They would just have to sort it all out later.

…

Beki was walking home from training. Today had been especially brutal. Ebisu had actually opened the session up to hand to hand combat. Beki had done really well at first, surprising Ebisu with some of the boxing her father had taught her, but then she got cocky. She left herself open and he took the opportunity to knock her legs out from under her. She had landed hard on a half rotten tree root and gouged her leg. He had dressed it quickly and ended training for the day. It stung like hell with every step she took. For the first time in over a month, Beki wanted to cry all the way home. The only thing that made it okay was that she was going out with Hinata and the girls tonight. Beki was in the middle of planning her outfit in her head when heard a bark and a cry. To her horror, she immediately felt the spray of Dynamic Marking. The splatter had caught her mostly on the front this time. Some of it splashed her face, more of it landed right onto her leg dressings.

"OH MY GOD," She screamed. "THIS IS THE LAST STRAW KIBA. YOU HEAR ME!? YOU ARE A SHITTY PET PARENT WITH IRRESPONSIBLE POTTY PRACTICES, AND I WILL GET YOU FOR THIS. MY VENGEANCE WILL BE SWIFT AND MERCILESS!"

Off in the distance, she heard him chuckling. That made her burn with rage. Akamaru would be spared; he was merely a tool Kiba used in his reign of terror. Since the debacle with her attempt at vengeance on Ebisu, Beki had backed off the revenge train. As she watched them leap off into the distance, however, she felt that shit chugga chugga right into the station.

The whole way home she plotted. By the time she got to a mortified Hinata, she was less concerned about the fact that there was dog pee in her wound, and more focused on how to get all the parts required for her plot.

"Beki, you do know we have to meet the girls in twenty minutes," Hinata followed her upstairs.

"Yeah, Hinata, I know," Beki threw her clothes on the floor of the laundry room. "I'm going to shower before I kill something. If you wanna speed things along, grab some clean clothes for me to hop into when I'm done."

Hinata nodded. Beki had worn a white lace shirt last week Hinata thought was pretty, so she pulled it out of the freshly laundered clothes that were folded and stacked on Beki's dresser. While she was fishing through it, she grabbed Beki a pair of underwear, a bra, and leggings. She walked back into the bathroom and left them on the counter for Beki.

"I'm going to go get ready now," Hinata called around the corner as she left the room. "Yell if you need something."

Hinata sipped a cup of black tea as she surveyed her options. She didn't usually like to drink caffeine this late, but they had started training extra early that morning. She needed the pick me up. She set it on the dresser as she pulled out a top from the closet to give it a closer look. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the cup tip. With lighting fast reflexes, she grabbed the cup out of the air. She had prevented it from falling, but the tea sloshed all over her. Black tea soaked through the bottom of her blouse and all down her right side from her waist to her knee.

"Shoot," She swore as she hurried downstairs. She tossed the mug in the sink and stripped down. If she didn't treat the tea now, the stain would set and ruin all her clothes.

"You okay?" Beki called from upstairs.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just spilled tea all over myself." Hinata sighed with frustration. "Can you grab me a change of clothes while you're up there?"

"What do you want?" Beki called from Hinata's room.

"There should be a bunch of stuff on my dresser," Hinata said as she tossed the clothes in the washer and switched out Beki's clothes to the dryer. "I need…I need one of everything."

"Did you tip a pitcher on yourself?" Beki called out in disbelief as she tossed the clothes over the balcony onto the bottom stair.

"No, I'm just gifted I guess," Hinata said as she pulled on the clean clothes. Instantly she could tell something was wrong. Her underwear was way too small in the back and were too form fitting. Beki had already come downstairs and was halfway out the door, so Hinata didn't have any time to change. She raced out after Beki, feeling more uncomfortable than she had been in months.

As they walked through the empty streets to meet up with Ino, Tenten, and Sakura, Beki noticed Hinata's discomfort.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Beki cocked her head.

"No," Hinata shifted uncomfortably. "My underwear isn't fitting right."

Without any warning, Beki reached over and pulled at the waist of Hinata's skirt and peeked down the side.

"What are you doing?!" Hinata flushed red as Beki let the waistband snap back into place.

"They aren't fitting like your underwear because they're mine," Beki said as casually as if she was commenting on the weather.

Hinata was mortified. It must have been her mistake. Normally the girls did their laundry separately, but when she helped Beki out the other day, she had run a load of their clothes together. She must have mistakenly sorted some of Beki's underthings into a pile of her own.

"Oh my god Beki, I am so sorry," Hinata was crimson. "I…I'll get you another pair."

Beki looked at Hinata like she was talking crazy.

"Hinata, it's just a pair of panties. Wash them and forget about it."

Hinata was having trouble understanding why a single girl would have underwear that fit the way these did. They were somewhere between regular underwear and a thong, skin tight cotton trimmed with lace.

"Why do you wear these things?" Hinata tried to adjust discretely.

"They're for when you're wearing leggings or tight stuff like that," Beki explained casually. "Better that than everyone sees your panty lines and know exactly what kind you're wearing."

Hinata blinked with confusion.

"You would rather have people think you're NOT wearing underwear?"

Beki smiled mischievously.

"You know, give it an air of mystery. Am I wearing panties? Or is it just stealthy underwear? Who knows?!"

The girls finally reached the karaoke place and joined the other girls in their room. They had already ordered ramune and snacks. They immediately got lost in a sea of power ballads, shish kebabs, and fizzy drinks. Hinata forgot all about the awkward underwear situation until they were walking home.

"Beki, do you think I could get away with wearing leggings?" Hinata asked shyly.

"I don't see why not," Beki stretched. "They're really comfortable and easy to move in. Plus, they show off your assets."

Hinata wondered if Naruto would like her in leggings. They didn't show a lot of skin, but Hinata had never worn anything that tight before. Most of her clothes were roomy and comfortable. She had been wrong about the form fitting underwear, though. She had noticed them every second at first, but now that she had adjusted to them they were pretty comfortable.

"This weekend can you help me pick out some?" Hinata looked at Beki meekly. "And maybe some underthings to go with them?"

Beki rolled her eyes.

"Panties."

Hinata flushed scarlet.

"It's just a word, Hinata. They're 'panties'. Come on. Say it."

Bile rose in Hinata's throat. She wasn't wearing her hoodie, but if she had been, she would have thrown up the hood and pulled the cords tight. There was nowhere to hide in her "on the town" outfit.

"P-p-panties."

Beki sighed.

"See? You didn't die."

I almost had a heart attack, Hinata thought to herself.

"Yes, Hinata, I will help you pick out leggings and panties this weekend. On one condition."

"W-what's your condition?" Beki was making her nervous. Then again, any conversation about things as intimate as underwear- no, panties- made her unbearably uncomfortable. She just hoped Beki was going to ask to go for smoothies after.

"We get a matching set," Beki smiled sweetly. "That's the kind of thing sisters do. I never had a sister, and I figure you're the closest thing I'll get to ever having one."

The idea of picking out underwear specifically to match another person was out of Hinata's comfort zone for sure. That would mean Beki would know what underwear Hinata had, and vice versa. Then again, she was right. They already lived together like sisters and shared almost everything. It might be fun.

"O-okay. But nothing to skimpy. Promise?" Hinata held out her pinky.

"I swear," Beki smiled and hooked her pinky with Hinata's. "No dental floss."

"What?" Hinata blinked. What did oral hygiene have to do with this?

Beki rolled her eyes.

"I have so much to teach you, girlie."


	15. The International Incident

**Hi everyone! I'm back again for like, my third chapter posting in a three day period. Anyway, I'm really happy with this part. I wrote it a long time ago, and as the script developed, I still felt like this was some of my best political/character work. Tell me what y'all think. I have appreciated all the comments and reviews so far. I try to get back to anyone who contacts me as soon as possible. So, without further ado, enjoy the show! (ttebayo...)**

* * *

The hour was ripe for good old fashioned payback. Beki had done her reconnaissance on Kiba over the course of several days. She tracked him down to where he lived, quizzed Hinata casually on what locations they used most frequently for training, scouted those locations, and then mapped out what routes he took to each location. Ebisu had given her the day off of training because he was going to be in a very important meeting for most of the day. Her father had also come into town, and her sensei told her she should spend some quality time with him. Beki was determined to do so, once the streets ran with Kiba's tears. That morning, when Hinata told Beki what her squad was doing for the day, she got all the information needed to finally execute her plan.

One thing Beki noticed as she strolled down the street was that people didn't ask a lot of questions in Konoha. She liked that. For all they cared, a teenage girl hauling an economy sized sack of flour was just shinobi conditioning. That was her go to reply if anyone bothered to ask her what she was doing, anyway.

There was a blind spot where a side road turned onto a main street that Kiba took every day. That morning, Beki had watched him leave his house and then raced as fast as she could with a fifty-pound sack of flour to that exact spot. She pressed up against the wall, got into position, and waited for her target. After about seven minutes, she heard the voices of two young men approaching. That would be Kiba and Shino, she thought. Shino met with Kiba halfway through this route. When alone, Kiba walked in the center of the street, but when Shino accompanied them, Kiba walked on the inside of the sidewalk with Akamaru trailing behind him. She took one quick precursory look. They were dressed differently today. Then again, they would be training at the yard on the riverbank. It had rained pretty hard the last few days, so it would be too muddy for leather jackets and parkas. The footsteps pattered closer and closer to her location. At last, they turned the corner and she struck.

It was a beautiful swing. Beki would have knocked it out of the ballpark, a home run with all the bases loaded, ending the game in a roar of applause. She caught him square in the face, the sack exploding with a gratifying puff as it connected. He spun almost 360 and collapsed on the ground.

"Gotcha!" She cried out as she threw the sack on the ground, touchdown style.

"Hey, what the hell?!"

Beki looked up and the smile melted off her face. The two she had attacked hadn't been Kiba and Shino. The guy she thought was Shino was older and taller than she had originally believed, and was dressed head to toe in black and sporting kabuki face paint. The kid she had clipped was her age, dressed all in red. He was face down on the pavement and hadn't moved since she hit him. All three of them looked like they had been in a snowstorm. The kid she hit had flour in his hair and all over his coat, making him look like a depressing snowman. The flour that had been projected in the air by the bursting of the sack drifted softly and soundlessly to the ground, its graceful silence an elegant soundtrack to her stupidity.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry, I thought you were someone else-" Beki grabbed ahold of her hair and started apologizing.

"Hey, what happened?!"

Kiba and Shino arrived on the scene, two minutes later than scheduled.

"Is that the Kazekage?!" Kiba cried in disbelief, then turned on her with a scowl. "Beki, what the hell!"

Horror gripped at her heart and it slowly sank down into her stomach. Adrenaline sent a chill down her spine and her stomach turned. In a terrible case of mistaken identity, Beki had incapped the Kazekage and was literally standing over him holding the bag.

"Don't just stand there, stupid!" Kiba snarled at her. "Go get a doctor!"

"I'm going to want to talk to you when you get back," The tall boy grabbed her by the shoulder and stared her down menacingly.

Beki gulped and ran for the hospital. She bobbed and weaved like a ballerina, leaping over gurneys and around wheelchairs until she found Sakura.

"Sakura, there is a situation," Beki panted. She knew she probably looked crazy. That's how everyone looked when they realized they had done the thing that would ruin their life. "I need you to come with me."

"What is it?" Sakura's face twisted with concern. "What happened, Beki?"

"I'll explain on the way," Beki started down the hallway. "Basically, I accidentally knocked someone out with a bag of flour."

"You what?" Sakura shook her head.

"Okay don't freak out, but I was trying to get payback on Kiba for having Akamaru pee on me twice," Beki closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "I was going to smack him with a bag of flour and it would explode, and everyone was going to laugh at him, then we would all go home happy."

"Except Kiba," Sakura commented.

"Well, he got lucky," Beki forced herself to continue, her voice wavering. "I didn't end up clipping Kiba. I thought it was him coming around the corner but it was kind of the Kazekage."

Sakura stopped dead. Beki slowed down and turned to face her.

"You hit the Kazekage, in the face, with a bag of flour?" Sakura kept her voice even, but Beki could feel the heat building beneath the surface.

"And knocked him out." Beki covered her mouth. Why did she say things before thinking?

"You knocked out the Kazekage with a bag of flour." Sakura repeated.

"I know, I am in so much trouble, but come on, please, he needs medical attention-"

Beki was interrupted by Sakura pulling on her braid like she was ringing a bell.

"Owowowowowowowowwwww," Beki cried as Sakura began dragging her to the steps of the Hokage's mansion.

"Where are they?" Sakura gave the braid another tug. Beki winced before replying in a wounded voice:

"On Destiny Road, just before the bento shop."

"You stay RIGHT HERE," Sakura gave her braid one more tug before she started off down the street. "Don't you DARE move until I get back."

"You're in trouble," The guard ooed at her.

"Buddy, you don't know the half of it." Beki huffed as she rubbed her sore roots.

A few moments later, she heard Seiichiro calling down to her from the Hokage's office.

"What's going on Beki? What are you doing here?"

"It's kind of a long story," Beki called up to him, her lip quivering.

"Well come on up and tell us," Seiichiro beckoned her. "Our meeting hasn't started yet."

The guard pretended to slit his throat with his thumb and Beki stuck her tongue out at him. She went upstairs, her stomach sinking further with each step. This was going to spiral out of control, she just knew it.

"So why the long face?" Tsunade chucked her chin.

"Why haven't you guys started your meeting?" Beki avoided Tsunade's piercing gaze.

"The Kazekage was supposed to be here, but he's late," Tsunade sighed. "Which is really unlike him."

Beki's heart started to race. She had to tell the truth.

"It just so happens that I know why he's late," Beki watched her father's face as she spoke. Immediately, something strange happened. He froze like a deer in headlights and Beki could almost see his ears visibly perking up. He kept his face unreadable as stone and stared her down like a hawk.

"I was going to play a prank on a friend and I ended up pulling it on the Kazekage," Beki had tried to be brave and failed. As soon as the words left her mouth she pulled the neck of her shirt up over her nose.

"Tsukimori Haruka," Her father's voice was slow and steady. "What did you do?"

Beki was instantly five years old again. Her father towered over her like a skyscraper and his voice boomed like thunder. She was more afraid of making him angry than anything the Hokage or the Kazekage could ever do to her.

"I hit him in the face with a bag of flour and knocked him out." Beki cried out, and then braced herself for the backlash.

Her father's jaw dropped. He was dumbstruck. Tsunade choked on her coffee.

"You knocked out the Kazekage and LEFT HIM THERE?!" Her father lost his cool. He smashed his fist down so hard on the table it splintered.

"DAMMIT!" He screamed as he surveyed the damage to the table. "DAMMIT, HARUKA."

Beki started talking so fast, she almost couldn't understand what she was saying:

"He had people with him and they told me to go get a doctor, so I got Sakura and told her what happened and she made me come here,"

"It's a good thing Sakura is so smart," Her father spat. He was trying his best not to scream at her, the evidence of which being a vein throbbing in his forehead. "You just caused a damned international incident!"

"I know," Beki squirmed. "It's really really bad,"

"You are the daughter of a GETSU OFFICIAL and you attacked the KAZEKAGE in KONOHA," He turned away from his daughter and held his head. "This is a cluster fuck."

The color drained from Beki's face. Her father never swore. As in NEVER swore, and within the last ten minutes he had dropped at least four big ones.

"So, should I just go and get my head band so you can cross it out and I can go live my life on the run now?" Beki asked, as serious as the grave.

"No," Tsunade barked immediately.

Beki had forgotten Tsunade was there. She looked at her in confusion, and then turned her attention back to her father.

"She's right Beki," Seiichiro rubbed his temples. "Running is the worst thing you could do now. I have to think up how to address this. I have never been in a situation this bad before."

"Can I just go talk to him?" Beki squeaked.

"No," Tsunade barked again.

Beki jumped, and when her father smacked the table, she jumped again.

"You knocked him out, Beki," Seiichiro cried. "There's no telling what kind of a mood he's going to be in when he wakes up."

,

"I can't believe this," Seiichiro leaned against the table, then suddenly threw up his arms. "Here he is, the Kazekage walking down the street to go to a meeting and BAM! He's knocked out by a hurricane of stupid, AKA my daughter."

Tsunade's phone started ringing.

"That's probably Kankuro at the hospital to tell me what's happened," Tsunade said as she picked it up.

Seiichiro took his daughter by the shoulders and brought her eye to eye with him.

"The Kazekage is a very dangerous person, Beki. I watched him compete in the chunin exams a few years ago. He popped people. Like balloons," There was true fear in his voice. "You stay as far away from this as possible. I will figure it out."

"Dad, I did this, I should be the one to face it," Beki countered.

"If this were anyone else, I would agree," Seiichiro shook his head. "At the rate this is going, you might have to commit Seppuku."

Beki blinked, waiting for the joking smile but there was none. He was serious.

"Oh-okay." A chill went down her spine. She knew she had messed up, but Beki hadn't realized that honor suicide might be on the table.

"Now go on home and stay there. STAY. THERE." He poked her nose, hard. "Wait, no, I'm calling Neji."

"Why?" Beki balked. "I can walk home myself."

"I want him to escort you there," He said as he dialed the number into the secondary office phone. "There's no telling what's going to happen because of this. I would feel better if you had an extra pair of eyes on you."

Or an extra hundred, Beki thought grimly. As Neji walked her home, he kept a vice grip on her arm and walked with such haste he was almost pulling her along.

"Why don't we just run?" Beki suggested sarcastically.

"Because running looks suspicious," Neji had his Byakugan activated and kept scanning their surroundings as they moved.

"And this isn't?" Beki poked his ribs.

Neji stopped and looked at how he was holding her. He adjusted his pace so they were in line as they walked but he did not relax his grip.

"How much trouble am I in?" Beki's voice was soft and she kept her eyes on her feet.

"It's not so much what you did and what your personal consequences will be so much as what this means for the villages," Neji's gaze hovered on a spot for a moment. He assessed the threat, dismissed it, and moved on. "Of all times for Naruto to be out of town- he could have smoothed this whole thing over in a minute."

Beki was growing very concerned. Everyone was acting like the sky was falling and it was all her fault. She didn't want to act like a baby in front of her dad but he was scaring her. Everyone was scaring her. Was the Kazekage really that dangerous of a person that he would start an international issue over a prank gone wrong?

"Neji, I'm scared," The fear got the best of her. Her eyes were watering and her lip was trembling.

Neji's look softened and he smiled comfortingly.

"It's going to work itself out, Beki. Everything always does," He gave her hand a squeeze for reassurance. "Now let's get you in the bomb shelter."

"Not funny Neji, not funny." But she smiled anyway.

…

The day dragged along. Neji hovered over Beki like a buzzard on carrion. Her father had come by and informed her that he would probably have to commit Seppuku. He asked Hiashi to be his second, to which the head of the Hyuga told him it would be his honor. To Beki it all seemed like some morbid joke that at any moment everyone would burst out laughing. They never did. It was unsettling. Hinata had come home having heard everything from Kiba and Shino. She held Beki in her arms as they sat on the couch waiting for news.

"This is getting out of hand," Beki looked outside. It was around sunset. "They're blowing this way out of proportion."

Hinata nodded in agreement and Neji grunted, his Byakugan activated and concentrating to his fullest to detect incoming threats. Beki didn't like the way he seemed so sure there would be assassins.

"I have to go talk to the Kazekage," Beki pulled away from Hinata and stood.

"Beki, everyone says its best for you not to get involved," Hinata protested.

"Look, if he's the Kazekage, he deals with all kind of ridiculous stuff all day long," Beki reasoned. "And he was elected, right? If he was really so unreasonable, they wouldn't have voted for him. I believe that. I believe that enough to take a risk on it."

The Hyugas were silent.

"The guard on the south wall is thin tonight. If we're quick we can have you over the wall and on your way in three minutes," Neji folded his arms.

"You're right, Beki," Hinata patted her shoulder. "It's probably better if you try to get ahead of all this."

"Thanks guys, you're the best." Beki smiled and pulled both of them into a hug.

Neji sighed.

"I'll create a diversion, Hinata you stay here and pretend you're with Beki. If you are questioned about tonight, say she went upstairs to lay down. You stayed downstairs to make snacks. That will give us an opening of about an hour and half. That should buy you enough time, Tsukimori. Go now."

Beki booked it out the back door and toward the south wall. She shimmied up and over it, landing as deftly as a cat. She took off at top speed for the hospital, thankful she had such understanding friends. When she arrived in the hospital lobby, Beki slipped inside amidst the chaos of a changing shift of nurses. She found Sakura and pulled her into a storage room.

"What are you doing?! I have patients I need to get to!" Sakura swung at her assailant, but then saw it was Beki and calmed. "Oh, it's you. What is it this time?"

"I need one more really big favor," Beki pleaded. Sakura eyed her down.

"I need you to get the big scary guy out of the Kazekage's room." Beki jerked her head towards the room the Kabuki guy was guarding.

"Kankuro? That's the Kazekage's older brother and Suna's head of security. He couldn't be peeled from Gaara's side with a crowbar." Sakura explained.

"The Kazekage is awake, right?" Beki begged. "I just need, like, two minutes with him. Tsunade and my dad and Hiashi are all blowing this up and I need to talk to him, man to man. Try to stop this before it requires someone to commit Seppuku."

Sakura laughed until she saw the grim expression on Beki's face.

"I'm serious about the Seppuku thing. That's how hard my dad is taking this," Beki bit her lip. "This might put him out of a job, Sakura. Please."

Sakura thought long and hard. Finally, she shook her head and sighed.

"Fine, I've got something, but you owe me. I want that gold top you wore to the diner last Thursday night."

"It's yours." Tears welled in Beki's eyes. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Beki pulled Sakura into a tight hug and kissed her on the cheek. She pushed Beki away, but flushed all the same.

"Knock it off," Sakura mumbled as she walked out. "This will probably get you five, ten minutes tops. Don't waste it."

"Got it," Beki smiled, then positioned herself around a corner and listened.

"Hey Kankuro, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sakura waved him over.

"Yeah, sure, what's up?" He left his post by the door to walk beside her.

"I figured you would want to speak about this privately," Sakura gestured down the hall.

Beki heard their footsteps fading as they headed away.

"What's going on?" Kankuro's voice was growing softer as they moved out of sight. "He doesn't have any brain damage or anything, right?"

Beki hated herself even more. The big guy was just the Kazekage's worried brother, and by the sound of it was probably a pretty okay person.

"He'll be okay in there for a bit?" She heard Kankuro ask.

"Security here is great, Kankuro. You have nothing to worry about." Sakura opened a door to a staff room. As soon as she heard it click shut, Beki tiptoed into the Kazekage's room. He was obscured from view by a curtain. All she could see from the door was the edge of his bed and the outline of his legs under the blanket.

"You can come in, I'm awake,"

The sudden sound of his voice startled her. Beki froze for a moment, but then remembered how much more afraid of her dad she was than this stranger. She approached the curtain but remained on the other side of it.

"Hi, uh, Kazekage-sama," Beki had no idea how or where to begin. She decided introducing herself was probably a good start. "I'm Tsukimori Beki, I was the one that hit you with the bag of flour earlier."

She saw the outline of a hand silhouetted against the curtain by the moonlight. He pulled back the curtain to get a look at her. All traces of the flour were gone, and Beki got to see what the Kazekage looked like without a dusty white coating. The first things she noticed were his hair and his eyes. His hair was a beautiful shade of deep red, and he had startling green eyes that held an intelligence, no, a wisdom far beyond his years. His expression was calm, but his gaze was keen. He was silently sizing her up. Beki suddenly felt self-conscious; she should have brushed her hair before she broke out of the compound and infiltrated the hospital. He watched her patiently, waiting for her to speak.

"Are you okay?" Was the next thing that automatically burst out of her mouth. At least her subconscious was compassionate.

"I'm fine," His gaze never strayed from her eyes. "They're keeping me overnight to monitor my concussion."

"I'm really sorry about that," Beki wanted to wring her hands, but kept them steady by her side. He was the victim, not her. She needed to face what she did like a man. "The hitting you in the face and knocking you out thing."

Beki struck a deep bow.

"I'm assuming that was an accident," It was a question, but he framed it like a statement.

"Yes, a sad case of mistaken identity," She didn't lift her head. Knowing those green eyes were there made her nervous to look up.

"I can't say that I've been in this situation before, or that I ever will be again," He was perfectly calm. "I'm not angry, and I'm not the type to hold a grudge, Miss Tsukimori."

"I am so happy to hear that," Beki lifted her head with a smile. "My father is the ambassador for Getsugakure and he has been beside himself about this,"

"Was he concerned I would retaliate?" He asked.

"I think it was the uncertainty of what the outcome would be," She explained. "He's worked with a lot of different politicians in a lot of different situations. They aren't a very predictable breed. He's also very old school, with the preserving family honor and everything. Seppuku may or may not have been on the table."

He shook his head and then turned his gaze on her again.

"Come here," He beckoned her with a single wave of his hand.

Beki walked the few remaining feet over to the bottom of the bed and stopped. The Kazekage motioned for her to come even closer. Nervously, Beki took a few more steps. She was now standing right next to him, so their faces were only a foot or so apart. Beki wasn't sure what was going to happen. She couldn't read his face at all, but she knew she was in no danger. Beki was glad she had trusted her instincts about him. The Kazekage actually seemed really interesting, like the kind of person you could have a deep philosophical conversation with. In spite of his lack of eyebrows and the mask-like rings of dark circles around his eyes, he was handsome. Beki would have spent more time on that line of thought, but he finally made a move. The Kazekage reached over on the side table, snatched something, and swung for her face. She was too startled to react, but instead of feeling a weapon plunge into her skin, she felt the lines of a stamp press into her forehead. He pulled away his official seal and put it back on the side table.

"There. Now your father will know we've reached a resolution," The Kazekage folded his hands in his lap.

"Thank you Kazekage-sama," Beki smiled and gave him another deep bow.

"You should go," she felt the eyes peering at the top of her head. "Kankuro is coming back."

"Thank you again!" Beki waved as she slid open the window and climbed outside.

"What the hell are you doing in here!" Kankuro yelled at her as she leaped out the window. He ran over, considering pursuit. After weighing the risks, he shook his head and slammed the window shut. "Sakura said security here was tight. Bullshit."

"She was just here to apologize Kankuro," Gaara reassured his brother. "She poses no threat."

"She isn't a threat? Do you know what a security nightmare this has created?" Kankuro gestured out toward the window. "This girl we know nothing about knocked you out with a bag of flour. That means every asshole with a pantry who wants to make a name for himself is going to come after you. And that's not something we can search people for, Gaara. What are we going to ask? Excuse me, but are you heading home from market to bake a cake, or is this another flour based assassination attempt?"

"I don't mind a little misinformation floating around," Gaara gave a tiny smile. "Now that everyone thinks flour is my weakness, they'll show up without a backup plan. This has actually made your job easier."

"I suppose that's true," Kankuro collapsed into an armchair. "So what's the deal with you?"

"What are you talking about?" Gaara asked.

"This is twice now you've let her get close enough to touch you," Kankuro pointed at him angrily.

"I'm not doing it," Gaara shook his head, slight confusion furrowing his brow. "It's just… happening."

Kankuro narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. This phenomenon warranted further investigation.

…

Beki came through the gate of the Hyuga compound just as her father was about to exit.

"There you are!" He yelled. "I thought I told you to stay put!"

"Look, dad!" Beki pointed excitedly at her forehead. "I talked to the Kazekage and he forgave me!"

Seiichiro squinted, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her into the light. Hiashi and Neji walked over to see what the commotion was about.

"My god, it's his official seal," Seiichiro dropped her wrist. "Beki, how did you-"

"I just told him it was an accident and I was really sorry," Beki jumped up and down. "I told you it would all be alright if I could just talk to him!"

"Well I guess that means this is sorted out," Seiichiro rubbed the back of his head. "You're grounded."

Beki stared at him in open mouthed disbelief.

"Dad! I avoided an international incident!"

"That you caused in the first place!" Seiichiro poked her chest accusingly.

"Fine, I'll go to my room," Beki huffed as she trudged away.

"Don't wash your face. We have to show Tsunade that in the morning." Seiichiro called after her.

"I don't understand," Neji shook his head. "The Kazekage is a no nonsense person. I would have thought that a situation like this would have ended with more consequences. I wonder what has softened him up so much?"

"A woman," Seiichiro and Hiashi said in unison. They both shook their heads and walked off to ponder their own thoughts.

"Why is everyone around here so broody?" Neji asked as he headed back to his room.

…

"Hina chan, I did it!" Beki cried out as soon as she walked in the door.

"You did it!? Oh wow," Hinata looked at the seal. "It's kind of funny he put it there."

"I don't know why either. Maybe that's where they stamp people in Suna," Beki smiled.

"I think he was messing with you," Hinata brushed the hair out of Beki's face.

"That guy?" Beki laughed. "Something tells me humor isn't his strong suit."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't have a sense of humor," Hinata folded her arms. "So tell me all about it."

Beki described her infiltration of the hospital, Sakura's assist, and her conversation with the Kazekage. She caught herself smiling as she talked about him. He was not like any of the leaders Beki had ever met. He was a completely different breed of kage. She commented on how he thought before he spoke and how perceptive he seemed. She realized she had been talking for about ten minutes straight and stopped. Hinata was standing there, smiling broadly behind her hands.

"What's with the face?" Beki eyed her suspiciously.

"You liiiiiike him," Hinata mocked Beki with her own words.

"I think you can admire a person and-oh my god, I'm doing it now," Beki lamented. "Shut me up. He's so out of my league."

Hinata laughed.

"It's okay to have a crush on someone you admire, Beki. That's actually the best kind of person to like. They make you want to be stronger and be a better person," Hinata looked at her with a hint of mischief. "The other thing you need to remember is no one is out of your league until you give up."

Beki looked at her friend, at how much joy was on her face, and it was no detective work to figure out who she was thinking of.

"This Naruto kid needs to show up already," Beki started up the stairs, the exhaustion of the day catching up with her. "He's all you people ever talk about. It's like everyone watched this incredible movie and talk about it all the time and I haven't seen it yet."

"I hope he comes home soon, too." Hinata smiled sadly. "Come on, we've had a long day. Let's get some sleep."

"Sounds good," Beki yawned.


	16. The Thank You Gift

**Hi all, I know its been a few days (haha, three) but here's another chapter. I've got maybe one or two chapters left of material I can post without Tallman0029's crossover...so enjoy it while it lasts. I'll have to start dedicating the time I spend writing these on nagging him to write. I say this, but we were supposed to write together today and ended up watching Aliens instead...Damn you, James Cameron! I get irresponsible when people start talking about Alien or Predator. I love that universe almost as much as I love the Naru universe. Except, you know, sometimes the Alien/Predator universe makes more sense than Naruto (A fire that is so hot it burns fire. Yeah. I'm pretty much talking about the Uchiha and everything to do with them). Rant over. Commence reading.**

 **Also, thank you for your feedback so far. I really appreciate you taking the time to be a part of this. If you ever have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me. Every once in a while, I might even message you for your direct feedback on something I'm considering for a story. You've been warned :D**

* * *

"Kid, I don't know how you pulled this off, but good work." Tsunade examined Beki's forehead, the girl's chin in her hand. "Unless, of course, you stole his seal. Then you are in a world of trouble."

Beki shook her head violently.

"You really think I would be stupid enough to try to pickpocket that guy?"

"Good point," Tsunade patted Beki's chin. "But there will be repercussions for this."

"I'm ready to accept my punishment." Beki bowed. No real damage had been done, plus Beki had dealt with the aftermath herself. No skin off the Hokage's nose. She would probably get some grunt work and a slap on the wrist.

"50 hours of community service and a ban on buying flour within fifty miles of the city limits for a year. Anyone found providing you with flour will be considered aiding and abetting and will be liable for fines up to 3000 ryo and 2 months in jail." Tsunade folded her arms.

"That's kind of steep," Seiichiro mumbled.

"This was a ridiculous crime that deserves a ridiculous punishment," Tsunade shot him a challenging look.

"It actually makes a lot of sense, dad." Beki smiled. Tsunade was going to let her off easy.

"If you're okay with it, whatever," Seiichiro shuffled uncomfortably. "Just know she's probably going to have you picking garbage out of the river or something."

"I'll just help out at the school," Beki smiled. "Iruka sensei has already asked me to. Say, isn't your rescheduled meeting soon?"

"Yes it is," Tsunade smiled. "How about you get a start on those community service hours by picking up some lunch for us all?"

"Yes Lady Hokage," Beki saluted. "What do you guys want?"

"Just get some bentos from the diner across the street," Her father waved dismissively.

"Okay, I'll be back," Beki skipped out the door.

The guard gave her the stink eye.

"What's with the mark on your head?"

"Did you hear about the flour incident?" Beki covered it self consciously.

The guard gave her a weird look and shook his head. Beki looked around suspiciously, gave him a conspiratorial look, then held her finger to her lips. The guard's brows furrowed with confusion, and he mouthed "what?" as she skipped down the stairs. She knew she should probably wash off the mark, but she was nowhere near running water. There was no other choice, so she took her mirror out of her kunai bag, licked her hand, and rubbed away the red ink. It left a pink splotch on her forehead she would need soap to get rid of, but that was better than legible ink.

The bento shop was backed up about ten orders. Beki waited five minutes to place her order and they told her it would be almost an hour before before they'd be ready. The chef told her that she could leave and come back to keep the place from getting overcrowded. Beki walked outside the shop and wandered down the street a ways.

Her thoughts kept wandering to the Kazekage in his hospital bed. They had resolved the issue but she still felt guilty. Beki, a complete stranger, had knocked him out. All she had to do was ask, and he forgave her completely. She found herself standing outside the flower shop. Was it weird to get a guy flowers? It seemed like an innocuous enough thing to do. People had given her dad flowers before. Usually they were because they knew he had a daughter, but hey. She walked inside.

"Hey flour girl," Ino smirked at her.

"Hey flower girl," Beki sighed.

"What are you doing in here?" Ino asked. "Looking to perform another assault?"

"No, I'm obviously hunting for elephants," Beki rolled her eyes. "I'm looking for a thank you present."

"You could tell me who it's for and I could probably give you some suggestions," Ino's voice was pure innocence, but Beki knew she was fishing for gossip.

Beki's eye caught on a small selection of tiny cactus. Something about them was absurdly cute. They were little squat needly saguaros in terra cotta pots no bigger than a pen cup. She smiled to herself. The Kazekage is from the desert, and these are the trees of the desert. It would be like giving him a bonsai. The symbolism was perfect.

"I'll take this," Beki said, holding up the stoutest and squatest cactus of them all.

"If you say so," Ino eyed her choice disapprovingly.

Beki paid for her item and walked out of the shop. She walked back down the street to the diner and tucked the little cactus safely into her kunai pouch. As she carried the bentos up to the Hokage's office, she did her best not to jostle the pouch. As she basked in her genius, all she could think about was how great this was all going to turn out.

…

Kankuro was extra jumpy that morning. As he walked Gaara to the meeting, every shadow was a threat. Gaara seemed completely unphased by the events of the previous day and acted as though it had never happened. When they finally arrived at the Hokage's Mansion, Tsunade stood and walked over to introduce Gaara to Seiichiro.

"Tsukimori Seiichiro, this is the Kazekage, Gaara no Suna," Tsunade gestured to the Kazekage.

"I'm glad to finally meet you, Kazekage-sama," Seiichiro bowed politely.

"And you as well, Ambassador Tsukimori," Gaara held out his hand to shake. "I believe I had the pleasure of meeting your daughter yesterday."

Seiichiro, for all his composure, visibly blanched. He took the Kazekage's hand and shook it.

"I do apologize for her mischief. She's young and a little impulsive."

"There was no harm done," Gaara said graciously. "I am looking forward to finally holding this meeting."

As soon as their hands parted, Beki awkwardly stumbled in with the stack of bentos.

"Oh," She fumbled awkwardly. "Hi."

"Beki, when I said this would count towards your community service hours, I didn't mean you should take hours to do it." Tsunade's voice was full of impatience.

"Sorry Tsunade-sama," Beki held up the bags apologetically. "There was a long line and they lost my order in the shuffle. They gave me extra food for it though."

"Then this sounds like it'll be a meeting over lunch," Seiichiro took the bags and set them on the table. He did a quick count of the bentos, grabbed two, and simultaneously handed them to the kages.

There's dad, Mr. Smooth, Beki thought. He'd played this game long enough to know although common courtesy would be to present Tsunade with a bento first, a diplomat never showed any favor outwardly to anyone.

He then handed one to Kankuro, who waved it off, so Seiichiro handed it to Beki. It was the last one.

"No pops, I'm okay to go grab another one," Beki protested.

"Take it, girl, and go eat it on the roof," Her father ordered. After what happened yesterday, it was likely she was going to be discussed. Beki knew better than to argue with him when he used that tone and went outside.

"I'll be back," Kankuro said as soon as the door shut and followed after her. Gaara watched him go and gave him a cautioning look.

"So, without further ado, let's start this meeting." Tsunade cracked open her bento.

…

Beki sat on the roof facing the village and opened her bento. The smell of katsu and curry made her stomach growl. She had been so caught up in picking out that cactus she hadn't realized how long it had been since she had eaten last. She broke apart her chopsticks and was mid bite when a shadow fell over her.

"It's time we had that talk," Kankuro's voice was dangerously low.

Beki looked up at him innocently. He was putting on his best tough guy attitude, but after she saw how he acted about his brother in the hospital, she wasn't fooled. She patted the spot next to her.

"Sit with me," She smiled.

"No, I think I'll stay standing." He folded his arms.

"Suit yourself," She took a bite. "But I hope you don't mind if I have my lunch."

Kankuro stared her down for a long minute and then sighed. This girl, was a lot of things but it was clear she was no would-be assassin. He sighed with frustration and asked:

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Beki blinked.

"Get past Gaara's defenses?" Kankuro's patience growing thin.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about," Beki said, nibbling on her katsu.

"Gaara's sand," Kankuro explained. "It's nearly impossible to get past. What kind of technique did you use?"

"Just to reiterate," Beki put down her chopsticks. "He wasn't my target, number one. Number two, I was just looking to clock my friend in the face with a bag of flour. Good old fashioned bakery fisticuffs. I didn't use any technique, I mean, unless you count that I hid in a blind spot."

Kankuro stood there silently as he pondered what Beki said. What could have negated Gaara's defensive abilities? The only times Gaara had been taken down were by incredible speed or massive force, neither of which Beki possessed. He decided he would need to go investigate the scene of the crime further. He hopped off the roof, and he heard Beki lean over the side and yell after him.

"Bye!" She waved, smiling.

That girl is strange. Very strange, he thought as head headed for the alley.

Beki finished her bento and swung downstairs to drop it in the trash. It was a beautiful sunny day and it had been nice on the roof, so she climbed back up there and basked in the sunshine. She was wearing her mother's gauntlets to adapt to their weight; her father did the same with his armor. She extended and retracted the blades a few time to test the feel, and then laid down with her hands crossed behind her head. She closed her eyes and listened to the wind and the people. At times like this she could almost fool herself into believing she was back home, laying on the deck of the shrine. Except here there was no gentle lapping of the lake water or the buzz of dragonflies.

Just then she heard the door to the Hokage's office open, and her father saying they should take a fifteen minute break. She got ready to hop down there to talk to her dad, but immediately he started bickering with Tsunade about something unrelated to work. It sounded like the odds on a fighter in an upcoming prize fight. Beki knew her dad didn't have many adult friends, so she didn't like to interrupt him when he bantered with Tsunade. She sat back down on the roof and looked out over the village once more. It had been about three months she had spent in Konoha, and she felt like she was finally starting to adjust. It didn't quite feel like home yet, but she didn't feel like an outsider anymore. The shop keepers greeted her by name, and several of the guards and school personnel talked to her on a regular basis. She missed Reika, Ren, and all the other familiar faces of her hometown, but there was always something to do in Konoha. It made it easy to distract herself.

"Do you always wait for your father to finish with his meetings?"

Beki jumped a little and looked over shoulder. The Kazekage was incredibly quiet considering the giant gourd strapped to his back.

"Sometimes," Beki said automatically. "It depends on if it's going to be a sprint or a marathon."

"A marathon?" He narrowed his eyes slightly. .

"My dad calls days when a difficult issue is being discussed or when someone has dug in their heels a 'marathon', because they go on for hours with no end in sight," Beki explained. "A day like today is a sprint, everyone is on board and there's a clear objective in mind. No egos involved."

"It sounds like he has been in politics a long time," Gaara looked towards the door.

"He has," Beki reflected. "He started out as a representative for our village ten years ago and took the position as ambassador about seven years ago. Oh, duh."

She had been adjusting how she was sitting when the cactus pricked her through the bag.

"I have something for you,"

He gave her a puzzled look.

"A thank you gift," She said as she fished it out of her bag. It had poked a few holes in the canvas but was otherwise unscathed. She held out the tiny cactus and smiled.

He started blankly at her for a long time. A cloud of worry passed over her face. Beki's face darkened with worry of her own, and Gaara realized he hadn't responded in a while. He tentatively held out his hand and took the cactus from her. The saguaro was small, maybe the size of a grapefruit, and it's color was off. In spite of its shortcomings, somehow the little cactus seemed happy.

"Thank you," He said at last.

"Sorry, was that a stupid thing to get you?" Beki felt panic rising in her chest. She really needed to stop making bold faced assumptions about people. Hinata=sunflowers had worked out, but Kazekage=cactus? Come on Beki. She was just about to face palm when he said:

"It just so happens cacti are my favorite,"

Trumpets blared and harpsichords strummed out a triumphant melody in her head. Two for two! She thought.

"Oh I'm glad," She sighed, looking relieved.

"Kazekage sama?" Her father called from the door of the office.

"The meeting must be resuming," Gaara looked back towards the door. "Goodbye, Miss Tsukimori."

"You too, Kazekage-sama," She said with a wave. As he stepped off the roof, horror clenched at her throat. Had she said "You too?" Oh my god, she thought. I can never speak to him again. After a moment, she composed herself and leaned over the side of the roof:

"Hey dad!" She hollered. "I'm heading back to the Hyuags. I'll see you later!"

"Alright, be safe," He hollered back.

Beki hopped down onto the stairs. The guard had a kind of smug look on his face that she didn't like. She eyed him down, waiting for him to say something snarky, but instead he looked at her, looked in the Hokage's office, and started batting his eyes. He girlishly held his chin in his hand and heaved a deep sigh. Having already suffered enough embarrassment at her own hand, Beki stormed down the stairs. On the last step, she turned, glared at him, and pointed at her eyes with her index finger and pinky, and then at him. She walked down main street without another glance behind her. After she was out of sight, Beki reduced her pace and made her way back to Hinata's house with a lot of confused feelings about the boy with scarlet hair.

…

On her way there, she saw Konohamaru training alone. It pulled at her heart to see a lonely kid, and she was in need of a distraction, so she walked over.

"Whatcha doin, half pint?" Beki leaned against a fencepost.

"I'm training to become the Hokage!" Konohamaru punched the air.

"When are you running? I'll vote for you," She joked.

"Well Naruto has to be Hokage first," Konohamaru counted off on his fingers. Again, with this Naruto kid, Beki thought. "So I'll be Hokage after him. Maybe in like, ten years."

Beki chuckled to herself at his youthful naivete. There was no way even this Naruto kid would get to be Hokage in ten years. He would have to single-handedly defend the village from an entire army, while writing poetry, books, and kissing babies at the same time to have a chance at it in fifteen.

"You need someone to practice with you?" Beki smiled. "I'm a Getsu nin, so I can guarantee I won't be like anyone you've practiced with before."

Konohamaru thought about it, then nodded.

"Well, I guess because my friends aren't here I can practice with you, Beki nee-san."

"Ouch, Konohamaru. It's harsh to tell a girl she's your second choice to her face," Beki chuckled, getting into her ready stance. "Don't hold back, now. I think can keep up with a future kage."

"Wait and see!" He said as he charged her.

Beki deflected his attacks slowly so they always almost just missed their mark. When she would return strikes, she exaggerated the blow so he had more than enough time to deflect or dodge her attacks. After a few minutes she picked up speed, posing more of a challenge for him both to hit and to avoid. She was at about ¾ her normal speed when he was at his max capacity. He jumped back to get some space, panting.

"I'll show you!" Konohamaru cried out as he started forming handsigns. "Sexy no jutsu!"

There was a puff of smoke and instead of a tween boy there was a sexy teenage girl there instead. Beki burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?!" He demanded, his pretty girl face flushing with rage.

"Are you really trying to use something like that on me?" Beki said between bouts of laughter. There were almost tears at this point.

"Its working though!" Konohamaru protested. "You think its funny so you're wide open!"

"Let me show you how easy it is to throw you off using that ridiculous jutsu," Beki said as she reached forward and pulled transformed Konohamaru to her. She grabbed him by the waist, pressed him against her, and planted one long hard kiss right on his mouth. He instantly poofed back to normal and retracted. He was beet red and obviously very embarrassed.

"Some people you just can't out-sexy, kid." Beki crossed her arms. "Tsukimori Beki is one of them."

"But how?!" He asked, distraught his ace in the hole had no effect..

"There's a shrine in my village, and so part of my training there included how to block out distractions," Beki explained. "By the way, that's not what boobs feel like at all. Think water balloon, not bag of beans."

Konohamaru's face was less red, but he still looked uncomfortable. Beki sighed. The poor kid just wanted to be able to keep up with her. Maybe she could show him something cool to make up for it.

"You wanna see something cool?" Beki offered. Konohamaru looked unsure at first, then relented at the chance to see jutsu from a kunoichi from another village.

"Yeah, okay. What kind of jutsu are you going to show me?" Konohamaru inched closer.

Beki was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to directly demonstrate any of her villages techniques, so she told him to cover his eyes.

"I'll let you know when you can look, okay?" Beki started performing the handsigns.

"Are you just gonna run away?" There was honest to goodness sadness in his voice. It sounded like that was a very real threat.

"What kind of jerk would do that?" Beki shook her head. "No, Konohamaru. Look."

He opened his eyes. Beki was shimmering as radiantly as the sun. There was a halo of light around her that swirled and glittered as she moved.

"It's so bright," Konohamaru shielded his eyes. "What kind of jutsu is that?"

Beki thought about how to explain it in kid terms.

"I know it seems like it would be anti-camouflage," Beki explained. "But what I'm doing is using my chakra to reflect the light around me, which makes it harder to tell where I begin and where I end. It's hard to look directly at me, so that makes me harder to hit, too."

"Oh, I get it," Konohamaru beamed. Beki released the jutsu and smiled. His friends were coming up the road, calling out his name and waving to him.

"Okay kid, your friends are here," Beki started walking away. "Have fun training."

"Bye Beki nee san!" Konohamaru said as he ran to his friends.


	17. The Hot Spring

**Hi everyone! I'm really glad I could get another chapter out this weekend. I don't know if I can manage a third, but depending on how it all goes this weekend I'll try. I really appreciate any/all feedback I get on these chapters. I wrote a lot of this story a long time ago, so I like to hear what you all think. If I'm still pretty new to this and I'm not used to writing things that other people actually end up reading. That being said, thank you for reading up through chapter 17 of ToTM. See you on the other side!**

* * *

The rest of Beki's walk home to the Hyuga compound ended uneventfully. Seiichiro had asked Ebisu to take a few days off so he could assess Beki's progress. This evening, her father had challenged her to match of hand to hand combat. She prepared by cleaning and oiling the gauntlets and braiding her hair in a coiling halo around her crown. In the last few bouts of hand to hand combat, Ebisu had grabbed at her hair. Her father was like to employ the same tactic and she would rather not cut it, so conch braid it was. It was nearly sunset. Her father would be finishing up with his meeting soon. Beki walked down to the training yard they always used when he was in town. It was empty at this time of day; the setting sun cast the field in a warm golden glow and it was perfectly quiet save the happy babbling of a nearby brook. Not wanting to tire herself out before her father arrived, she sat down on a dry patch of grass and started meditating.

This was a practice Beki tended to neglect. Stillness was a problem for her, because just like a mirror still lake there was always a current beneath the surface. Beki's difficulties with meditation directly contradicted the skills of her parents. Stillness was what Yukihana had been best at. She meditated so deeply sometimes they would come out the next morning in the winter to find her lightly dusted with snow. Her father prayed all the time, which was pretty much the same thing.

The meditating made Beki be still, but it also made her try to make things quiet on the inside. Beki did not like what happened when she stopped the mechanisms of her mind. When she emptied her mind, something would disturb the smooth surface of her thoughts. It was like something woke up inside her when she clocked out and started clawing its way free. Whenever Beki tried meditating and she felt the thing stirring, she would immediately open her eyes and do something physical. It could be to go for a run, or to stand up and shake her head. Anything to wrench back control and bury the shadow.

It had been months since the last incident, and today was the day she decided she was going to overcome it. The meditating was starting off well. She focused on her breathing and pictured herself turning off the tap of her thoughts slowly, one quarter turn at a time. Finally, when the trickle had stopped and her mind was free of thoughts, she just tried to be. She tried to feel the energy behind everything, to feel connected to the world and to find peace and comfort in that connection. She was so busy strumming the strings of the energy around her she didn't feel the first ripples of the ominous something rising to the surface. She was reaching a perfect void state, something that had seldom happened for her, and she breathed deeply and peacefully. Beki was finally beginning to understand why people meditated. It was nice to be so free.

Then everything went very wrong very fast. In the darkness behind her eyes, the thing broke the surface. She found herself watching in horror, unable to respond as something rose from the waters of her mind.

It was a mangled thing, so misshapen it was hard to tell if it had ever been human. It was pale and its skin was a paper thin covering on top of bones sticking out at odd angles. What she had at first thought to be the black water pouring off of its head turned out to be miles of sodden hair plastered to its body. The waters of her mind were polluted with it, and she could see the sea inside her was slowly being choked with the stuff. The waters began to rise as the thing moved toward her with its jerky broken gait. It shambled and spasmed like a corpse being moved on strings. She found herself both unable to wake up or to scream. The water rose up above Beki's chin and she gasped for air, but her lungs simply filled with water. The thing reached her and grabbed her face with its horrible twisted hands. It forced her to look at it. This thing, this horrifying nightmarish creature, smiled back at her with her own face.

Beki was struck hard across the face. The blow violently knocked her out of her trance and back into reality. She vomited up water, gasping her air. When she had finished retching she fell down onto her back and gulped in the air. Her father stood over her with a panicked expression on his face.

"What happened to me?" She asked between breaths.

"I don't know," Her father said, hovering over her worriedly. "When I got here, I called out to you and you didn't respond. Then water started spilling out of your mouth and your hair turned black."

Beki laid there as the sensation of drowning passed. This had to be some kind of bad omen.

"I don't think I should meditate anymore," She said after a long silence.

"If that's what happens to you, I don't think you should either," Her father grabbed her hand and helped her up. He looked her over and sighed. "Let's just do some light cardio today. I don't think it would be wise to have you do much else."

"Alright," Beki steadied herself on her father's arm. They walked off the training field to jog through the woods.

She got back to Hinata's right around dinnertime. She stripped off her training gear and slipped into some leggings and a sweater before she joined them. It was a balmy summer night, but after what happened earlier she felt like she would never be warm again. Hiashi, Hinata, and Hanabi all looked concerned, but no one pressed her for answers. Hanabi even refrained from her usual snippy remarks and did her best to keep things semi pleasant.

After dinner, on the walk back to Hinata's house, Hinata wrapped an arm around Beki's waist.

"Beki, what's wrong, are you unwell?"

"I don't know," Beki shook her head. "I've felt like garbage since before I trained today."

Hinata gave her a squeeze.

"I think you're pushing yourself too hard," Hinata frowned. "You know what, the girls and I were planning on going to the hot spring tomorrow. You should join us."

Beki didn't want to be near water any deeper than a bathtub after her afternoon, but she couldn't shake the need to feel warm again.

"Yeah, that would probably perk me up," Beki nodded.

Hinata was still eyeing Beki hard. She reached up and put the back of her hand to Beki's forehead and said:

"You're burning up,"

"I am?" Beki blinked. It would make sense that if she had a fever, what happened earlier could have just been a hallucination.

"Go get cleaned up," Hinata patted her back. "I can't leave you unattended if you have a fever."

"What are you going to do, stay up watching me all night?" Beki stumbled up the stairs.

"No," Hinata sighed and steadied her. "I'll just sleep in your room with you."

Beki took a shower and changed into her pajamas. Hinata came in with some chamomile tea for her and they climbed into Beki's bed. Beki sipped on her tea while they chatted.

"So," Hinata asked. "Did you get to see the Kazekage today?"

"Yes," Beki smiled weakly. "I gave him a cactus."

Hinata laughed.

"You would give someone from the desert a cactus."

Beki pouted. Was she really that predictable?

"My logic was that cacti are the trees of the desert, so by giving him a baby cactus it was like giving him a no-stress bonsai." Beki explained, which only made Hinata laugh harder.

"He said that cacti are his favorite," Beki pouted again. "Those were his words exactly,"

"So you're two for two on the picking plants for people based on your odd logic system," Hinata chuckled.

"Ain't so odd, then is it?" Beki folded her arms smugly.

"Does your father know you like the Kazekage?" Hinata asked.

"No," Beki laughed. "He told me to stay as far away from him as possible. He said during the chunin exams 'that kid popped people. Like balloons.'"

"He did do that," Hinata shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh," Beki blinked.

"He changed a lot after he met Naruto," Hinata explained. "They're both jinchuriki and they were both mistreated, so when Naruto talked to him he kind of changed his perspective on things. Gaara worked very hard for his village from then on. The villagers admired how he had changed so much they made him Kazekage."

"I can see that. He's very...thoughtful," Beki furrowed her brow in thought. "That's the word I would use."

"I would have never thought you would go for the mature and dignified type, Beki." Hinata smiled.

"And I would have never pegged you for the type to go for the wild child," Beki poked Hinata's nose.

"Opposites attract, I guess." Hinata's smiled turned sad.

"Wait, are you saying you don't think I'm mature or dignified?" Beki asked suspiciously.

"I did have to fish you out of a pond when we first met," Hinata nudged her playfully.

"Fair point," Beki frowned.

The girls continued chatting until the tea did its work and Beki drifted off to sleep. Hinata watched her for a while, periodically checking her temperature until she too fell asleep.

The next morning Beki's fever had receded a little, so the girls got ready to go to meet with the other girls at the hot spring.

"Hina chan, I need to go shopping for a new swimsuit," Beki said.

"Why?" Hinata asked.

"Well, I mean, we're probably going to end up going swimming with everyone this summer," Beki held up her swimsuit. It was faded blue with white polka dots and it looked too small for her. "I think I went up a cup size since the last time I wore this puppy."

Hinata blushed a little. There was a good chance she'd gone up two cup sizes since the last time she bought a swimsuit a year ago.

"Would you get another one piece?" Hinata asked, trying not to be obvious as she was fishing for information.

"Maybe a bikini, one of the ones that show off your butt a little. And a halter top for a little boob security," She said as she disdainfully her old suit on the bed. "Don't get me wrong, a one piece has its time and place, like when you're out with the family and stuff, but I'm kind of sad I let myself get this...resigned."

"Resigned to what?" Hinata blinked.

"Being painfully single," Beki frowned. "Painfully single and more interested in my comfort than looking cute and 15."

Hinata bit her lip and thought about it.

"The girls would probably be up for a trip like that," Hinata said, thinking it would be easier to run an errand like that in a pack than to go out on her own and have all the shop people hounding her.

"Yeah, I'd be game," Beki smiled. "That would be kind of fun, actually."

The girls finished getting ready and headed for the hot spring district.

"It just blows my mind that Konoha is so big that it has a hot spring district and a red light district." Beki said.

"Wait, it does?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah," Beki chuckled. "Didn't you like, grow up here?"

"Sorry, I guess I just never had any business on that side of town," Hinata said in her meek version of a snippy tone. "What were you doing in the red light district?"

"Dad always taught me to get to know the red light district of a village," Beki explained. "If you ever have to disappear fast, those types of places are the best ones to go to. Cash only, no questions, no one saw anything."

For someone who didn't know a lot about being a shinobi, Beki knew a lot about street life. Hinata wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

When they arrived, they were some of the first ones there. The only girl who had beat them was Tenten.

"Hey girls," Tenten waved.

"Good morning, Tenten," Hinata smiled shyly.

"So are the others going to be fashionably late?" Beki asked.

"Sakura will probably be here any minute," Tenten said. "Ino is probably still putting on her face."

"But… we're going into the hot spring," Beki said incredulously.

"I know," Tenten shook her head. "And Ino knows that, too. But she never leaves her house without a full palette of makeup on."

Beki started to braid her hair in a halo around her crown. Her hair was very thick and banana clips usually weren't enough to hold her hair in place. She eyed Tenten and Hinata's hair enviously. She was sure Tenten's hair was thin and pretty like Hinata's. If it wasn't, it wouldn't stay so perfectly in those double buns. Soon they saw Sakura coming up the path with Ino. It was too far to make out what they were saying, but it was obvious they were arguing.

"Those two, I swear," Tenten crossed her arms. "I wish they'd just kiss and makeup."

"What are they always fighting about?" Beki asked.

"Sasuke," Tenten and Hinata said in unison.

"Who?" Beki looked puzzled.

"He was the third member of Team 7 with Naruto and Sakura. She developed a crush on him at the same time as Ino," Tenten explained. "They used to be best friends, but that kind of broke them up."

"Is there a reason I haven't met Sasuke yet?" Beki asked Hinata.

"Well he's not in Konoha at the moment," Hinata replied, deftly evading the question.

Beki was too sharp to be led off the path of good gossip so quickly.

"This is a story that'll take a while, yeah?"

"Yeah, and around those two isn't the best time to do it." Tenten whispered as the girls approached the group.

"Hey guys, sorry we're late," Sakura smiled apologetically.

"No, we were just a little early," Hinata said graciously.

"Alright, let's go get naked!" Ino yelled. Both Tenten and Hinata folded their arms across their chests nervously and followed along with the group.

They all piled through the doors loudly, gossiping and giggling amongst themselves. Thankfully, the place was all but empty so no one complained. Hinata kept stride with Beki, although she didn't add much to the conversation. Ino and Sakura continued their argument, but now the rest of the girls started chiming in.

"I'm just saying there's nothing wrong with kissing on the first date!" Ino cried out looking to Tenten for support.

Sakura shook her head.

"Where's the line? I would understand a quick peck, but we both know you mean more than that."

Tenten flushed.

"I don't think I could kiss a boy on our first date."

Ino jumped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders.

"But what if he was 'The One' and everything was going so perfectly it was like something out of a chick flick daydream?"

"If he was 'The One', maybe," Beki interrupted. Both Ino and TenTen turned to look at her. "The question is; how do you know a guy is 'The One' on the first date? You can't. You would have to have known him a long time so that the whole dating thing is just a formality."

"Then what if you're on the date, and everything is so magical, and the chemistry is just right," Ino clasped her hands together dreamily. "He's just too much of a gentleman to lean in and do what you're both thinking."

Beki found herself thinking about Gaara. Would she kiss him first?

"I don't know," Beki shook her head. "I think this is one of those things where there's no universal right. It depends on the guy."

"So, is it okay to kiss on the first date?" Ino squared off with her to look her dead in the eye.

"I'll give you a very solid 'maybe'," Beki smirked.

Sakura though for a moment.

"I still think that if it's the right guy then he won't try for a kiss on the first date. A relationship isn't a race."

"Well then how can you let him know for sure that you want another date?" Ino asked.

"The person here with the most experience is being the quietest," Sakura side eyed Hinata. "How'd it go for you, Ms. Long-term Relationship?"

Hinata blushed a deep shade of crimson as she thought about the first time her and Naruto kissed.

"Sorry, I don't kiss and tell." Hinata gave them a weak smile.

They all groaned in frustration as they walked into the changing room. The girls lined up along a set of lockers and began to disrobe. Beki had gone through this procedure before, but at mixed bath onsens with her father. She hadn't been to one in a while and it was a little daunting to disrobe in front of girls she hadn't known long. Oh well, she thought. It's nothing they haven't seen before.

In spite of herself, and just for comparison's sake, Beki took discrete side glances at her companions. They were all obviously very athletic, but even within that category their bodies varied. Sakura was as flat as a washboard but she was the most muscular of them all. Tenten had a bit more going on up top, but she was probably the shortest and thinnest in the group. Ino's body looked almost the same out of clothes as it did in them. She was thin and shapely in the way that boys liked, with an equal amount of bump in the front at the back. Beki would have been jealous if she didn't find Ino a totally repulsive slut. Beki was the most curious but also the most uncomfortable about sizing Hinata up.

Hinata was her friend and roommate, and she had helped Beki into the bath, so it only seemed fair Beki would get to see her naked too. She was probably the softest looking out of all the girls, with the least amount of visible muscle tone, and the biggest breasts in the room. Beki probably landed somewhere in the middle in terms of boobs. Hinata's were the best, and then it was a toss-up between Beki and Ino for second. Ino's were shapelier than Beki's, but Beki's were larger overall. Then it would be Tenten and then Sakura. Poor girl, Beki thought. Sakura had the best arms and back, Ino had the best legs, Tenten had this overall cute dainty thing going on, and that left Beki with having arguably the best butt in the room. I can live with that, Beki thought.

She had been doing her best to keep up with the conversation as she sized the other girls up.

"Are you part of a squad, Beki?" Tenten asked.

Beki had been hoping his question didn't come up. She was, but it was a squad where they tossed all the loners that didn't quite fit in in other groups.

"Yes," She responded. "I'm in a squad with my friend Ren and a boy we went to school with, Daiske."

The whole group broke out into mumbling.

"Two girls on a squad, huh?" Sakura asked. "I've never heard of that."

Beki heard that statement as "It doesn't sound like a good idea."

"Well, we've done a lot of missions, but most of it has been in house," Beki sighed in frustration. "My father is the ambassador, so the king thought he was doing dad a favor by keeping me out of the dangerous stuff. Unfortunately, that gives my squad a bad rep because they all think it's favoritism and we aren't as good as they are."

"Oof," Ino pantomimed being hit in the gut. "Sorry we asked."

They all started to make their way into the hot spring, continuing their conversation as they climbed in.

"What do they have to be so high and mighty about?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know," Beki sighed. "Most of the talk lately is about how I'm basically being kept here as a piece of collateral and not doing anything productive at all for our village."

A brief silence passed over the girls, due to the realization that Beki was in fact officially in the village as a guarantee and not a person.

"Well, they sound like bitches," Ino said flatly.

Beki smiled. Maybe Ino wasn't so bad after all. Ino's eyes lit up.

"Hey, you know what's been bothering me? Who did you buy that cactus for?"

All eyes turned on Beki and Hinata giggled softly behind her hand.

"No one," Beki lied, badly.

"By 'no one' could you mean the Kazekage?" Ino drilled her.

Beki felt the heat rising in her body. She was probably as red as Hinata gets when someone says the word "sex". Her silence was going to give it away. Beki had to say something quick. Knowing smiles were already forming on all of their faces.

"It was just a thank you for not starting an international incident over the whole flour debacle," Beki explained in a puff.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask why there are pictures of you in the grocery stores saying 'do not sell flour to this person'?" Tenten asked.

"Oh my god you didn't hear about that?" Ino blurted in surprise. "So Bitchi here-"

Beki cringed. It was like Ino specialized in being unbearably annoying.

"Wanted to get revenge on Kiba for having Akamaru pee on her a couple times, so she went and bought a bag of flour and waited around a corner for him," Ino explained.

Beki kept her mouth shut. No one needed to know about the week of recon spent tracking his movements, timing his walking speed, and comparing different flour brands for their gratifying "poof" factor.

"So, when she thought Kiba was coming around the corner, she jumped out and smacked him in the face with it, and it exploded like an overstuffed pillow. The whole street looked like freaking Christmas," Ino continued. "It all would have been hilarious, if it hadn't been the Kazekage she'd hit in the face and knocked out."

Tenten's eyes bulged.

"You incapped Gaara with a bag of flour?!"

Beki smiled nervously. This is how she would always be remembered; she just knew it. The flour sack ninja.

"You didn't have weights in it?" Tenten asked. "It was just a regular bag of flour? And you weren't using any jutsu?"

"No," Beki explained. "I clipped him just right and it was just unexpected enough to catch him off guard, I guess."

"But Lee and Naruto are the only ones I've ever heard of landing a hit on him," Tenten shook her head. "And Lee is the fastest person in the village and Naruto is the strongest."

"Most stubborn, I would say." Sakura corrected.

"How could your they say you aren't doing anything for your village?" Ino asked sheepishly. "You almost pulled off a political assassination!"

"Oh shove it, Ino," Beki rolled her eyes.

"I would have bought that guy a lot more than a cactus, that's for sure," Tenten said.

"At least offered him more, anyway," Ino said flirtatiously.

"Oh my god, Ino," Beki was losing her patience. "It's not like you could walk up to the Kazekage and be all "Oh, hey, I'm the girl that almost killed you with a bag of flour. Wanna have sex?"

Hinata immediately burst out laughing. They all stared at her bug eyed.

"I'm sorry Beki," She said between bouts of laughter. "It's just I can almost see you doing something like that."

"Hinata!" Beki yelled, feeling a little betrayed.

"Maybe not offering him sex, but," Hinata explained, "Just being so casual about something that ridiculous."

"Well, I mean," Beki deflated a little. "if you did something crazy, you should own it."

After the girls had soaked and gossiped their cares away, they started heading toward town for vittles. Beki wasn't sure if it was the heat, the embarrassment, or the self-inflicted near drowning of the day before that was making her feel off. Regardless, she needed to go home and lay down.

"So what should we get?" Hinata asked.

"Actually Hina-chan, I want to go home and lay down for a bit," Beki said.

"You are a little red," Hinata put the back of her hand to her forehead. "And you are warm."

"Could just be the hot spring," Ino suggested.

"Or it could be the fever coming back," Hinata countered. "Maybe we should just call it a day."

After all the time in the hot spring with the other girls, some alone time actually sounded pretty good to Beki. It would give her a chance to be alone with her thoughts and reflect on the conversations they had had without having to keep up with new ones.

"No, that's okay Hinata," Beki shook her head. "You guys go out and get something to eat. I'll make some toast and tea and read a book or something."

"If you're sick I can't let you go home by yourself-" Hinata protested.

"My god, Hinata, she's a grown up!" Sakura barked. "She can walk home by herself!"

Hinata shrunk back a little. She looked at Beki and then back at the rest of the girls, torn. Beki could feel the inner conflict and looked around for an out for her friend.

"Neji!" Beki called out, waving.

Neji had been walking along further up the road. He turned at his name, and when he saw Beki waving he made his way over to the group.

"Something I can help you ladies with?" He asked.

"Neji, could I bother you to walk me home?" Beki walked over beside him so she was looking up at him from his side. It was a trick she used with her dad all the time. Looking up at a boy made them feel protective of you.

He looked at the other girls, as if thinking "Why me?"

"The other girls wanted to go out to eat but I'm not feeling well and I don't want to spoil their fun," Beki looped her arm through his. There was no getting out of it now.

He sighed.

"Yes, I can walk you home."

"You girls go on and have fun!" Beki waved with her free arm. Neji started to turn them toward home but Beki held on to him.

"Just wave at them til they round the corner," Beki said under her breath.

Neji followed suit, trying to hide his confusion. After the girls went out of sight he looked at Beki.

"What's going on here?"

"Look, you don't have to walk me home," Beki released his arm. "Hinata was worried about me and wanted to walk me, but if she did that I know she'd just stay in to take care of me for the night."

"That was very considerate of you," Neji looked at Beki with surprise.

"She puppy dog guards me all the time," Beki explained. "I know she doesn't get to go out and spend enough time with her friends. Thanks for playing along."

Neji considered Beki for another moment before he spoke.

"Something's troubling you."

"No, I'm not feeling well is all," Beki tucked her hair behind her ear.

It was hard lying to someone who with a look could see inside your body for the telltale signs of dishonesty. Elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, activation of the adrenal system; she couldn't hide those things. She hoped he wouldn't trigger the Byakugan.

"What's making you feel ill?" He pushed.

"I just had a bad day at training," Beki sighed. "I overexerted myself and I'm just really exhausted now."

"Then I think I will walk you home," He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her toward home.

"No, really Neji, I'm okay-" she began.

"Tsukimori, you aren't talking your way out of this," he interrupted.

After a few blocks she sighed.

"Thanks, Neji."

"Of course," he smiled slightly.


	18. Awakening

**Okay, if you haven't read up on the section in Love, Hinata where Hidiki is involved, go do that now. I don't spend much time revisiting it in this chapter, and knowing what happened is kind of essentially to the plot here. Things have gotten really busy for me, and I'll try to keep updating but at a much slower pace. As always, any reviews or comments are helpful and very much appreciated. I would love to hear from you all about what you thought of this chapter. Until next time, ponchoninjax3.**

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Beki had been curled up in bed for two hours when she heard Hinata come home. She thundered right up the stairs into Beki's room with a paper bag in her hands.

"Are you feeling any better?" Hinata asked, her face ridden with guilt.

"Yeah," Beki lied. "You have a good time with the girls?"

Hinata held up the bag. There was a couple of tubs of something in it.

"I brought you home some ramen and ice cream,"

"Oh thank you Hina-chan," Beki smiled weakly. "I was just starting to get my appetite back."

"I'll go heat up the ramen," Hinata walked back down the stairs.

Beki listened to the sound of her pouring the ramen into a bowl, the microwave opening and closing, and the beep of the buttons as Hinata punched them in. The whirr of the machine as it warmed her food was familiar and comforting. A few moments later it let off a loud beep, she heard the door open and close again. Hinata came back up the stairs with the steaming bowl of ramen, chopsticks, and a spoon on a tray. Beki sat up and took the tray from her friend. Hinata sat down on the edge of the bed while Beki took her first tentative bite. Beef broth, Beki smiled. Her favorite.

"So tell me about how tonight went," Beki sipped on the broth.

"We had a nice time," Hinata smiled gently.

"Oh come on," Beki groaned. "Give me more than that. What juicy gossip did I miss out on while I was home?"

Hinata shifted uncomfortably.

"Just tell me," Beki eyed her knowingly. "I want to hear what the other girls think of me."

"Sakura wanted to know what your symptoms were," Hinata explained. "She said they didn't sound like anything too serious."

Okay, Beki thought, Sakura isn't a too faced jerk. She had thought as much, but it was good to have it confirmed.

"Ino wanted to know why you were so comfortable 'getting cozy' with Neji," Hinata continued. "I tried to tell her it was just because you live here so he treats you like a member of the family-"

"But she thought it was something more," Beki finished for her.

"Yes," Hinata replied.

That was no surprise to Beki. Ino was the type to look for relationships where there were none. She wouldn't be shocked at all if a rumor circulated that her and Neji were an item over the next few days. Beki laughed at the thought. Neji would rather be left in the wilderness with his hands tied behind his back and with no supplies than go on a date with her, she was sure of it.

"And Tenten just kept going on about how you took Gaara down," Hinata finished.

"I did not 'take him down'," Beki corrected, although she knew it was futile. She was the flour slayer now.

"Well, you impressed her," Hinata smiled. "You've trained with her squad and she thinks you had an interesting battle mentality. However, the fact that you incapacitated Gaara really earned her respect."

Beki was glad. She spent a lot of time with Team Gai's. She had won her way in with Lee and Gai her first week in town. Now that she knew Tenten approved of her, the whole team felt like a safe group to pal around with. Beki thought initially Neji considered her as an annoyance. Within the last month or so, however, he started treating her the same way he treated Hinata and Hanabi; like his sisters. Beki had always wanted an older brother. They were fun to mess with like a dad, but unlike a dad there were no serious repercussions.

The broth felt good in Beki's stomach. She was now feeling brave enough to start nibbling on the noodles. Hinata continued the outline of their evening while Beki ate. About halfway through Hinata's description of how Shikamaru had come into the restaurant and ended up in a fight with Ino, Beki's stomach turned. She set aside the tray of food as her face twisted with pain.

"Beki, what's wrong?" Hinata's face puckered with worry.

Wordlessly, Beki sprang to her feet and darted for the bathroom. She barely had enough time to flip up the lid and pull back her hair before the ramen and toast came back up. Hinata came rushing in behind her and without a second thought reached down and pulled back her hair for her. They were in that bathroom a long time before Beki's dry heaving was spaced out enough for her get up from the floor.

"I'm going to go get you a bucket," Hinata hurried downstairs and out the back door.

Beki swished her mouth out with water and brushed her teeth. She looked in the mirror and saw how haggard she looked. Ever since the training incident, her appearance had deteriorated. She was looking more and more like the drowned monster and less and less like herself. With that troubling thought in mind, she crawled back into bed and laid helplessly on her side. Hinata reentered the room a few moments later with the promised bucket and a ginger ale. Beki sipped on it downheartedly while Hinata pet her head. Beki lost consciousness sometime around midnight and Hinata followed her shortly.

Hinata woke up the next morning spooning her sick friend. Beki was still warm and feverish. Hinata had tucked Beki in under the blankets. It might be uncomfortably warm for her, but her fever needed to break. Hinata got up and went downstairs to make breakfast. She started a pot of rice porridge and then began prepping ginger and green onions to throw in when it was done. Once she was finished, she got the mail and made tea and toast. It was a little after ten once she finished reading the mail. Hinata still hadn't heard Beki stirring, so she set the porridge on simmer and put the extras in the refrigerator. There was a lot she needed to do, but she didn't want to leave the house until Beki was up. Hinata started wiping down the counters and the table to keep herself busy.

It was around noon when Beki finally woke up. She was still foggy and drained from the fever. Lethargically, she rolled out of bed and started changing out of her pajamas.

"Beki, are you up?" Hinata's supervision via the Byakugan was not her only asset. She had the ears of a hound.

"Yes," Beki groaned. "I'm just making myself decent and I'll be down."

She heard the clack of a bowl on the counter.

"I made rice porridge," Hinata called up the stairs. "I'll fix you a bowl,"

"Thanks," Beki called out. "I'll be right there."

Beki had the chills, so she threw on a pair of socks and put a hoodie on over her shirt. Someone started pounding on the back door with so much force Beki thought they were trying to kick it in. She started making her way to the stairs at the same time she heard Hinata heading for the door. Beki was just about to ask who it was when she heard glass break and the sounds of a struggle.

"Hinata?!" She cried out as she hurried down the stairs. The back door was wide open. The bowl of porridge was shattered all over the floor in front of it. Hinata's and someone else's footprints were smudged throughout, and a smear of it could be seen heading outside. Beki went to follow but then remembered she needed shoes. She ran back by the front door and threw on her boots as quickly as she could and took off out the back door. The Hyuga attendant at the back gate was slumped down beside it, either dead or unconscious. Beki couldn't stop to check; she needed to pursue them while the trail was hot.

When she got outside the gate, she saw the deep impressions of hoof prints that gave way to shallow spread out ones up ahead. So they went by horse, she thought as she followed the trail. Beki knew that the Hyuga family would mobilize soon, so she didn't worry too much about marking the trail as she went. Her main priority was making sure Hinata didn't get hurt in the meantime. They didn't have much of a lead on her initially, but Beki was exhausted from her illness and the fact that they were on horseback made that gap between them grow every moment.

This chase was a test of Beki's determination just as much as her endurance. Her lungs burned and her body ached. Every so often her ankle would wobble or a knee would give out. She would stumble, sometimes she would even fall, but she had no choice but to pick herself up and keep going. Beki had lost her sense of time a few miles into the pursuit, but it was at least two hours later when the hoof prints became closer together. Beki knew she was getting close, so she paused to catch her breath. Her head was throbbing and the world looked fuzzy and out of focus. Once she was breathing normally, she crouched and followed the hoof prints up to the main road leading into a grand estate.

Or at least, it had been a grand estate. The gardens were overgrown, the fountain was cracked and the water coming out of it looked dirty. Shingles had fallen from the roof and a few of the windows were broken. The horse was standing by the fountain, Hinata slung over its back like a sack of potatoes. Beki was just about to call out to her when Hidiki came sauntering out of the main entrance of the house, a bundle in his arms.

"Alright, Hinata," He said. "It's all set up in there now,"

He walked over to the horse and laid out a small blanket on the ground. He hoisted Hinata up off of the horse and laid her down gently on the blanket. Beki weighed her options. She was exhausted and in less than fighting condition. Hidiki, on the other hand, was the glowing image of health and wellness. If Beki tried to rush him now, she would need Hinata to help her overpower him.

He hovered over Hinata's face for a moment.

"Good, you're starting to wake up," He smiled. "Don't worry, you're in a bit of a fog right now, but that feeling will pass."

Okay, Beki thought. So Hinata's not going to be able to help me on this one. Then that just means I have to wait for an opening to blitz him. She looked around at her surroundings. There was a fair sized rock a few feet away. Carefully, she crawled over and grabbed it. Now all she could do was wait for an opening.

Hidiki laid out his bundle. It looked like a medic kit from what Beki could see. There were syringes and tiny bottles lined up and held in place by little elastic straps. He talked to Hinata as he set it up.

"I was really sad you didn't come and see me after any of my letters. I know you must be upset about what happened last time, but you have to understand you drove me to such drastic actions."

He looked her dead in the eye and caressed her face.

"It's always been about you, Hinata, my love. Everything I have ever done, no, anything I will ever do, is for you," He explained. "You are a beautiful flower blooming in a sea of filth, your voice is birdsong, and your laugh is the joy of angels. I like to believe I am not a base man like others, but I don't want you to think that I do not desire your body as well."

He ran a hand along her side before he continued.

"And now that Naruto is gone, we can finally be together. You deserve so much more than that brutish science experiment gone wrong. He is nothing, all he will ever be is nothing. I will be a much better husband, Hinata. You will want for nothing. Your happiness will be my only goal in life."

He reached down into the kit and started taking out different bottles and lining them up on the blanket.

"I do understand what a difficult situation this is for you. You are a noble woman, a woman of your word, and I know you are bound by your family's arranged marriage," Hidiki explained, "So, I have found a way out for you. He saw you naked, so we have to do something even more personal. Something to override even that level of intimacy: I will take you to the marriage bed."

Beki heard Hinata whimper and her blood boiled. She considered rushing him now but the distance between them was too great. He had a needle in his hand and if she came at him it would be short work for him to kill Hinata before she could reach them. What she needed was a complete opening. Maybe when he picked Hinata up and his hands were full; that would be the perfect time to strike.

"This is what I'll be using to help you," Hidiki held up one of the bottles in front of Hinata.

"It's a mixture I've made myself. It's an extract of hemlock I've altered and enhanced with a little something extra. Are you familiar with the process of hemlock poisoning, Hinata?"

Hinata mumbled weakly.

"No? Well, what happens is: you slowly lose the ability to move, then to talk, and then to breathe. Death is usually due to respiratory failure. You can't feel anything, but you are fully cognizant until death strikes. This can be avoided if someone performs mouth to mouth resuscitation, however." Hidiki smiled at the bottle, proud of his creation. "Through my alteration process, I've made sure you'll still be able to feel everything, and the amount of time I will have to help you breathe will be significantly reduced. With a purer strain, I would have to help you for at least an hour. My version will only require about thirty to forty minutes. That doesn't sound like much, but believe me it is. By the end of the field tests, I was exhausted."

Beki's eyes widened in horror as he stuck the needle into the crook of Hinata's arm. Hinata gasped in pain. This was going to complicate things. Beki would have to knock Hidiki out and then breath for Hinata for a half hour. Hopefully the blow to his head would knock him out long enough for her to get Hinata through the artificial breathing process, and for them to hop on the horse and get out of there.

"Oh, I almost forgot the best part," He said as he filled up a second needle with something from a different bottle. "This one is a potent aphrodisiac. I have a lot planned for us tonight, but I guarantee with this, it'll be a night in paradise."

Beki threw up in her mouth a little. This psycho son of a bitch was just like Orochimaru: a self-serving sadist. She quietly spat it on the ground beside her. This guy was bonkers. Absolutely, certifiably, crazy. She crouched at the ready. Any moment now he would scoop her up to take her on their "honeymoon" and Beki then would bash his looney skull in. She gripped the stone and started to quietly make her way to the end of the brush.

Hidiki packed up his kit and tucked it away in his belt. He leaned over and picked Hinata up bridal style. Beki heard Hinata protesting gently, and she prayed she wouldn't say anything as she approached him from behind. Hidiki was sauntering toward the main entrance when Beki lunged from the bushes with all the strength she had left and clocked him over the back of the head with the rock. He stumbled and fell immediately, dropping Hinata on the ground.

"It's okay Hina-chan, I'm here," Beki stepped over Hidiki to get to her friend. "I heard everything. I'm going to help you breathe and then I'll get you out of here."

She crouched down over her friend and pushed the hair out of her face. Hinata's eyes were sharp and alert as she looked at Beki.

"Beki…" She said weakly. "Run…"

Before Beki could respond, she was grabbed by the shoulder and spun around. Hidiki was back on his feet, blood trickling down his face.

"You whore!" He swung his fist so fast Beki didn't have time to react. The blow caught her across the face, spinning her. She hit the ground hard.

"You didn't tell Hinata about my letters, did you?!" Hidiki howled. "You knew! You probably even read the letters and didn't tell her!"

Beki's eyes watered and her face stung. Her vision was blurry and her head was spinning, but she forced herself up on to her hands and knees.

"I'm not going to let you hurt my friend," Beki pulled herself up so she was on her hands and feet. Slowly she stood up to her full height.

Without skipping a beat Hidiki immediately socked her in the stomach. Beki doubled over and coughed, pain surging through her body and weakening her at the knees. She collapsed, still bent over. Hidiki kicked her hard across the face, knocking her back down to the ground.

"Stop interfering!" Hidiki screamed. "Stay out of this!"

Beki knew there was no way she could do that. She was a Tsukimori, and a Tsukimori always stood their ground. Through the endless sea of pain and agony in every part of her body, through the aching and the misery in her head and her lungs, Beki put her hands up next to her face and pushed. Weakly she slid a knee up underneath her for support, and then her other knee.

"If you're getting up, you had better be walking away," He warned.

Beki pulled herself back up onto her feet. She took a deep breath, hoping her stillness would create the illusion of speed when she struck. As fast as she could, Beki swung for his face. He dodged easily and countered with a hit to her solar plexus. The blow knocked the air out of her and she gasped as he grabbed her by the hair

"I'm done playing with you." He started dragging her away.

"Beki…" Hinata cried softly, her voice failing her.

Hidiki took Beki by her hair and shoved her face below the water in the fountain. He had one of her hands twisted behind her back as he held her down. She struggled against him, her free hand pushing up on the edge. She caught him off balance and was able to resurface and get one gulp of air before he thrust her head back down. Beki tried to hold her breath. Maybe I can trick him, she thought. Maybe I can struggle less, and hold my breath, and stop moving. That way, he'll let me go before I'm dead and I can surprise him.

Beki tried it. She struggled less and held what little of her breath she had left. Then she stopped struggling and slumped into the pool. Hidiki continued to hold her head down with all his strength. He wanted to make sure she was good and dead. Her eyes burned. Her body was fighting for her to take a big breath, but she knew as soon as she did her lungs would fill with water and she would drown. It felt like she had been holding on forever when at last she broke. Her jaw snapped open and she inhaled that filthy water, choking instantly. Once she had taken that first false breath, her body tried to take another. Her lungs filled up with more water. She was beginning to black out.

So this is what it's like to die, she thought as the world grew dim. Hidiki removed his hands from her head but it was too late. Beki was done for. Through the mire of her fading vision, she saw a hand reach out to her from the depths. It was mottled and decaying. It cupped her face. Its twin appeared out of the darkness and joined it. Then the creature from below the surface of her mind appeared. It smiled at her as it pointed up. Beki's heart started to race and she felt her adrenaline kicking into gear. The creature let go and pointed to itself, then to Beki. I'm you, it was saying. It swam full force into her, but instead of colliding with her, it disappeared, and at last Beki understood. She had become the Drowned Maiden.

Hidiki had left the blonde whore face first in the fountain. She thought that she could trick him by pretending to drown, but he had held on until he had felt her inhaling the water. Now that she was dead once and for all, no one could get between him and the love of his life.

Hinata was so beautiful in the light of the sunset. Her black hair took on a beautiful fiery glow and her pale eyes shimmered. He was so excited to take her inside. He had spent a week cleaning up the place and setting up the most romantic room in the house. Hidiki knew that this would be her first time, so she wouldn't be very excited about it all at first. He knew that tomorrow she would want more, especially with all the extra features, like the bathtub for two. He was so proud of himself. He even had a bottle of champagne chilling in the sink. He leaned down and caressed her face.

"It's all over now my darling."

An icy cold hand gripped his shoulder and swung him around. Hidiki was faced with a horrifying monstrosity. The blonde he had just drowned now stood before him, her face hollowed out and gaping back at him with the milky eyes of the dead. Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent, the blue veins the only color to her body. Her hair had turned black and clung to her body like a wet curtain. She had grabbed ahold of him by his shoulders with terrifying strength and opened her mouth, gurgling as water spilled forth endlessly. Hidiki struggled to get away, but the girl dragged him to the ground and pinned him. Her hair hung around his face, closing him off to everything but the terrible visage of her face, twisted in death. She opened her mouth and out poured the same water he had drowned her with. He spat it out and tried to keep his mouth closed, but the force and volume of the water she spewed forth steadily grew. Soon he found himself meeting the fate he had just tried to give her moments before, her death mask a grim reminder of his sin as he passed from this world.

Hinata tried to call out to Beki, but at this point it was nothing more than a whisper. She was soaking wet and hovering over Hideki with her kekke genkai fully activated. Hinata saw Hidiki stop moving. After a moment, Beki turned toward Hinata. Her friend's appearance scared Hinata. Beki no longer looked like herself; she looked like an uninterred corpse. Slowly, Beki crawled over to Hinata. She would have felt more afraid if not for the fact that as Beki moved toward her, she slowly began returning to normal.

"Beki…." Hinata let out a hoarse whisper. "It's getting hard to breathe."

Beki slid up alongside her and rolled Hinata onto her back. Hinata's pulse quickened, but she wasn't sure if it was fear or excitement. Beki pulled herself up into a crouching position, took a deep breath, pinched Hinata's nose closed, and breathed into her mouth. Beki's lips were ice cold and she tasted like pond water. The anxiety of losing the ability to breathe subsided with each breath she was given. A tiny bit of fear remained, but Hinata felt safe in her friend's hands. While Beki breathed for her, Hinata could feel Beki's skin warming up. The musky taste of pond water sweetened until it was sort of pleasant. In the time it took for Hinata to regain the ability to wiggle her toes, most of the light had faded from the sky. While Beki was giving her a breath, Hinata tested her ability to breath on her own by inhaling. She was successful, but it surprised Beki and it ended up pulling them into a kiss. Hinata was surprised by how nice it felt to kiss her friend.

"Well hello to you too, Miss Hyuga," Beki eyed her suspiciously.

"Sorry," Hinata said weakly. "I was just trying to see if I could breathe on my own."

Beki shrugged and stretched.

"I feel like I was run over by a truck," Beki groaned. "How about you?"

Hinata's fingers twitched.

"I don't think I've ever been so afraid in my whole life."

Beki looked back at Hideki's stiff form. She was silent for a while as she stared at him, as if she were waiting for him to reawaken. Finally, she turned to Hinata and said:

"Well, he won't be bothering anybody anymore."

"It's cold out here," Hinata shivered.

"That's just because we're both soaked," Beki sighed. "Sorry about that. Come on, let's get inside."


	19. The Long Way Home

**Hi everyone. This chapter is on the shorter side so we don't end up with another 7k chapter. There was a clean break here so I took it. I"m currently working on another meatier chapter after this, so get ready for some serious fallout. Things are really busy for me right now, so I'm only able to carve out tiny chunks of time to work on the story. For those of you who have been leaving reviews and sending me words of encouragement, it really helps. It really truly does, and I appreciate every one of you. Feel free to ask questions and PM me any time. If you have an account, I'll try to get back to you within 24 hours. If you are a guest, I'll answer your questions here in the "Ponchoninjax3 Rant" section of the story. In the meantime, enjoy some serious stuff.**

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Hinata weakly reached up and looped her arms around Beki's neck. Hinata couldn't help but notice how soft Beki's skin was. It was smooth and nearly blemish free. Hinata really wanted to kiss it. She shook her head. Beki was barely in better shape than Hinata, but she managed to scoop her up and carry her inside. True to his word, Hideki had cleaned the place up nice on the inside. Paper lanterns cast a soft glow along a path to the room he had intended for them.

"At least he thought of everything," Beki grumbled as she followed the trail of lights.

"We both need medical attention," Hinata realized. "We should try to get home immediately."

Beki kept heading toward the bedroom.

"Hinata, it's nightfall and we are at least two hours from Konoha. The road is unlit, the only horse available is one that doesn't know us, and neither of us are in enough shape to navigate the way home," she explained. "It would be smarter for us to do field medicine on ourselves, bunk up for the night, and head back into town in the morning."

"Do you think we'll be safe here all night?" Hinata asked.

"I think Hideki wanted the two of you to be left alone," Beki reflected.

They arrived at the suite. It was romantic but very traditional, with a plush double wide futon, warm blankets, a half dozen softly glowing lanterns, rose petals, and a tray of strawberries. The two stared in uncomfortable silence for a moment as the unmet purpose of the room hung over them. Hinata could feel herself getting warmer from the inside. It was kind of sexy in here.

"Well," Beki set Hinata down gently on the futon. "I'm going to check out the bathroom."

Beki walked through the sliding door into the great marbled bathroom. There was a tub for two, a toilet in a separate closet, a shower, and a bottle of champagne chilling in the sink. She walked over to the bottle and took a look at the label. Beki whistled.

"What is it?" Hinata asked from the futon.

"Expensive champagne."

Hinata heard Beki pop the cap.

"I'm having some to take the edge off the throbbing in my face," Beki called out. "You want some?"

Hinata gulped. She should be terrified and traumatized after everything, but somehow this was all exciting. She shook her head again.

"Beki, you have a head injury and I was just drugged with god knows what," Hinata clenched the sheets. "I don't think we should be drinking."

Beki was quiet for a moment, then she called out:

"Fair point."

Beki started the water and stared inside the shower. Water came down from a panel in the ceiling, so it would be like standing under the rain. Surprisingly, it got hot and steamy very fast.

"What are you doing, Beki?" Hinata had felt the way Beki's legs strained under Hinata's weight as she carried her in. It probably was a bad idea for Beki to try to shower.

She heard the door open and Beki climb in before she responded.

"I have never felt so cold in my entire life," Beki's voice was faint from more than just the noise interference of the water. "I…I don't know if I can ever feel warm or clean again."

Hinata's heart was racing. She needed to get in there with Beki. Half of her was terrified Beki would be in trouble and collapse in the heat, the other half just thought it would be exciting to share a shower. After a moment of internal struggle, Hinata called out.

"Beki, you can't be in there alone. I'm coming in."

Beki didn't protest, which Hinata took as consent. She stripped down and climbed into the shower with her. Beki was slumped against the wall of the shower as the water streamed down over her body. Bruises were starting to form on her face, her chest, and her sides. Hidiki had really done a number on her.

"Are you alright?" Hinata reached out and gently touched the swelling on Beki's cheek.

Beki's eyes fluttered and she began to tip forward. Hinata caught her mid fall and held her in her arms.

"Beki? Beki!" Hinata shook her until her eyes opened again. "Beki, you have to stay awake."

Hinata shut off the water and carried Beki to the futon. Their clothes were still soaking wet, so she wrapped Beki in a towel and lowered her into the bed. Every time they made skin to skin contact, Hinata's heart skipped a beat. It had to be that damned aphrodisiac, Hinata thought. She climbed into bed beside her friend and pulled up the blankets. It had begun to rain, which dropped the temperature and played a lullaby outside. Hinata pulled Beki into her arms and shook her gently; her eyes had been closed again.

"Beki, you can't fall asleep."

"Okay," Beki's voice was slurred like she was drunk.

Hinata was scared. Help was sure to be coming soon, but what could she do for Beki if she slipped into a coma? Beki was her best friend. She had come out to save her when she was barely able to stand and had almost died for it. No, there was a chance she would die for it. The thought that she might lose her friend and that it would be all her fault made her eyes sting. Tears spilled out onto Hinata's cheeks.

"Hey," Beki drunkenly reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "We're okay. We're safe. Don't cry."

"Don't die, Beki," Hinata cried. "Please don't die."

"Shh," Beki snuggled Hinata. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?" Her eyes drooped. "Not going…anywhere."

"Beki?" Hinata shook her again, but this time there was no response. "Beki! Please wake up!"

Hinata shook her and shook her but nothing was working. Panic and despair gripped at her heart.

"Beki! Please don't leave me!" Hinata tried shaking her again, then she tried slapping her face gently. Hinata's heart raced as she ran out of options. She remembered how Beki had saved her only hours before with the kiss of life. Hinata decided that trying something crazy was better than doing nothing at all, and so she leaned in and kissed Beki on the mouth. At first there was nothing, but at last she felt Beki stir. "Beki?"

"I'm awake," Beki said weakly. "That's like, the third time you've kissed me today. Shouldn't you buy me dinner or something?"

Hinata laughed in spite of herself. Even on the brink of death Beki was cracking jokes.

"I'll buy you dinner once we get home," Hinata cradled her. "We'll go home tomorrow, so you have to stay up tonight."

"Talk to me," Beki shook her head gently. "It's easier to focus when you're talking."

"Okay," Hinata smiled through her tears. "Let's see. What do you want to hear about?"

"Anything," Beki sounded a little more with it, but not enough for Hinata's worry to pass.

"I could tell you about the time Naruto and his friend Sasuke accidentally kissed when we were in school?" Hinata offered.

"Ooh, that sounds like a good one," Beki smiled weakly. "Shoot."

…

The next morning, the girls woke up shortly after sunrise. Groggily they rose and put on their still slightly damp clothes. The lanterns had burned out but the sunshine was bright enough for them to find their way outside. They both avoided looking at Hideki's graying body.

"Should we do something about that?" Beki felt her bruised face self-consciously.

"No," Hinata shook her head. "Leave it like it is. The police will probably want to come out and investigate."

"Good point," Beki sighed as she hopped onto the horse. She extended out an arm to Hinata and pulled her up behind her.

"You look terrible Beki," Hinata touched one of the deep bruises on her face.

"Well, they'll take us pretty seriously then, huh?" Beki tried to smile, but winced. It hurt to show emotion.

Beki led the horse back onto the main road. The rain the night before had turned the dirt into a deep sloshy mud. No wonder they haven't found us yet, Beki thought. She kept the horse at a slow steady pace. Any time she tried to speed things up, both Hinata and Beki felt aches and pains all over. Beki sighed with frustration. It was going take hours for them to get home.

"Do you think they're looking for us?" Hinata asked.

"Probably," Beki replied. "If nothing else, the Hyuga clan is on the look out for us."

After a long pause, she said:

"I hope they sent word to my dad," Her face was set, but Hinata could tell something was wrong. She gave Beki a reassuring squeeze around the waist and put her head on her friend's shoulder.

"It's going to be okay Beki. We're safe now."

Beki didn't say anything but Hinata felt her let out a soft sob. As they trotted along on that lonely woodland pass, the traumatic events of the night before started to catch up with Hinata too. She remembered the fear and helplessness she had felt, the horror at watching her friend trying to defend her and being beaten so savagely, and she started to cry, too. They rode on for twenty minutes like that, each girl silently crying for her own reasons, trying not to disturb one another. Once the tears were out of their system the exhaustion and hunger set in. They moved forward, glazed eyed, for the next few hours, until a patrol caught sight of them.

"Hyuga Hinata?!" They heard called out from the trees.

Hinata looked up and called out:

"Yes?"

A three man squad leapt down from the treeline in front of them. They were all wearing the standard Konoha uniform of a green flak jacket and blue shirts and pants. Beki recognized one of them as the gate guard she had met on her first day in down.

"Tsukimori Beki, too," He gasped. "Are you two alright? Everyone is looking for you!"

"No," Beki shook her head. "We-" She shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath to keep back the tears. "We aren't alright. But we will be now."

"Let's get you two home," The guard she recognized from the gate approached them gently and took the reigns of the horse. "You can explain on the way."

The girls took turns explaining the story. Hinata told her portion of the abduction, then Beki. Then they explained the mansion, the drugging, and Beki's near murder. The guards were all shocked into silence. One of them shook his head and asked:

"But if he drowned you, then how are you-"

Beki looked him dead in the eye with a face set as hard as stone:

"I came back and I killed him."

"Kenji Hidiki is dead?" Another asked.

Beki got very quiet and looked down at the horse. Hinata could feel her friend's distress so she spoke up instead.

"She had to do it. He was about to-" Hinata bit her lip. She was feeling ready to cry again.

"It's okay," The gate guard shook his head. "You two don't have to talk anymore. We'll be home soon."

Home, Beki thought. If only that were the case.


	20. Iron Will

**Hi everyone. It's been a bit. I have been super duper busy and the business has made me too tired to do laundry let alone write. I'm hoping I'll be able to squeeze in another chapter over the weekend. I really appreciate all the messages and reviews. It really helps motivate me when I hit a patch of writers block. I have also seriously been neglecting my artwork. If you haven't checked it out, I have a deviantart with the same tag (ponchoninjax3). Out of curiosity, is there anything from the story you would like to see illustrated? Maybe if I know I'm going to be on hiatus a bit or a need a break from the typing I could still do something story related, but with pictures. So, yeah. Send me your thoughts, questions, comments, and I guess we'll slap in story-related drawing requests. I look forward to hearing from you all. Till next time!**

* * *

Tsunade had held off on sending word to Seiichiro after Neji had come and reported Beki and Hinata's disappearance. They were, after all, two young girls that might have just impulsively run off on some adventure and forgotten to tell someone. This of course was unlike Hinata, but Tsunade didn't know Beki well enough to rule out that possibility. Now that it was morning and they still hadn't turned up, she was beginning to search and rescue teams that had been mobilized at nightfall the day before that had turned up nothing. With the heavy rains that came in during the night, all tracks were erased and it became impossible to know what direction they had headed. All their guesswork had been shots fired in the dark. Tsunade's pen hovered over the notecard and the messenger bird stood at the ready. What was she supposed to tell Seiichiro? His daughter and chaperone were missing and they had no idea where they were? No. She put down the pen. She would wait until they had something-a scrap of fabric, a lock of hair, a body-before she sent word to the ambassador. Hopefully the girls would turn up safe, or Tsunade knew she would live to regret this decision.

One of the members of a search and rescue teams came barging into her office.

"We found them Tsunade-sama," He panted. "They're alive."

Tsunade leapt to her feet.

"Where are they now?"

"We've taken them to the hospital, ma'am," He explained. "They're pretty beat up."

Tsunade wordlessly stormed out the door and took off for the hospital. Tsukimori Beki was supposed to be under her village's protection. Tsunade hoped that Hinata was okay, but if the damage Beki sustained was significant, her father could start serious trouble between their villages. He was a reasonable man, but even reasonable people become irrational when it comes to their children.

The hospital staff had placed the girls in separate rooms for questioning. Initially, they had both protested, but when they were told it was temporary they gave in. Tsunade went to see Hinata first, as a courtesy. Hinata was a little bumped and bruised, but other than that she was physically fine. Tsunade asked her about the events of the night before; Shizune took notes the whole time. By the end of the tale, the frightened deer look in Hinata's eyes made sense. Tsunade prescribed bed rest and trauma counseling as soon as possible. Once she was out of earshot, she grabbed one of the nurses and told them to run a full tox screen on Hinata. The last thing they needed was for her to die of side effects from an unknown agent.

When Tsunade stepped into Beki's room, it was obvious someone had tried to kill the poor girl. Hidiki had put most of his force into damaging her face, indicating the personal nature of his assault. Hidiki's hands must have been bloodied and bruised after the way he had struck Beki's face repeatedly. Tsunade read her charts. There was fluid in her lungs and she had two cracked ribs. The girl had been through enough, but Tsunade had to hear her story first hand.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Beki blurted as soon as Tsunade walked up to her. "Can someone call my dad? Please? I want to talk to my dad."

Tsunade sat down on the edge of her bed.

"I'm sorry Beki, I know you've been through a lot. I need to hear what happened from you. As soon as you're done we'll be able to put you two back in a room together."

Beki paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and told her story again. She held back some of the parts about her kekke, but Tsunade caught her.

"So he didn't drown you?" Tsunade eyed her suspiciously.

"No, he did." Beki corrected.

"Then how are you here?" Tsunade pressed.

"Let's just say I figured out how to breathe under water," Beki looked away.

"Tsukimori, I'm going to need a better explanation than that." Tsunade used her best Hokage tone.

Beki bit her lip and closed her eyes tight. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to remember the twisted feeling of freedom she had when she revived. Hideki had tried to kill her and Beki had come back with a physical need to destroy him. She had been thinking, _Save Hinata. You have to save Hinata._ At the same time however, there was the gravely voice of the Drowned Maiden whispering for her to _kill kill kill._ Beki had felt so powerful in that form, so unstoppable, and the look of horror on his face when he first saw her had felt rewarding in a demented sort of way.

"I can't be drowned apparently," Beki fidgeted with the blanket. "Right as I was blacking out the 'fail safe' I guess is my kekke genkai kicked in. The adrenaline rush combined with the failsafe gave me the strength to take him out."

"How did you 'take him out'?" Tsunade pushed. "Beki, the longer you take to tell me what really happened, the longer I'm here. You want to be alone? You want to stop talking about this? Then tell me. What did you do to Kenji Hidiki?"

There was a long silence before Beki spoke again:

"I drowned him."

…

Tsunade walked out of that hospital room at a loss for words. What Beki did was justified, but her method was questionable. Tsunade needed to keep a closed lid on the whole case until an investigation had been completed and Beki had been cleared of manslaughter.

"Shizune, get the investigation department on this right away," Tsunade ordered.

"Yes, Lady Hokage," Shizune bowed. "Should I also give word for the girls to be moved to the same room?"

"Not just yet," Tsunade stared out the window pensively. "I have to make a call."

…

Seiichiro was in his closet of an office in the capital. He hardly spent any time there, but it was a good place for him to sort and store his paperwork. He was in the middle of writing his expense report for his most recent journey when his phone rang. Seiichiro was always on the road, so no one bothered to call him. They sent letters instead. So this was either a wrong number or an emergency. He reached over and picked up the receiver.

"Tsukimori Seiichiro," He said flatly.

"We need to talk," Tsunade's voice was heavy and measured. Seiichiro's heart rate instantly skyrocketed. This was going to be bad news.

Tsunade explained that Beki and Hinata had been attacked, but had been rescued and were in stable condition. Seiichiro was glad he had been sitting because he felt a crushing weight on his chest.

"Is she going to be alright?" He asked, his voice wavering.

"Physically, it will take maybe a month or so to fully recover," Tsunade sighed. "She wants to talk to you. Beki is probably going to ask you to come and see her."

"Of course I will. May I speak to her, please?" Seiichiro couldn't help but betray the panic in his voice.

There was a bit of shuffling, and he heard Tsunade mumble something.

"Dad?" Beki's voice was weak and quavering.

Seiichiro's heart sank into his stomach and a lump rose in his throat. His daughter was terrified and he was on the other side of the world.

"Honey, I am going to get on the boat right now." He said. "I'm going to leave Getsu right away. I'll be there soon."

"Okay," She was trying to be strong. He could hear it in her voice, but Beki was just a girl. A fifteen-year-old girl who had almost been murdered.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Beki was silent for a moment.

"I drowned, dad. I drowned and I came back."

…

Seiichiro was taken back to a cold winter morning almost twenty years before. His hands were broken and bloody and his clothes were soaked. He was frozen to the core. He had just punched out the ice at the edge of the lake moments too late. Yukihana's eyes were gazing blankly at the sky and her lips were a frightening shade of purple. He was hovering over her, panic shaken, when she blinked and started coughing up the frigid water. She looked up at him with the clouded eyes of the dead as her hair turned white as hoarfrost, and smiled:

"It's okay. I was only gone for a moment,"

"...dad?" Beki's voice broke through his trance.

He heaved a sigh.

"So you figured out your kekke?"

"I guess so," She sighed. "But when you get here I'm going to want to do some training. I don't ever want to be that helpless again."

The ferocity in her voice surprised Seiichiro. Beki was anything but mild tempered, but the tone she used reminded him of her mother. Yukihana had always been so angry at the world. That was the tone of someone who left a pile of bodies in their wake.

"We'll start as soon as I get there," He promised, knowing it would be at least two weeks before he could get to Konoha.

"See you, dad. I love you," She said, and without waiting for a reply, she hung up.

…

Tsunade didn't follow through on her promise to move Beki back into Hinata's room. Hinata was released from the hospital after two days. They had tested her blood and monitored her for any adverse effects of Hideki's drugging, but the kid had known what he was doing. Hinata walked away physically fine. Beki they kept, ran tests on, and they monitored her recovery closely. Hinata came to visit her almost every day with presents and snacks. She would talk about all kinds of happy things, the changing colors of the trees outside, all of the recipes she wanted to try once Beki was home, that she had a letter from Naruto with a picture in it so Beki could finally see a recent photo of him. Beki knew that Hinata was just as broken up inside as she was. She was such a good friend that she wanted to help Beki through her trauma before helping herself. Neji would come and sit with her too, but the time they shared was mostly spent in silence. The first time he came to see her, he thanked Beki for protecting Hinata. Neji told her he would always be indebted to her. Beki couldn't find the words to respond. Neji understood, and would wait patiently until she did.

Sakura would come and sit with her during her breaks. She would tell Beki about interesting medical cases she had encountered in the past and her training with Tsunade. Beki mostly listened. She had realized something in all those quiet hours she spent alone in that hospital bed. When Hidiki drowned her and she came back, something got left behind. Beki couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but she felt like a different person. Perhaps the experience had matured her, or her priorities had been set straight, but one way or another, Tsukimori Haruka would never be the same.

…

When her father arrived in Konoha, he barreled through the gates on the horse he had ridden since dawn that morning and headed straight for the hospital. He had caught a lot of flack from the king for leaving so much work unfinished back home, if he hadn't followed that statement with "But I understand it's a family situation," Seiichiro would have went rogue on the spot. The hospital staff must have been alerted he was en route, because a nurse wordlessly escorted him to his daughter's room. Beki was in a room by herself, with no windows to look out of and no curtains to obscure her. Upon Seiichiro's arrival, she was sitting silently staring at her hands. He didn't need to be her father to know something was seriously wrong. Instantly, his intense demeanor softened to one of parental concern. He walked in and sat on the edge of her bed gently. Slowly she lifted her gaze until their eyes met. He didn't know how to put it, but her the light in her eyes was different. They were less bright, less full of life. Seiichiro sighed. For all his protecting, the world had sullied his daughter's spirit at last.

"Get me out of here so we can train," She demanded.

Seiichiro reached into his bag and took out their family's traditional battle uniform. He had had a set made especially for her for her birthday, but he knew it would mean more to her now. It was a sleeveless wrap shirt made of stiff linen in slate. Their family crest was embroidered on the back in glimmering silk thread: a golden crescent moon cradling a maple leaf in all the shades of an angry flame. Given Beki's dislike for pants, Seiichiro had a pair of leggings in the same color made for her. They had special ordered the material; it was more durable than regular leggings and would fit to her like a second skin. The tailor had suggested the shirt be lengthened a bit to conceal her rump. Seiichiro had instantly agreed. The last of the outfit was its pride. The sash she was to wear over the shirt was a stiff satin in rusty gold. He had thought it feminine but not to the point of looking ridiculous on a battlefield. Beki's eyes widened at the sash and at the embroidery on the shirt. She ran her fingers over the silky material and scrunched her eyes closed.

"Are you okay?" He gently chucked her chin. After a long silence, she looked away and said:  
"I need a minute."

Seiichiro nodded his consent and left the room for the nurse's station.

"Can I help you, sir?" The fidgety looking nurse gave him a weak attempt at a friendly smile.

"I need the discharge papers for my daughter," Seiichiro's tone left no room for argument, but somehow the girl remembered her voice.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the Hokage has left direct instructions for her not to be discharged without her consent."

"I'm her legal guardian," Seiichiro knew it wasn't this peon's fault. At the same time, nothing enraged him more than this sort of bureaucracy. His daughter was in that hospital bed, perfectly fine physically. All he wanted to do was to get her out of this godforsaken place so he could get her on the road to recovering emotionally.

"I'm sorry, sir," The nurse's voice had regained its confidence once she saw he wasn't going to become violent. "Hokage's orders."

"Then I guess I need to speak with the Hokage," Seiichiro said it loud enough for Beki to hear. It wasn't subtle, but she was a smart girl and would get the gist. She was essentially a prisoner and he was going to try to get her released.

…

"L-lady Tsunade?" The nurse's voice broke; Tsunade knew it wasn't the reception.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's Tsukimori Seiichiro. He's on his way to see you," The nurse's voice faded until it was barely audible over the hubbub of the nurse's station.

"Thanks for the heads up," Tsunade sighed. "I'll take care of it. Goodbye."

She hung up the phone and stood up at her desk. She should have made the call sooner, she knew, but her duty to the village in the face of an unknown threat trumped personal courtesy. Now she was facing a new threat: a very angry A-Rank shinobi capable of massive property damage. Seiichiro could have never made it so long in politics without having a good handle on his emotions, but just in case, Tsunade planned to talk to him far from anything they couldn't afford to replace.

She had barely reached the bottom of the steps of the Hokage's Mansion when he came into view. Seiichiro had clearly been traveling nonstop since she had called him a week ago. His face and hair were oily and coated in grime. His armor was dirty and the clothes underneath looked soiled by the journey. Tsunade imagined this is exactly what he would look like on the battlefield, which would have been impressive if she hadn't realized that at this moment she was his opponent.

"Tsukimori-san," Tsunade greeted him cautiously.

Seiichiro stopped and considered her a moment. Although his kanabo was strapped to his back, Tsunade had the feeling he could draw it and strike faster than some men could unsheathe a sword.

"Hokage-sama," Seiichiro's voice was dead. He was clearly exhausted and was doing his best to keep himself in check. Good, Tsunade thought, that was promising, but she didn't want to take any chances.

"Walk with me," Tsunade motioned for him to join in step with her as she walked towards part of the training grounds.

Seiichiro complied. Initially he was silent, however he wasted no time getting to the point:

"How did this happen?"

Tsunade had thought long and hard about how to present this situation and had rehearsed this conversation in her head ever since she made that awful phone call.

"Hinata was stalked and captured by a former suitor. Beki had witnessed the abduction and attempted to rescue her on her own. In the ensuing fight she was injured, however she was able to eliminate the threat. Both girls were recovered by search parties the village dispatched as soon as they were reported missing."

"A former suitor," Seiichiro slowly scanned his surroundings as he spoke. "Had this person demonstrated violent or dangerous tendencies in the past?"

Tsunade could lie. She could bend the truth. That would be the easy thing to do, of course. The moment she did, however, Seiichiro, a much more seasoned diplomat than she was, would pick up on it right away. As soon as he thought she was lying to him, Tsunade would lose all of Seiichiro's trust. In doing so, she could cost Konoha a friendly relationship with Getsugakure. Hostility reigned supreme in the ninja world at the moment, and they couldn't afford to lose information about what was really going on that far east.

"Yes," Tsunade spoke with confidence. "There was…one incident. We immediately began monitoring his movements after his outburst."

"…Outburst," Seiichiro's eyes flicked off to the left. They were being followed. He counted two, no, three ANBU agents tailing them. They were good. He guessed they had begun tailing them as soon as he had left the Hokage's mansion, but it had taken until now for him to notice them.

"It was strictly due to his family's loss in the negotiations for Hinata's hand," Tsunade explained. "It had nothing to do with his work as a shinobi."

"So if you were monitoring this 'dangerous' individual how did he manage to capture the Hyuga heiress?" Seiichiro watched her out of the corner of his eye. "Wouldn't he have ANBU tailing him like we have stalking us at this very minute?"

So he noticed, Tsunade thought. She had told Shizune to hold them off. She trusted Seiichiro and honestly believed he would do her no harm. Her assistant clearly didn't share her confidence.

"He went rogue," Tsunade stopped in the middle of the field. They were in a small clearing amidst a copse of trees. Should things come to blows, there would be no collateral damage out here. "He and his father took a sizeable amount of funds from their clan and disappeared. This was the first we had seen of him since said incident."

"So let me get this straight," Seiichiro began to pace the field. "Once again, you had a dangerous, violent shinobi turn on your village and let them slip out of your grasp. It wasn't on a mission somewhere far away where recovery would have been risky; it was in your own damn backyard."

Seiichiro stopped and rested a hand on the trunk of a large tree and took a deep breath before he continued.

"I lost my wife to Orochimaru. He tried to take Beki from me but Yukihana stopped him," Seiichiro clenched his fist. "One of your ronin left me a widower at twenty-two."

"You don't have to tell me about Orochimaru," Tsunade crossed her arms. "He was my teammate. I saw him go mad. I tried to put him down myself."

"And I understand that he was a sannin," Seiichiro clenched his fist. "He was on a whole other level. But if you're trying to tell me that you can excuse some asshole kid and his dad slipping through your fingers, that's bullshit. If this kid was so damned dangerous, why did you have the same ANBU ass hats you've had following us there to take him out as soon as he fell off the grid?"

"It's not that simple, Seiichiro. We can't go around eliminating any shinobi on a first offense- "

"You can and you should!" Seiichiro spun to face her. "Tell me: how good has your 'ronin recovery program' gone? How did giving Orochimaru another chance go? How about Itachi Uchiha? All the other villages understand this concept: you abandon your village, and you die. Was it a Suna ronin who founded Otogakure? Did Iwagakure let a shinobi murder his entire clan and walk out the f***ing front gates like it was nothing? Someone might slip away, this is true, but they aren't allowed to stray far. Those villages all have effective squads to snuff them out before they start kidnapping children and murdering families."

"You make it sound so black and white, as if all ronin are born evil and we should see it coming. It's not so easy for people to accept that their friends and family can't be saved-" Tsunade began again, but Seiichiro cut her off.

"Has this job made you soft?" Seiichiro took a step toward her and he felt all the ANBU shift at once. "Do you realize that every time you people let one of your ronin walk away because you're sentimental, you ruin lives. You ruin families. I lost my wife to one of these rejects you dropped the ball with and now you're telling me I almost lost my daughter to another one?"

Tsunade could feel the rage welling up inside him. The situation was unfortunate, and she could relate to him somewhat, but this was getting out of hand. The situation had worked itself out. They would complete their investigation and use it to help improve their methods of tracking down and recovering ronin.

"Seiichiro, I understand your frustration, but you must understand- "

Tsunade saw a flicker of movement. Before her brain could process it, she heard a crack like thunder and the earth shook beneath her feet. During the split seconds it took for her to comprehend what had just happened, Seiichiro stood before her, his kanabo in hand, with about ten man-sized trees split in half, laying on the ground behind him. It had been a single movement, delivered with power and speed she would have never believed to come from a man his size. The ANBU agents immediately had him surrounded, each holding a blade to his throat. This clearly didn't disturb him, because with the poise of someone who had just politely waited for the other person to finish speaking, he continued:

"I don't think you're quite understanding me, Hokage-sama. Do you think I like this job? I hate politics. I hate everything about the people, about the games you have to play for king and country. But it's kept my daughter safe and on the move for the last ten years," Seiichiro tightened his grip on his kanabo.

Tsunade recognized the ANBU agents on him. They were all good for ANBU, excellent when compared to other shinobi the same age. That being said, she had the nagging fear if Seiichiro really wanted to he could take them all out before they would even know what hit them.

"If something happens to my daughter I will have nothing to live for," Seiichiro watched her calmly. "If she dies here because of the incompetence of you and your shinobi, I will make it my life's mission to avenge her. We'll have to see if your agents, who can't even kill a genin level ronin, can protect anyone who has a hand in her death from me."

Tsunade held up her hand for the ANBU to stand down.

"Tsukimori Seiichiro, I swear if your daughter dies under my watch and there was anything I could do to prevent it, I will accept full responsibility."

"Now will you consent for my daughter's discharge from the hospital?" Seiichiro rested the kanabo on his shoulder. "I need to get her some barbecue. You people have been starving her in that hospital."

"Can't do anything if she won't eat what we give her," Tsunade folded her arms. Here it comes, she thought. Hospital food jokes.

Seiichiro shrugged and started walking back for the hospital. He had tried to switch back to diplomat mode and the words stuck in his throat. He was losing his patience with his job. The system was broken, so it didn't matter who was in charge of the villages. They could take the greatest and purest hero in history, put him in a kage hat, and within a few years he'd be as tepid as bathwater left to stand all morning. No more. He wouldn't teach his daughter to be a pushover like him. The job had taken out all of his bite, all the fire that had made him the Reaper in the first place.

This had been a wakeup call. Beki had faced death head on and hadn't balked. Seiichiro had spent most of her life sheltering her, however in that moment Beki proved that she was so much more. He had hoped she would grow up to inherit his position. Seiichiro now saw that if that were to happen, she would need an iron will to keep herself from getting worn down. He was going to help her find one.


	21. Birthday From Hell

**Here it is, the essential birthday chapter. I apologize for the really long post, but this might be all you all have to chew on for the next week or so. Things are going to be reaaaaallllyyyyy busy for me for the next two weeks, so I probably won't be able to get much writing done. I still do really enjoy hearing from all of you and it helps motivate me to keep writing. As I said in the last post, it's faster (and easier) for me to doodle comics and such, so if there's a scene you would like to see illustrated just let me know. My devianart is the same tag, ponchoninjax3 if you want to see what I've already done. Also, just let me know what you think of the chapter. Feedback only helps me get better, got it memorized? That being said, I'll see you all in the next action packed chapter of...who the hell am I kidding? See you later, cowboy.**

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Seiichiro knocked on Beki's hospital door a few minutes later, feeling much older than 35. He had just openly threatened a kage to their face with witnesses to boot. He really needed to find another job. Beki opened the door and smiled up at him wearing the clothes he had given her. The slate of the shirt made her eyes look brilliantly silver and her hair looked like white gold against it.

"They fit perfectly dad," Beki let out a happy sigh. "This is just what I needed."

Her smile was still warm but it too had changed since the last time he had seen his daughter. Instead of the pure joy it had once held, it had now taken on the air of a challenge or a promise. The world may have gotten to her at last, but Beki stood ready to face it. Seiichiro forgot his woes and was the very picture of a proud father as he marched his daughter out of the hospital and straight onto the training field.

"Can I do a few laps first?" Beki stretched. "They've barely let me walk to the bathroom alone."

He gave her a dismissive wave and she took off. The burn in her lungs and the wind in her hair were reminding her why surviving that fight with Hidiki had been a good thing. Being locked up in a sterile hospital room had made Beki quickly forget all the little things that made life worth living. The sharp smell of decaying leaves, a light cool breeze on a run, the soft swish of the grass as you ran through it. Beki hadn't felt this alive in weeks. Once she felt sufficiently warmed up she jogged back over to her father. As she took up her usual fighting stance it occurred to her she was missing something.

"I have to go home and get my gauntlets," Beki looked at her uselessly unarmed hands.

"Today you won't need the gauntlets," Her father's voice was dangerously low. For a moment Beki wondered if he wanted her to try to fight him barehanded. It didn't take a genius to know that a 72 kg girl against a 122 kg man in armor was an unbalanced match.

Seiichiro sensed her anxiousness and laughed softly.

"Here," He held the kanabo out to her.

She looked up at him in confusion.

"It's no use to teach you how to fight against a kanabo if you've never wielded one," He explained.

Beki took it from him. It was much heavier than she had anticipated and her arms sagged in surprise. She swung it up and used the momentum arc it up and over her head. She used her other hand to guide its descent so it rested across her shoulders and back for support.

"Don't hold it up with your back," Her father poked her between the shoulder blades. "Bend your knees a little. Let them support the weight."

"This thing is really friggin heavy dad," She grumbled, a bit of her old self returning. "How am I supposed to swing this thing?"

"You're not," He smiled. "At least not today. For the next few week you're just going to get accustomed to the weight. Carry it everywhere."

"So I just have to lug it around with me?" She asked, blinking in surprise.

"It sounds easy," He explained. "But in a day or two you'll understand how this is a necessary step."

"What about my training?" She pressed. "How is this training?"

"I have to go back to Getsu right away," He gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "But I'll be back in about three weeks. By then you'll be ready to start learning some forms."

"How are there forms for this?" She asked, shaking under the weight. "Don't you just swing the damned thing?"

Seiichiro smiled.

"Try not to brain anybody with it while you're walking around. If you need to go in somewhere small, like a shop, just leave it outside. No one will try to steal that thing."

"Well if they did they wouldn't get very far," Beki puffed. Seiichiro laughed; there was hope for his daughter after all.

…

When Beki got back to Hinata's, Hinata ran up to her and gave Beki a big hug. They sat down on the couch and hugged for at least an hour. Then Hinata got up, made lunch, and they did their best to talk normally like they used to. It was easier now. They had been friends before, but after the events at the Kenji mansion they were closer than ever. If Beki had ever had a sister, this is what she imagined it would feel like. She would lie, cheat, steal, or kill for Hinata, and she had proved it. The best part was, Beki was certain Hinata would do the same for her.

Neji came over and spent the afternoon with them. He and Hinata updated Beki on the goings-on in the village for the last two weeks, and before long they had run out of things to talk about. Neji finally asked what had been on everyone's mind:

"So, you used your kekke to defeat Hidiki?"

"Yes," Beki said, looking at her feet. She had been waiting for one of them to ask her about it. She had chewed this over with her father and Tsunade and the investigators and had hoped she could just put it all behind her. If she had to talk about it again, however, she would prefer telling Hinata and Neji over anyone else.

"I finally figured it out," Beki explained. "It's in my blood; it's part of who I am. I just kind of had to figure that out and accept it. For years I had felt it trying to come out and repressed it. All I had to do was let it out."

"Can you call it out on your own now?" Hinata asked.

Beki closed her eyes and emptied her mind. That was the trick, she had realized. Whenever she meditated, that was what it was like to die: to be void, to be absent of thoughts, worries, or cares. If she emptied herself the drowned maiden would take over. When Beki opened her eyes she knew by Neji and Hinata's expressions her activation had been successful. This was not the full form, the form she had used on Hidiki, so she quickly phased back to normal.

"That's...disturbing." Neji blurted before he could stop himself.

"Thank you," Beki tried not to smile. She knew her grin would be extra disturbing in the quasi-maiden form.

"We should probably go to dinner," Hinata offered, "We've all had a very long day."

They all rose and walked over to the dining hall. By the time they got to the hall, Beki had fully returned to normal. Neji kept shooting her sidelong glances, as if to check her for signs of transformations. Hiashi and Hanabi greeted Beki warmly.

"It was too quiet without you," Hanabi said.

"I see my absence didn't stop you from borrowing my clothes," Beki gave her the side eye.

"They fit better than Hinata's," Hanabi defended herself. "And you never wear this shirt!"

"That's because it's my favorite and I save it for special occasions," Beki booped her nose. "Just ask first, twerp."

Hiashi did his best to ignore the whole exchange; Beki had just come out of the hospital after all. The family did their best to keep the conversation lighthearted. No one spoke of the abduction, the kekke genkai, or the hospital. After her first true meal in weeks and some decent conversation, Beki almost felt as good as new.

After dinner, Beki and Hinata went home. Beki was exhausted, so she took a shower and changed into her nightgown. As she climbed into bed, she was met with the scent of lavender. Beki knew Hinata must have just laundered the sheets for her. The bed was incredibly comfortable compared to her accommodations at the hospital. Beki hadn't slept well at the while she was there, with the lights always being on in the hall and the constant chatter and bustle of the nurses. She had been getting her rest in bursts of about two hours at a time, with annoying spans where she was wide awake with nothing to do. This was one of those moments. Even though she was mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted all she could do was stare blankly at the ceiling. After about twenty minutes of that agonizing hell she heard her door creek open. Hinata was peeking in through the crack. Beki rolled over and looked at her.

"What's up?" Beki asked.

"Sorry, were you asleep?" Hinata asked.

"No," Beki sighed. "I don't sleep so well anymore."

Hinata came in the room and climbed into bed with Beki.

"Me too," She said as she settled onto the pillow beside her.

Beki rolled onto her side facing away from her friend and Hinata scooched over so their legs were touching. Hinata threw an arm over her Beki. The weight of her body was comforting, Beki thought. She got caught up in the soothing rhythm of Hinata's breathing and soon she was drifting off. She woke up the next morning, completely surprised she had slept through the night. Hinata was out cold beside her and Beki smiled at Hinata's innocent sleeping face. Her eyes fell on Hinata's lips and Beki was reminded of the kisses they had shared. Beki shook her head. Hinata had been drugged and Beki was punch drunk the entire time. After a few moments of internal argument on whether the kisses meant something or not, Hinata woke up and smiled up at her.

"Hi Beki."

"Morning Hinata," Beki replied.

"What are you thinking about?" Hinata stretched.

"Nothing," she sighed. "Come on. Let's get up."

…

Beki walked around town running her usual errands with the kanabo on her back. She got a lot of strange looks, but no one dared ask her what she was doing. That was probably because the last time Beki had hauled an odd object around town someone got hit with it. Word must have gotten around, because Kiba was seen checking corners before he rounded them. Beki was also wearing her family's uniform, which was much more traditional than what she would wear on a typical day. It gave her a more professional image, and that made it easier to convince people that she was Tsukimori Seiichiro's daughter. He was out of town, but she still stopped by to see Tsunade. The guard groaned when he saw her kanabo and asked her to leave it outside.

"Did you really think I was going to try to get this through that little door?" Beki laughed and set it up against the wall. She held up a finger in warning. "No don't try this puppy out. I know it's tempting, but you'll hurt yourself."

She patted the guard's cheek as she walked inside. She heard him grumble something about "obnoxious kid" before the door closed behind her.

Tsunade was in the midst of her paperwork when Beki walked in. She looked up and set down her pen.

"Miss Tsukimori, what can I help you with?"

"I wanted to say thanks," Beki explained. "For not freaking out a whole lot about the whole...the thing. The thing that happened. That was really traumatizing for me and I wanted to say that I appreciated how you handled it."

"You're welcome. I have to say this is unexpected," Tsunade looked surprised. "This is very mature. I almost wouldn't believe it was coming from you."

"I did a lot of growing up in that hospital room," Beki said evasively.

Tsunade considered her for a moment before she spoke.

"I'm sure you did. I know you aren't one of mine Beki, but you are in my village. If there's ever anything you need, anything you need to talk about, the door is open."

"Thank you Tsunade-sama," Beki bowed. "I'll let you get back to your paperwork."

"You're going to go train?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at her, eyeing Beki's slowly healing cracked ribs.

"I'll be very careful," Beki smiled and put a hand over the tender spot knowingly.

"Make sure you are, Miss Tsukimori." Tsunade shook her head. "I can only patch you together so many times."

As Beki walked out of the office she noticed the kanabo had shifted somewhat. She smiled knowingly at the guard, who was standing awkwardly at his post.

"You hurt your back old-timer?" Beki poked his ribs and he swatted her away. "You have to lift with the knees, pal, not the back. Haven't you ever moved a couch?"

The guard grumbled something at her incoherently as she skipped away. As soon as she was far enough for him to let his guard down, she snuck a peek back at him. The guard was shuffling uncomfortably, holding his back like pregnant women often do, cursing quietly. Beki laughed to herself. Some people were just too predictable.

…

Beki's father was still in Getsu and Beki had nothing to do but train. She was starting to feel suffocated, being stuck in a ninja village and not being able to go on missions. Whenever she saw her friends, they had just gotten back from some expedition and had lots of stories to share. She read. She trained. She helped out at the kindergarten. She was excruitiatingly bored. It was Beki's 16th birthday. Hinata had told her she had some errands to run and she wouldn't be back until that afternoon. She had seemed a little nervous today; Hinata went out of her way to be extra kind when she was nervous. Beki tapped her fingers, trying to figure out how she should spend her time for the rest of the day.

Around this time of year back home, they would be preparing for the yearly festival honoring the Three Maidens. Reika would be making Beki and Ren practice the ceremonial dances every day for hours. They would hang out in the kitchen in between rehearsals munching on the moon cakes unfit for sale because they were a little burned or lopsided. Michiko, the graying Miko cook with hands as skilled as a potter, would purposely misshape some of them for the two girls. She had been making them so long, that was the only way the girls could ever sneak any.

Beki would get to stay at the shrine the whole week leading up the festival. It was a sleepover dream. Ren and Beki would stay up for hours talking about everything under the sun, and Reika would only tell them to go to bed if they laughed too loudly behind their pillows. When the festival finally arrived, the shrine would be at its busiest for the year. People from the main village as well as the locals would come to see the dances, buy good luck charms, and ask the Three Maidens to protect them and to grant their wishes. Most of the year the only person she saw visit it was the shrine's pet cat Socks. He was a tuxedo cat, and affectionately got hair all over their robes. He would always come out while the girls practiced dancing. He would run between their legs and yowl happily while they danced, sometimes even swaying with the music.

There was a good chance he was a retired ninja cat. He was very shy, but Beki had heard him talking to Reika before. Beki would always catch him listening in on conversations from the rafters, and on chilly nights he would curl up between the girls' futons as the slept.

The festival always fell on Beki's birthday, so after the festivities had ended the Miko would all gather in the shrine and they would have a special meal in her honor. Michiko made all of Beki's favorites and they would give her presents. Most of them would give her something they made themselves, which she loved: Beautiful paper bookmarks, handmade hair ornaments, and pretty paper fans. Ren would always give her something girls their age wanted or needed, like knee socks or nail polish. Reika would always give her advice. As the head Miko, Reika had allegedly developed the gift of second sight.

The frustrating thing was that Reika was never up front about it. For her fifteenth birthday, Reika had told Beki not to fear the great changes coming to her life. She had said that the shore never fears the incoming tide, because it always recedes again. Then there was something about the darkening of the moon always preceding its progress to shine it's brightest. Beki couldn't remember exactly what it was, because usually she would give the hint at the beginning and turn the rest of the fortune into a sermon.

Tired of feeling sad and homesick, Beki grabbed her father's kanabo and headed into town. It was one of those days where everything was bothering her: the noise of the children running around, someone's air conditioner clicking, a shop keeper's horribly annoying laugh. She pressed on with all her might until someone started blaring records of some warbly teen heartthrob. Beki had enough and decided today she would just go train. If nothing else, then she could at least say she had been productive. She turned around and headed back out of town. Her ribs had healed well enough that she could practice swinging the kanabo in patterns she had seen her dad use. It had rained the night before and the grass was wet and slippery. Mid swing the kanabo's weight threw Beki off balance and she slipped and fell hard on her back. It was a struggle to get back on her feet. Once she had, she looked down to see that she was completely covered in mud and grass.

"I'm just going to go home and go back to bed," she mumbled to herself. The mud dripped off her in clumps as she walked back to the Hyuga compound. It had gotten into her shoes and the squished disgustingly with each step she took. She was trying to figure out how to strip, throw her soiled clothes in the wash, and get upstairs to shower without tracking mud everywhere when she ran into Neji.

"Bad day at training Beki?" He surveyed her muddy clothes.

"Yup. I'm going to go change and lay in bed the rest of the day," She grumbled.

"I have some bad news for you then," He took ahold of her arm and started to turn her the other direction. "I need you to come run some errands with me."

"Can I at least change out of my muddy clothes?!" She snapped.

In an effort to be helpful, Neji very carefully reached out and took her kanabo out of her hands. The weight surprised him and he dropped the top of it on her foot.

She cried out in pain, grabbed her foot, used a few colorful words she'd heard her dad say in bars all directed at Neji. He stood there, eyes wide with shock, as he slowly handed off the kanabo to the two gate attendants behind them. They both backed away slowly and closed the gate, leaving Neji to fend for himself.

"Alright, Beki, let's go," He cautiously extended his hand.

Beki eyed him suspiciously as he took her arm again and led her back into town. She was humiliated that Neji made her walk around in her mud and grass covered clothes. They had to walk all the way to the aviary in full view of everyone. At least when they got there and picked up all the packages for the Hyuga household Beki was partially concealed behind them. Neji made her stop outside the market while he ran in to grab what he claimed where a few odds and ends, which turned out to be a what Beki considered to be a whole damned pantry. So now Beki was walking along, dirty, disheveled, carring her weight in bags and packages when Neji said he just needed to run into the flower shop. It was all the discipline Beki had in her body not to slam all the boxes and bags down and throw a tantrum right there in the street. Instead she took a very deep breath and exhaled slowly while he ran inside.

To top it all off, Beki was getting hungry. She hadn't eaten since she left the house this morning. She looked around at all the delicious options the street vendors had to offer. If they were running all these errands Neji wouldn't mind them stopping for a minute while she got some buns or something. When he came out she suggested they grab a bite and he shot her down.

"Dinner will be ready when we get home, Beki," He said. "You can wait twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes, she thought. Who the hell does this guy think he is telling me when I can and cannot eat? Beki's lower eyelid twitched. No, she thought. I can't lose my temper here. I am a Getsu ninja, and I can't be seen crying and whimpering in the street. They began walking back to the Hyuga compound, and Beki thought grouchy, anti-Neji thoughts the whole way home. When they finally reached the compound Beki awkwardly stumbled through the gate. Neji started sorting the packages right there inside the entrance.

"Can we like, put these down before we start sorting them?" She asked pointedly.

"Almost done," He said obliviously. "Okay, that's all the stuff for Hinata. You can go now."

"What about all this other crap?" Beki snapped, gesturing to all the bags she was laden with.

Neji's eyes grew wide with fear again and he silently pointed for her to go.

She walked up the path grumbling to herself. Naruto was probably sending Hinata a bunch of souvenirs from all his glorious damned adventures and Beki would have to sit there and listen to how wonderful this kid she had never met was for like, the 80 billionth time. She stopped and took a breath before she went inside. It wasn't fair to Hinata that Beki was in a bad mood. In truth, it wasn't really Neji's fault either, but after all the crap he pulled in town, he kind of deserved Beki's wrath. Her foot hurt like hell and he made her walk around in dirty clothes. She opened the door with some difficulty and stumbled inside.

"SURPRISE!"

Beki barely held on to everything as she jumped in shock. All the girls were piled into the kitchen. Something was cooking in a pot on the stove and it smelled delicious. Immediately the other girls were taking things off of her hands and setting them up. These jerks, Beki thought. They had me be the errand boy for my own party.

"Sorry about everything Beki," Hinata smiled shyly. "We had to keep you out of the house so we could get everything set up."

"So I can change now?" She was still miffed, but she couldn't help but break a small smile.

"Please," Ino gave her a snarky smile.

Beki ran upstairs took a lightning fast body shower. She put on a pair of mint green leggings and a dark gray top. It occurred to her that she hadn't dressed this casually in a long time. Since the Hidiki incident, Beki had lived at first in a hospital gown, and then almost exclusively in the uniform her father had brought her. While she was distracted in her thoughts, Hanabi popped into her room.

"Can I borrow the pink one?" She asked, pointing to a pink flowy top in Beki's closet.

"Yeah, take it," Beki shook her head as she refocused to the present.

Hanabi took the blouse and looked up at Beki for a minute:

"Thank you. You're nice, Beki."

Beki looked at her and considered Hanabi for a moment. Then she stuck her tongue out at her. Hanabi blew a back at Beki and ran back downstairs wearing Beki's shirt. Beki went back downstairs and took the last free spot at the table. Hinata had made all the components of sukiyaki, Beki's favorite. The girls munched happily and teased Beki about her temper with Neji.

"Oh, the attendants told you about the meltdown?" Beki laughed. "He dropped the kanabo on my foot."

"Ouch," Sakura winced. "You want me to look at it?"

Beki looked at her foot. It was bruised but she was sure it wasn't broken.

"No, I'm okay. I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Okay, enough with the chitchat," Ino slammed her hands on the table. "It's time for presents."

"Doesn't cake usually come first, Ino?" Sakura snapped.

"Only you would feel like cake after such a rich dinner, Sakura," Ino leered at her.

Beki looked at Tenten, Hinata, and Hanabi. Hanabi was watching the two older girls fight with fascination on her face. Tenten was ignoring the two of them while she fixed her hair. Hinata hovered nervously between them mumbling soothing words.

"How about both?" Beki said as she picked up a present. "Hinata can you grab the cake?"

Hinata nodded and smiled.

"I hope you like it. I made it myself."

The frosting was a lovely shade of powder blue. It was buttercream, but Hinata had iced it as smooth as glass. On top of the cake she had made pretty white roses and it said "Happy Birthday Beki" in a clean measured hand.

"It's gorgeous Hinata," Beki smiled. This wasn't mooncakes but it was just as good.

"Okay open the first one," Ino demanded.

Beki checked the tag. It was from Sakura. The paper was red with little pink cherry blossoms on it. She unwrapped it carefully. It contained a sleek white case. She popped it open and inside was a well-stocked medic kit in miniature.

"Thanks Sakura," Beki said with surprise. "This will come in handy, big time."

Sakura smiled.

"If I know you, you would want something that could keep you out in the field as long as possible. Look in the lid."

Beki did as she was told. The top of the kit had a slot in it for a picture to be held in like a locket.

"It's waterproof too, so whatever picture you put in there will be safe." Sakura added.

"This is a really nice piece of field gear," Beki packed it back up. "I'd say I can't wait to use it but-"

"I get it," Sakura laughed. "No one's eager to get messed up in a fight."

Hinata put the cake on the table with sixteen candles on top. She lit the candles and they all sang her happy birthday. Beki thought long and hard about what she wanted to wish for. She knew the right thing to do was to use her wish for others, but when she thought about it, wasn't a birthday wish the one time you got to have a 100%, outrageously impossible and selfish wish? She smiled slyly and blew out the candles, hoping that maybe she could get another shot with the Kazekage. Beki would be happy with just another chance to talk to him, but being the kage of another village made chance encounters the exact kind of thing she should wish to come true. Ino narrowed her eyes at Beki.

"You were wishing about a boy."

"Maybe," Beki crossed her arms. What the hell, Beki thought. Does she have radar for this? "Maybe not."

"Next one!" Sakura tossed another present in Beki's lap.

"Okay this one's from Ino," Beki said as she checked the tag. The paper was a pretty yellow floral pattern. Beki opened it.

It was a nightgown that wasn't exactly sexy but it wasn't something your parents would buy you either. It fell about mid-thigh, was made out of black silk with pink straps that crisscrossed at the back. The fabric felt incredibly soft.

"You have to wear it for the sleepover tonight," Ino demanded.

"I will," Beki smiled. "I really like it, Ino. My favorite nightie is getting kind of worn out. This'll be a good replacement."

Ino sat back smugly as Hinata handed out the cake slices. Beki picked up the next one. It was small, about the size of a juice box, and it was wrapped in shiny purple paper with a sparkly pink bow.

"Hanabi?" Beki said in surprise. "Sweetie, you didn't have to get me anything."

"Yeah I did," She protested. "It's your birthday."

"Thank you Hanabi," Beki opened it. Inside there was a pair of earrings that looked like tiny kunai. "These are so cute!"

Hinata heaved a tiny sigh. Just when she thought Beki was going to stop wearing things that looked like weapons but weren't, Hanabi went and gave the ball another roll. Beki put them on right away and gave Hanabi a side squeeze.

"So can I borrow your green shorts tomorrow?" She asked.

Beki laughed.

"Yes, Hanabi. Just get them back to me by next weekend."

The next present was from Tenten. It was long and narrow, and the paper on her gift was snow white with tiny gray shuriken on it. Beki smiled. She loved tiny weapon print. She opened it and inside there was a bladed fan. The blades were razor sharp and stuck out at the top of the fabric of the fan. The pattern on the fabric was a deep navy with shimmering silver waves.

"You said you were a Miko-in-training," Tenten explained. "I figured that would be something you would get some use out of."

"The most 'don't f**k with me' Miko ever," Beki said as she snapped it open loudly. "This is badass!"

Hinata's gift was square and covered with pretty lilac paper wrapped in a white bow. Beki opened it and inside were a set of white, black, and red lacey cheeky panties. Hinata blushed and laughed.

"I remember you said you needed some new ones, those were the ones you said you liked, right?"

Beki laughed.

"Yeah, these are the ones I like, but damn. Should your sister even know these exist?"

Hanabi rolled her eyes. The stupidity of older people. She was a sophisticated young kunoichi-in-training, and time and time again they acted like she was some drooling kindergartener.

"Beki, I've been in an underwear store before," Hanabi tossed her hair haughtily. The tone of her statement and the sass in her body language set the whole group laughing. Hanabi simply huffed and rolled her eyes some more. Hanabi helped Hinata clear the table while Beki got the packages Neji made her haul home from the aviary.

"This one's from dad," She said as she popped open the box. Inside was a very large, very warm sweater. Beki laughed.

"I think all dads start feeling like that when their daughters turn sixteen," Sakura said. "On my birthday my dad got me a coat that went down to my knees."

"Not all dads," Ino tossed her hair. "Mine got me a pair of 5 inch heels."

"He's preparing you for your future occupation," Beki said instantly, her internal filter failing at the opportunity for such a burn.

"Oh damn," Tenten laughed.

Ino and Sakura were wide eyed initially, but Sakura busted up laughing and after a sigh Ino chuckled too.

"I'll give you a pass because it's your birthday, but watch it," Ino warned. "I've got dirt on you, you know."

"What dirt?" Beki laughed as she opened the package from Reika and the Miko back home.

"You and Neji!" Ino practically shouted. "That flirtationship you have going on."

Hanabi started laughing.

"Neji is SO not interested in Beki. Like, he would date Lee before he would date Beki."

"You didn't have to be so quick about that, but yeah," Beki winced. "For all intents and purposes we're like brother and sister."

"He yells at her to eat her vegetables," Hanabi blurted over her shoulder as she dried the dishes Hinata was washing.

"That's when he's not telling her to put on a shirt that fits," Hinata added.

"Thanks guys, we get it," Beki grumbled as she laid out the contents of the box. There was an envelope in a strange hand with a paw print on it that said "open on a bad day." Beki shrugged and moved on to the next one. Michiko had sent her one of her old kokeshi dolls. "To watch over you," the note said. Beki smiled. They were probably missing her mischief. Last was Reika's fortune. She opened it with her eyes closed.

"What are you doing?" Tenten asked.

"Back home, at our shrine the head Miko has the power to see the future," Beki explained. "She won't ever tell you the specifics though. Only hints. Every year on my birthday she gives me a hint for what's ahead."

"What's it say?" Hinata called over her shoulder as she washed the last plate.

Beki opened her eyes and read her hint.

"Don't be afraid to give your heart away to people who deserve it."

There was a collective "Aww" from the group.

"Who are you going to give it to?" Ino pressed. "Neji?"

Beki ignored her and grabbed the last package. It was from her friend Ren. It was a copy of the most recent edition of the Bingo Book. The note said "There are lots of bad guys out there! Stay safe! Love, Ren."

"This is perfect!" Beki held it up. "I know a game we can play with this!"

"Hinata, can't I stay a little longer?" Hanabi's pleading bled into the conversation.

"Hanabi, father said you needed to be in bed by 9. It's 9:30 now." Hinata pointed at the clock.

"Ugh, fine," Hanabi grumbled as she gathered her things. "Happy Birthday Beki-san."

"Thank you Hanabi, have a good night." Beki smiled at her as she walked out the door. "Okay, have you guys played 'marry, f**k, kill'?"

"What?!" The girls said in unison.

Beki rolled her eyes.

"So you open the book and take the first three pictures and you have to decide which one you would marry, which one you would sleep with, and which one you would kill based on the options."

"How is this fun?" Tenten asked incredulously.

"You have to explain your choices," Beki sighed with exasperation and shook her head. "Here, it'll be easier if I just show you."

Beki opened the Bingo Book.

"Okay, first three are Deidara, Sasori, and Orochimaru."

"Ew," Sakura said.

"I would kill Orochimaru, marry Sasori, and fuck Deidara." Beki said.

"You would sleep with that?!" Sakura pointed at Deidara.

"Dude has mouths on his hands," Ino shrugged. "That would be pretty great in the sack. I'm siding with Beki on this one."

"Why, what would you do Sakura?" Hinata asked.

"I-I don't know," She waved her hands. "How about I do the next one?"

Beki laughed.

"Okay sure, but now that everyone gets it, everyone has to play."

She turned the page. The next three choices were Sasuke, Itachi, and Kisame.

"Woof," Beki said. "Look at the eyes on that guy. He's seen some things."

"If you mean he's seen the bodies of his family piled up because he killed them, yeah, he's seen some things," Sakura said.

"Oh this is going to be interesting," Beki smiled wickedly. "Make your choices Sakura."

Sakura looked uncomfortable. Ino was watching her closely to see how dedicated she was to Sasuke.

"Kill Kisame, marry Sasuke, sleep with Itachi." Sakura said through gritted teeth.

"I see you like to keep it in the family," Beki joked.

"Sasuke would never forgive you," Ino shot at her.

"Wait, would you do something different?" Tenten asked Ino.

"Well, I mean," Ino stammered.

"You aren't left with a lot of choices here," Beki teased.

"I would kill Itachi, marry Sasuke, and sleep with Kisame," Ino said proudly.

"You would sleep with the fish guy?" Tenten said with disgust.

"Sasuke would love me forever for killing Itachi for him, and how bad could it be?" Ino shrugged.

"Except for the fact that Sasuke wants revenge on his brother and he would never forgive you for taking that from him," Sakura corrected.

"Not to mention sex with the shark guy would probably involve a lot of not so fun biting," Beki chomped her teeth.

"Whatever, this game is stupid," Ino said. "Let's get drunk."

She pulled out a bottle of whiskey from her bag.

"How did you get that in here?" Hinata's eyes were wide with shock and fear.

"I took it from my dad's liquor cabinet, no biggie," Ino smirked.

She passed the bottle to Beki.

"You first, Birthday Girl."

Not wanting to look weak, Beki took a big swig. It burned her throat and made her eyes water but she didn't let on. She passed it back to Ino.

"You next," Beki stared her down.

Ino took a big swig too, then held it out to Hinata. She flushed and looked away.

"I'm not much of a drinker," Hinata said evasively.

"It's a damn party," Ino shoved it into her hands. "Take a swig."

Hinata took the bottle and took a decent sip. She pulled the bottle from her lips and gave a little hiccup. She passed the bottle to Tenten with a sad look on her face as if saying "Please don't let that have been for nothing."

She's too damn cute, Beki thought as Hinata hiccuped behind her hand. Tenten rolled her eyes and sighed. She took a swig off of the whiskey and handed it to Sakura. Sakura put it on the table.

"Don't be a prude, Sakura," Ino slurred.

"Sorry, medic stays sober," Sakura put the cap back on the bottle.

"Fine, spoil sport," Ino turned back to the others. "Let's go get in our jammies already so the real fun can start!"

They all broke off into different rooms of the house. Tenten changed in the bathroom, Sakura changed in the closet, Ino changed right in the middle of the kitchen, Beki changed in the living room, and Hinata went upstairs and changed in her bedroom. They all reconvened in the living room. Tenten was in a pair of cute ruffled shorts and a matching T-shirt. Hinata was in her usual knee length purple cotton nightgown. Beki wore the new black one Ino bought her, just as she was ordered. Sakura was in a pair of white fleece pants with red hearts on them and a matching red tank with a white heart on it. Ino was in a flimsy silk nightie.

"Sorry, it was hard to find anything," Ino pouted. "I usually sleep in the nude."

The whole room collectively groaned and rolled their eyes. The whiskey got passed around again and the girls were starting to feel it. Ino took out a box and a bunch of scraps of paper.

"In the spirit of the game Beki just showed us, I thought we could have a kind of honest hour," she explained. "You are going to anonymously write which girl in the room you would have sex with if you got a chance."

"Well this escalated quickly," Tenten grumbled as she took her slip of paper.

"That's what alcohol does to Ino," Sakura mumbled back as she grabbed a pencil.

"S-so we're all just going along with this?" Hinata stammered.

"I guess so," Beki shrugged. "When in Konoha, you do as the leaflings do."

"But this isn't usually what we do at parties!" Tenten hissed.

"Am I bad influence then?" Beki asked as she twittled her pencil.

"You bring out Ino's competitive side," Sakura said loud enough for Ino to hear.

"I will not be outslutted in my own village," Ino pouted as she wrote on her paper without looking up at her accusers.

Beki looked down at her paper. She wrote Hinata's name, folded it in half and put it in the box. Ino shook it up and tallied the results. One each for Sakura, Ino, Beki, and two for Hinata. Hinata was teased a little for being the most popular girl there. They gossiped a little more, Ino and Sakura got in another argument, and by about 11:30 they were all dozing off. Beki laid on her back on her futon and stared up at the ceiling. Someone had voted for her. She hoped it was Hinata, seeing as they'd kissed. If it wasn't Hinata, that would be super awkward.

"Beki, are you asleep?" Hinata asked from the futon beside her. Beki turned and faced her. Hinata was in the futon against the wall.

"Yeah Hinata?"

Hinata looked down, blushing.

"Did you vote for me tonight?"

"Of course I did," Beki said, blushing a little herself. "Did you vote for me?"

"Y-yes," Hinata smiled. "I voted for you."

Beki smiled back.

"I'm glad."

Hinata smiled at her and held out her arms for Beki to scooch into. They spooned through their futons, and Hinata put her head against Beki's and whispered:

"Happy birthday Beki" and gave her a kiss on the head.

Beki smiled. In spite of the rough start, it had been a very happy birthday.


	22. A Cactus by any Other Name

**Hi Everyone. I'm going to keep this brief because its like 12 AM and I could not come up with a title for this chapter so I went on a title generator site, typed in cactus, and laughed for about ten solid minutes at the headlines it generated for me. One of my favorites was: The people that want to start cactus but are afraid to get started. Go do that and you will understand where I'm mentally at right now. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. I always look forward to hearing what you guys think, any and all questions, comments, or reviews are much appreciated. As mentioned in the last post, I am also taking drawing requests based on the story to post on my deviantart account with the same tag (ponchoninjax3). So, with that...ie sind das Essen und wir sind die Jäger!**

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After all the girls left in the morning, the house seemed oddly quiet. The place had always been big and empty, but after the party the silence was deafening. Hinata and Beki floated from room to room together trying to keep busy. After lunch they split off and did their own things. Beki went for a run and Hinata stayed home to read. When Beki got home, she walked in through the kitchen door and called out:

"I'm home!" but she got no response. "Hinata?" She called up the stairs.

Beki's heart beat a little faster. She listened hard. She heard a noise, something soft like crying. She closed and locked the door and jogged up the steps. She knocked on her friend's door.

"C-come in," Hinata said through sobs.

Beki walked in and saw Hinata curled up on her bed hugging her pillow, a letter open on the bed beside her.

"Oh Hina chan, what's wrong?" Beki climbed up on the bed next to her.

"Oh, it's just Naruto sent me a picture," Hinata handed it to Beki and wiped her eyes. "He's growing up without me."

He was cute, Beki had to admit. His eyes were a clear bright blue and he had a nice tan from his training. He had a big goofy grin on his face and Beki could see why Hinata loved him so much. The kid exuded joy.

"I know his training is very important, but I just," Hinata broke out into soft sobs. "I just miss him so much."

Beki curled up next to Hinata and held her in her arms as she cried.

"It's okay Hinata," Beki smiled gently. "He knows you love and miss him. And he loves and misses you."

"I know that Beki," Hinata's eyes were still wet but she was through the worst of her crying.

"I'm just so lonely Beki," Hinata said, planting her face into her friend's neck. "I'm so unbearably lonely."

Beki knew exactly how she felt. Being away from all the people you loved was excruciating. The best thing to do was to distract yourself. You had to surround yourself with things that reminded you of the person you loved, but in a good way so it didn't hurt.

"I have an idea," Beki said getting up from the bed. She walked over to Hinata's closet and pulled out the photo album she kept there. "Show me everything. Tell me everything about him and all the fun stuff you guys have done together."

Hinata looked unsure.

"Won't it be really boring for you?"

"No, he's important to you and you're important to me," Beki shrugged. "So by extension, he's important to me, too."

Hinata smiled and opened up the photo album.

"Why isn't he looking at the camera for these ones?" Beki asked, pointing to the first few pictures in the album.

Hinata turned bright red with embarrassment and her brows knit in frustration.

"You can't say a darn word," Hinata huffed. "He...he doesn't know I took these...these were from before we were together."

Beki tried every trick in her arsenal not to burst out laughing and failed.

"You were a stalker and a peeping tom! Look at him! He's shirtless doing chores! Was this taken from a roof?"

Hinata slammed the book shut and hung her head in shame.

"No, no, Hinata it's not like that. It's funny. I wouldn't tell a soul," Beki put her hand over her heart. "I swear on my dad's topknot."

Hinata watched her long and hard, then sighed and reopened the album. She went through each picture one by one, explaining the context and telling Beki their stories. Beki listened happily because it made Hinata happy. The night dragged on, they made tea, and they fell asleep about halfway through the album snuggled up under the blankets.

…

Beki woke up alone. Hinata had left a note by the bed saying that she had been deployed with her team at the last minute on a special mission and wouldn't be home for three days. She apologized profusely for leaving so suddenly and promised her that she would make it up when she got back.

Beki went out for a run, showered, and checked the fridge. They had been planning on going to market together today. Beki had a pretty good idea of what Hinata needed, so she started to write a list with the intent of taking care of it herself. She was just about to walk out the door when she caught her reflection in the glass of a picture on the wall. Beki was clean, but her hair was an absolute mess and her shirt looked like she had slept in it. Back home, she would have shrugged and walked out the door anyway, but Beki was in Konoha. As she was now, Beki was in no way a good representation of her village. She had grown so accustomed to living in Konoha sometimes she forgot she was supposed to put on a good show in the name of Getsu. She went back upstairs and changed into a simple heather gray day dress. Then she put on the tiniest bit of makeup and a pair of earrings. It was her one day off a week from training; her run earlier had just been for maintenance purposes.

Finally she got out the door and headed into town with her shopping bags in hand. It felt strange for the weight of the kanabo to be absent. She had grown so accustomed to its weight over her shoulders she felt naked without it. Regardless of her discomfort, it was a bright morning with hints of fall in the air. It hadn't even occurred to Beki how pretty Konoha would be in autumn. She was so excited to see all the colors the trees would turn.

Konohamaru was waiting for his friends to show up for training. There was a new technique he wanted to work on right away, but the other two said that they wanted to enjoy the nice day a bit beforehand. Konohamaru had been practicing knife forms when he saw Beki walk by. He almost didn't recognize her. For the last few weeks she had been this intimidating behemoth dressed for war with a monster sized kanabo over her shoulder. Today, she was in a light and flowy dress. Konohamaru had always thought she was pretty, but in a tough untouchable way. Today she was pretty in the way other girls were, but somehow because she was pretty the other way too, it made her prettier than girls that were just one or the other. He took a deep breath. Today seemed like as good a day as any.

Konohamaru had been sending her secret admirer notes since he met her that day at the school. He had been distracted at school thinking about her and when Iruka sensei confronted him about his lack of focus, Konohamaru told him about Beki and Iruka smiled a little. He told Konohamaru to tell Beki why he admired her. He couldn't get himself to do it in person, so that's how Konohamaru had started writing the notes. She was so cool and strong, like Naruto, but a girl. And really really pretty. Girls in Konoha weren't pretty in the way she was. Konohamaru wondered if other girls in Getsu were as pretty as her.

He had one more note for her. This one he was going to give her in person; it was time to tell her it had been him all along. Konohamaru knew he was young, but he was going to be Hokage one day. If she would wait for him to grow up a little he was sure that would be a good thing to wait for. Konohamaru went chasing after her.

"Beki nee san!" He yelled.

She looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a little smile.

"Hey buddeh," she said.

Konohamaru liked when she said stuff in a funny way like that. It made him feel special.

"You're wearing a dress today?" He blurted. Act cool Konohamaru, he thought. Build up to it. Be cool.

"Yeah," Beki chuckled. "All my other clothes were soaked with the blood of my enemies."

"You must have a lot of enemies," He said, thinking about how many clothes girls seem to have.

She laughed at that, adjusting her pace to match his so he could walk beside her.

"So what are you doing today, Konohamaru?" She asked. "Training to be Hokage?"

"Yes!" He clutched his shirt. "I am going to be the greatest Hokage, even better than my grandpa."

That won't be too hard, Beki thought as she remembered all the shady dealings the Third had been involved in. No need to kill the kid's buzz though. She smiled and nodded:

"You keep training and you will be," She commented. "It'll take a lot of hard group. There's no way you can get a job like that by just letting it fall in your lap."

Konohamaru thought for a moment. Beki was really strong and cool, and her dad was an important ambassador guy. Maybe Beki could grow up to be a kage and they could be kages together.

"Don't you want to be the kage of your village?" He looked up at her.

She shook her head gently.

"Naw kid, our village doesn't have a kage. We have a king that hands down all the orders," she explained. "Besides, that's a lot more work than I think I want on my plate. My dad is just the ambassador and he's always so busy I hardly get to see him."

Konohamaru thought about it. That was true. He never got to see his grandpa very much when he was Hokage.

"I think if we did have a kage my dad would do a good job of it," Beki thought aloud. "He cares about our people a lot, and he has a lot of experience as an ambassador. On the other hand, he doesn't have the right attitude for it. I'm just like him, so I don't either."

"What do you mean?" Konohamaru asked. He had seen Beki's dad. He definitely looked like the kind of person that could be a kage.

"To be a kage you have to be willing to put your village above everything and everyone else," Beki explained. "I don't think either of us would be very good at that. My dad sometimes gets in trouble with work because he takes care of me instead. I'm more important to him than his duties to the village."

Konohamaru thought for a while. He would have to figure that out when he was kage. He might just have to have his family work in the mansion with him so he could take care of them and the village.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out when your time comes Konohamaru," Beki read his thoughts. She was so cool, he thought.

She swiped her hand just over the tips of his hair.

"You had a haircut?" She asked.

"Yeah," He sighed. "Mom said I can't let it grow out and look shaggy like a homeless dog."

Beki laughed. She had a big loud laugh. He liked it. The other girls her age just kind of giggled behind their hands, so you could never really know if they thought what you said was funny.

"I like shaggy hair, though," Beki smiled. "We're shinobi, not businessmen. When you look too polished or too clean, you don't look like you can do dirty work. When my dad shaves and cuts his hair short he doesn't look as tough."

Konohamaru was not going to let his mom make him get a haircut again. He wanted to look rugged, too.

They were in town now and approaching the market. Beki started to look over her list. She held up a hand to press back her hair behind her ear while she read. She was super pretty when she focused like that. She moved her lips as she read over the list like she was whispering a secret or a spell. Konohamaru suddenly remembered the kiss she had planted on him when he had used sexy jutsu and he blushed. He remembered how soft her lips were and how she tasted like tangerines and he walked right into a sign in front of a shop, getting tangled in the frame.

"Oh crap Konohamaru," Beki cried out as she worked at the frame to turn him loose.

Konohamaru was so embarrassed. Beki was so collected and smooth and he had just gotten taken down by a shop sign. When he got back on his feet she chucked his chin and smiled at him.

"I can't tell you how many times I've eaten crap over the side of a bridge and fallen into rivers," She said, trying to soften the blow to his pride. "And I'm talking about since I've gotten to Konoha. I'm not including how many times I fell into the lake back home."

Now was as good a time as any. If he could be brave right now he would prove to himself he could someday be Hokage.

"Beki nee san-"

"Miss Tsukimori?" Someone said from behind Beki. She stood up and looked over her shoulder.

"Oh, Kazekage-sama," Konohamaru could hear a smile in her voice. Beki turned a little to face the Kazekage and Konohamaru got a look at him. He was about Naruto's height, but otherwise he was his complete opposite. Naruto had this kind of sunny, friendly vibe about him. This guy was just plain unsettling. He was dressed all in red, like he was drenched in blood. It didn't stop at his clothes, either. His hair was the same sanguine shade. The Kazekage was as pale as a ghost and had dark circles under his eyes that made him seem dangerously unapproachable. Konohamaru quickly felt his resolve deteriorating. He reached into his kunai pouch and took out the note for Beki. Quietly, he slipped it into her bag and run away.

"I think you lost your shadow," Gaara jerked his head gently in the direction Konohamaru was fleeing. "I hope I didn't scare him off."

"He was just embarrassed," Beki explained. "He walked right into the shop sign while he was talking to me. He's at that age where they aren't ready to laugh that stuff off yet."

"You sure you didn't walk him into it?" Gaara looked at her with a pokerface.

"You knock out a guy with a bag of flour once, and suddenly you're responsible for every misfortune," She smiled, hoping that was a joke. "Next you'll be blaming me when you stub your toe on your coffee table."

"Sorry, was I interrupting something?" Gaara asked, looking at her shopping bags.

"I was just heading into the market," Beki gestured. "I'm running solo for the next few days so I have to stock up on the essentials."

"You aren't buying contraband, are you?" He watched her with that same pokerface and her palms started sweating. Either he was a master of sarcasm or he was actually concerned she would be buying flour

"No, I'm not baking anytime in the near future," Beki pointed in the window of a nearby shop. "Like the poster says, I'm barred from purchasing flour in Konoha for the next five years. The poor orphans won't be getting any cupcakes this year."

He exhaled a little differently. Beki realized that was probably his version of a laugh.

"I'll walk with you," Gaara began walking slowly, so although it was posed as an offer it wasn't really optional. Damn, he's good, Beki thought. That's the sort of move her dad would pull to corner a politician that was dodging him all the time. For a moment that worried Beki. He wouldn't try to weasel information out of her because she was his age, would he? Other diplomats had tried that before, but they were usually old men who were very easy to outrun and/or make to look like pedophiles if they bothered you too much. But the Kazekage was her age. She couldn't just rip her dress and cry to make him go away. Well, she could, but he would never talk to her again. A brief wave of panic swept over Beki. She wanted him to talk to her. She wanted to be his friend. Please, she thought. Please don't ask me a bunch of probing questions.

The two began to walk from stall to stall. They would greet the shop keepers and then Beki would make her selections as they talked.

"So, you stay in Konoha even when your father travels back to Getsugakure." Gaara asked in his stating the facts sort of way.

Oh no, Beki thought. Here come the questions. It was fun while it lasted.

"I'm kind of a physical representation of an act of goodwill while I'm here," Beki explained.

"You're collateral on the deal," Gaara echoed.

It's common knowledge, our arrangement between the villages, Beki thought to herself. The Hokage or her father would have told him the same thing. She had to be careful not to be too evasive just as much as she needed to withhold critical intelligence.

"It's not so bad," Beki decided to turn the conversation in a positive direction. "The Hyuga Clan are hosting me while I'm here and they are very generous. I have to admit it's kind of refreshing to live in another village and experience their culture."

Seiichiro had trained her well. You never throw the people you have a contract with under the bus, or else no one will ever make contracts with you. Even though they were in the market in Konoha, Beki was constantly aware every word that came out her mouth might as well have come out of the mouth of the King.

"Do you miss your home?" He asked, casually holding Beki's bags for her while she tested a watermelon for freshness.

"Some days I miss it so much I get chest pains," She slapped the melon. "But my friends and I write each other all the time, and when my father is in Konoha we make a point of spending time together away from it all. What about you? Isn't it hard to leave your village when you're the Kazekage?"

He handed her bags back to her.

"Yes. I end up having to leave a lot of work unfinished and it tends to pile up even more while I'm away."

Beki had been referring to his friends and family, but Hinata had been drilling it into her just as much as Seiichiro to keep those blurty thoughts to herself.

"Your brother is head of security, right? That probably helps a lot with keeping track of what's going on while you're away." Beki commented. "Speaking of which, where's your shadow?"

"He's around here somewhere," Gaara glanced around as if by mentioning him Kankuro would suddenly appear. "When we're out of Suna he never lets me out of his sight."

Kankuro was watching them at that very moment. When Gaara had spotted Beki and told Kankuro to wait for a moment, he had instead scaled a nearby building and pulled out his binoculars. He was going to see with his own two eyes what this girl was doing to mix up his little brother so badly.

As Beki made her purchases and the bags began filling up, Gaara would wordlessly take them from her and carry them. They were attracting a lot of attention although they were both oblivious to it. The Kazekage and the Getsu ambassador's daughter out to market together was quite a sight, but they were so engrossed in their conversation they hardly noticed the outright gawking going on around them.

"You follow your father around on assignments to train as his successor?" Gaara asked.

Beki's chest tightened. Here it was, the motive behind everyone with an ounce of ambition ever talking to her. Positions were inherited in Getsugakure, a fact a kage would be well aware of. If things went sour with her father, a young kage would only have to wait until Seiichiro retired to reap the rewards of building a secret relationship with her behind her father's back. It was time to nip that idea in the bud.

"He would love that, but my mother made him promise their firstborn daughter become a Miko at the shrine she grew up in," Beki explained. "They didn't have any other children so I'm kind of on the hook for that."

The Kazekage considered that for a moment before responding:

"Do you have more training as a Miko or as an ambassador?"

She laughed softly.

"I can't say I'm especially proficient in either. I've seen my dad iron out some messy situations in meetings that I would just get up and run away from. I'm sad to say I've been just as clumsy in ceremonies they've had me help with at the shrine."

"I have to disagree with you," Gaara shook his head slightly. "Of course I can't speak for your proficiency as a miko in training, but you handled that flour mess better than a lot of dignitaries I've had the pleasure of working with would have. "

"Thank you," Beki smiled. "That's quite a compliment coming from the Kazekage."

The conversation was becoming a little too personal for Beki. She had just turned sixteen, and the idea of having to choose between the job she saw her father suffer in or a spartan life of solitude at the shrine turned her stomach. She looked around for inspiration on how to change the subject when the Yamanaka flower shop caught her eye:

" Oh! How's the little cactus doing?"

Gaara's eyes lit up at the mention of the cactus.

"Very well actually," He spoke with more emotion and enthusiasm than she had heard him use to date. "It has been responding well to its new environment. It's still young, but with the growth it's made I expect that it will bloom next spring. I'm excited to see what color blossoms it will have."

Beki smiled. She hadn't known Gaara long, but it was cute the way he nerded out about cactuses. She wondered what else he had in his life that he was so passionate about.

"Do you have other cactuses?" She asked. Wait, what's the plural of cactus, she thought. Is it cactuses or cacti? Gaara didn't seem to notice.

"Yes," Gaara's face cracked into the tiniest smile, and he began describing each of them and how long he had been tending them. She smiled at him the whole time, asking questions here and there to maintain the flow of the conversation. It was the most she openly had ever seen him speak since she had met him. They had been walking for quite some time and were almost to the Hyuga compound before he stopped himself, nearly out of breath.

"I just realized I talked about cactuses for about fifteen minutes," He looked down at the shopping bags in his hands, embarrassed.

"It's okay, you're really into them," Beki smiled. "It's cute."

Gaara looked at her in confusion.

"Liking cactuses is 'cute'?"

"It's more how you've devoted yourself to becoming an expert," Beki explained. "It's hard to put it into words, but you don't know what a person is really like until you hear them talk about something they're passionate about."

"So talking about something only I'm interested in is 'cute'?" He asked.

"Yes," Beki smiled, as if it made perfect sense. Gaara's mind was reeling. Normally when he tried to talk about cactuses with his brother or his sister, they humored him for a bit but quickly changed the subject. Yet here was this girl who barely knew him and genuinely seemed to like hearing him talk about them just to hear him talk. He didn't get many opportunities to engage in casual conversation, so it took him a moment to decide how to follow such a confounding statement.

"Well," He began. "What's something that you like?"

"Talking to people about what they like," She smiled evasively. Calling him cute had thrown him off, she could tell. The thing was, she still was unsure of his sense of humor. She decided how he handled a little playful teasing would be very telling in that regard.

The Kazekage eyed her suspiciously.

"Miss Tsukimori, what is something you are personally interested in?"

"Cactuses," Her lopsided grin widened.

Gaara was feeling frustrated, but in a way he'd never experienced before. Typically when he felt frustrated about something or someone, he simply detached himself from the situation and became aloof. With Beki, however, his frustration was due to the fact that he wanted to know more about her and she was holding out. Her resistance felt like a challenge, which only made him want to pry the information from of her more. There was one card he hated to use, but he knew she would be forced to cave under:

"Don't make me pull rank," He stared her down.

"Okay, fine," She groaned. With a sigh she looked up at him and said:

"Moon stuff."

He shot her a look that would have curdled milk, but all she did was smile until they reached the gate of the Hyuga compound. She reached for her bags but he held them out of reach, continuing to stare her down.

"Okay, fine. I pinky swear the next time I see you I'll tell you about something I really like, okay?" She said, holding up her pinky. He stared at her for a moment and then mimicked the gesture. She reached up and wrapped her pinky around his.

"We've sealed the deal," She held out her hands for the bags. "Now are you going to keep holding my groceries hostage?"

He handed them over and sighed.

"Thanks for the help, Kazekage-sama," Beki bowed as she started through the gate.

"You can call me Gaara," He said as she walked inside.

"Okay, I'll see you later, Gaara," She called out as she closed the gate.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. She hoped she had been a lot cooler than she had felt. For someone who looked and had the reputation of an absolute degenerate, he was the most awkwardly adorable boy she had ever met. He was like an 8 year old she just wanted to hug and enjoy all the little things with, like dragonflies and cactuses. She wanted to keep walking with him forever, talking until they had run out of words and ended up somewhere beautiful where no words were needed. She shook her head. Fifteen minutes ago she was worried he was jockeying for political position and now she was going on about how sweet he was. Beki was being stupid and she knew it.

She backed away from the gate but wasn't quite able to take her eyes off of it, as if subconsciously she was hoping he might come bursting inside. Instead, she saw him fly away on a cloud of sand, and the absurdity of the last hour's events dawned on her. The Kazekage had gone grocery shopping with her and then had walked her home with her bags. The man could fly, and he had carried her groceries with her for miles. Her heart soared. Maybe that meant he kind of liked her. Oh my god, she thought, of all times for Hinata to be out of town it has to be now. Who else could she trust to keep their mouth shut? She thought. Beki then remembered a certain unspeakable encounter in the woods and the pact it created. Neji, she smiled.


	23. A LoveParallelogram?

**Hi everyone. Here I am, just plugging away. I wanted to get at least one chapter up this weekend. Maybe if I'm lucky I can get another one posted Sunday or Monday. Things are still super duper ultra busy for me for the next two weeks. I just want to say that I have really appreciated the feedback and reviews I have been receiving. This is my first fanfiction, so it's a big help when I hear from you guys about what you like and I try to put more of that in the story. It's hard to objectively judge your own writing. I am also taking requests for illustrated portions of the story. I've been doing some OC drawing challenges and I plan to post those at some point in the near future, but as I said, if there's something you want to see, let me know. It's a little slow going because I'm a bum and haven't quite made the transition to fully digital art yet. My sketch work always looks great but when I try to color something on the computer it looks like I let a five year old do it in microsoft paint. I'm in the process of getting a new scanner because when I try to post something I did with traditional mediums my old scanner makes it look blanched. I'm super duper proud of the cover art of this story, for example, but in real life it's much more vivid. That being said, once I get the new scanner I'll probably re upload that sucker. Okay! Rant(?) over! I love hearing from you guys, so please if you have the time drop me a line. I try to get back to anyone who reviews/messages w/in 24 hours. Sailor Ponchoninjax3 says...see ya!**

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When she found Neji, he was training alone in the courtyard. His face was focused and his Byakugan was activated.

"What is it, Beki?"

"I have a question that requires a male's perspective," Beki rocked on her heels.

"Yes?" He asked.

"If you were a boy that had the ability to fly but you chose to carry a girl's bags home with her, what does that mean?" She kept her face as spoiler free as possible, but she was so damned excited.

Neji stepped back into a normal standing position and looked at her.

"Who do you know that can fly?"

"No names, Neji," She crossed her arms. "This is just a hypothetical situation I'm presenting you with."

"Tsukimori Beki, who were you out with today?" He stared her down.

"You aren't my dad, Neji," Beki stared him down right back. "I'm coming to you man to man. After everything we've been through, Neji, and all the secrets that we've shared don't you dare narc on me."

Neji sighed and deactivated off his byakugan.

"I promise if you tell me I'll keep it to myself."

"It was the kazekage." Beki watched him very closely. Neji's jaw tensed and his gaze intensified. A silence fell between them before he finally spoke.

"Beki, the Kazekage has had a great turnaround as of late, but I suggest caution," Neji kept his tone measured. "A domesticated wolf doesn't forget what it truly is."

"What specifically are you referring to?" Beki looked at him in confusion.

"He is the Kazekage now and works very hard for his village," Neji explained. "Before that he had a lot of darkness and cruelty in him. Those are traits that run that deep and are nearly impossible to completely get rid of. I saw him fight in the chunin exams. It was frightening, Beki. He popped people, just for crossing his path. He popped them like...like." Neji gestured with his hand as the word floated just out of reach.

"Balloons?" Beki suggested.

Neji snapped his fingers.

"Yes, exactly."

"You haven't answered my question," Beki redirected. "What does it mean if I got walked home by someone who can fly?"

"It means you must have been talking about something interesting," Neji folded his arms, still staring her down.

"That's all I needed, thanks pal," Beki slapped him on the shoulder and ran off toward Hinata's house with her groceries.

Hanabi saw her hoofing it home with a big stupid grin on her face and began giving chase.

"What's going on Beki nee san?!" She hollered.

"I can't believe it! My birthday wish came true!" Beki threw open the door and started hurriedly putting away the groceries.

"You're acting weird," Hanabi's eyes were wide. "You're scaring me."

"I think a boy I like likes me," Beki plopped down at the table in front of Hanabi. "I think I might get to see him again tomorrow, so I have to plan out an outfit. Wanna help?"

Hanabi considered her for a minute.

"Just do what you did today," She stood and started to help put the last of the groceries away. "You look like you didn't just roll out of bed for once."

"Sorry, all my cute clothes seem to go missing," Beki gave her the side eye.

"Okay, fine," Hanabi said as she stuck her hand in the bag again and stopped. She pulled out a rolled up slip of red paper held closed by a heart sticker. "What's this?"

"Oh, it looks like my secret admirer is getting a little bit braver," Beki smiled and took it. "Let's see, aw, he's asking if I'll wait for him to grow up."

Hanabi took the note and looked at it. Her heart sunk in her chest. She recognized that handwriting; it was Konohamaru's. She really hoped he wasn't the boy Beki liked, because Hanabi really liked Konohamaru. He was like Naruto, but younger and not attached to her sister. Hanabi had found a new sister in Beki and she really hoped that she wasn't going to mess this one up for her.

"This isn't from the boy you like, is it?" Hanabi asked measuredly.

"I don't think so," Beki said as she put the bread in the breadbox. "I hope he doesn't have handwriting that childish."

"You do know who this is from, right?" Hanabi waved it in her face.

"No," Beki looked at her confused. Hanabi was the one acting weird now.

"So who is the boy you like?" Hanabi pressed.

Beki thought about it for a moment. She didn't want to blow this out of proportion. At best, the situation was complicated. The Kazekage and the daughter of a Getsugakure ambassador would have to be very cautious about being anything more than friends. That would make things complicated for her dad, Gaara, and Tsunade. Although she had already told Neji, he had proven he could be trusted with a secret. After all, they hadn't been forced to marry at kunai point, so he hadn't told anyone he'd seen her naked. Hanabi was a different situation. She was young and wouldn't understand the complicated situation Beki was in. It was best to treat the situation as as though there was no situation.

"You know what, I'm probably just being silly," Beki started slicing up the watermelon and putting it in Tupperware. "He probably just wants to be friends. Don't worry about it."

"Why can't you just tell me?" Hanabi pleaded.

"Well," Beki's knife hovered over the melon as she considered it. "I've never had a boyfriend. I've never even been on a date, Hanabi. So now that I'm thinking about it, there's a chance that he was just being friendly and I'm projecting my wish for him to like me on everything he did. Kind of like when you're angry at someone and everything they does annoys you, even if it's not that bad."

"Like when they chew really loud and tap their pencil during class?" Hanabi obviously already had someone in mind. Someone needs to keep an eye on this girl, Beki thought. She has a lot of anger pent up inside.

Hanabi stole a slice of melon while Beki packed it up and put it in the fridge. She watched Beki out of the corner of her eye. Beki was very pretty today and it wasn't because of the makeup she put on or the dress she wore. It was hard describe. There was a glow about her that Hanabi recognized as joy. Beki was holding out on her. Whoever the boy she liked was it was obvious by Beki's behavior that he liked her back at least a little bit. Hanabi sighed. Hinata and Beki were both so silly and so selfish. They had all these great boys that liked them and chased after them, but they were both so shy and slow about doing anything with them. If Beki was so into this other boy, she should let Konohamaru know so he could move on to someone better, like Hanabi.

…

A short while later, Hanabi took off with a mumbled excuse of needing to do something. As the conversation had gone on, the girl had become increasingly less respondent and lost in her thoughts. Beki shrugged it off and decided to go for a walk. Since she wasn't going to go back into town, she washed off the makeup and threw on some old training clothes. She headed out of the Hyuga compound without incident and started to walk her favorite path through the woods. The sun would set soon, she thought as she watched the golden light of late afternoon light up the stream like it was on fire. Beki suddenly felt parched and started walking home to have a cup of tea but stopped dead when she realized that because of the excitement with the Kazekage that morning she had forgotten to replace their stock. The shop she always bought it from would be open for another hour so she swung back home to grab her wallet and jogged into town.

She caught the shop owner just before he was about to lock up. Beki was a familiar face and he knew she was only there for tea, so he rang her up and locked the door behind her. She smiled to herself. It was nice to be a local.

"Beki nee san!" she heard from behind her.

Konohamaru was standing in the street with an eager look on his face.

"I was hoping I'd run into you again."

"Well, here I am." She smiled at him. Beki missed having that kind of energy.

"I forgot to tell you earlier, I graduated!" He had a big grin on his face like the world was at his feet.

"Oh, that's great!" Beki gave him a high five. "I remember when I graduated. It's a big deal. You should be proud of yourself."

Konohamaru flushed a little and then looked at her confidently.

"We should go celebrate."

Beki looked at her watch. There was still a little time before the weapons shop closed. She tucked her tea in her bag and put her hands on her hips.

"Okay, how about I treat you to something?" Beki asked. "A genin just starting out could use some gear for their kunai kit."

"Yeah, that sounds perfect," Konohamaru had a plan. He was going to get Beki to promise to wait for him to grow up. He just had to set it up right. The two of them walked into a nearby weapons shop. Beki looked over the selection for some useful items that wouldn't be included in his standard issue kunai bag.

"Um, Beki, I like these," He pointed at a twin pair of kunai. They were sleeker and sharper than standard kunai, and the handles were wrapped in royal blue thread. Beki asked the shopkeeper to take them out of the case. She tested the weight on them. Considering they didn't have as much bulk as standard kunai, she was surprised to see they still had some heft to them.

"Yeah, I think these are a good choice," Beki bought them and took the paper wrapped bundle outside. She handed the kunai to Konohamaru. "Congratulations, little genin. You're one step closer to becoming Hokage."

He took the bundle from her and held it in his hands thoughtfully. He started to unwrap them and took out one of the kunai. He held it out to Beki with a very serious look on his face.

"This is my promise to you, Beki nee san." His face was set in a dead serious expression. "I will become Hokage. You'll see."

Beki looked down at the little man in front of her. She knew it would be the worst thing to say, but seeing him with that big tough guy expression was adorable. This was very important to him, so she figured she should humor him. She held out her hand and took it.

"I'll hold you to this," She said, spinning the kunai before she expertly slipped it back in her bag. "When Naruto retires, I'll be sure to be here for the election."

This is it, Konohamaru thought. She's already promised to come when I'm elected. All I have to do is ask her to wait for me until then.

"Beki chan!" Lee almost bowled Konohamaru over as he ran up to them. "Sorry, Konohamaru chan."

"Hey Lee, what's up?" Beki prayed he wasn't going to challenge her to something. When she was in the hospital he had challenged her to a crane folding contest and she developed a repetitive movement injury in her wrist that still twinged painfully whenever she was folding up a letter.

"Neji san said that because Hinata chan is on a mission you'd be home alone tonight," Lee saluted. "The members of Team Gai would like to invite you to join us for dinner!"

Beki smiled at their kindness and then mimicked his salute. In her best impression of Lee, she replied:

"Tsukimori Beki of Getsugakure accepts your offer! I'll race you to the restaurant!"

At the word "race" Lee took off like a shot. Beki watched him go and shook her head. She looked down at the almost forgotten Konohamaru and ruffled his hair.

"I'll see you later, Konohamaru."

He watched her jog casually after Lee and sighed. He'd once again been foiled by the interference of one of the older kids. How was he ever going to get the chance to make the pact with Beki?

"Konohamaru," A soft voice called out from the shadows.

"Who…who is it?" Konohamaru clutched his new kunai.

"It's me, Hanabi," She stepped into the light and looked him dead in the eye. "And I think there's something you need to know about Beki."

…

It was around eight when Beki began the walk back to the Hyuga compound. Neji, Tenten, Lee, and Gai had decided to go do karaoke after dinner and Beki had opted out. She loved them all dearly, but the idea of listening to Gai sensei sing was enough to give her nightmares.

Up ahead she saw a figure standing alone in the road. It was a bright night, so after a moment Beki identified them as Hanabi.

"Hanabi, what are you doing out here?" she called out.

"Is it true that you spent all morning with the Kazekage?" Hanabi demanded.

Hanabi was acting strangely again. Here she was confronting Beki out of the blue and talking loudly. Something didn't feel right. Maybe Beki had hurt her feelings by not inviting her into town with her? She usually didn't like running errands, but maybe because Hinata hadn't been around Hanabi had been lonely. Beki sighed. She didn't have a sister so sometimes she forgot to consider Hanabi when making her plans.

"Look, Hanabi, I would have invited you but I figured it was just grocery shopping-"

"The boy you like," Hanabi pressed, her voice still raised. "Is it the Kazekage?!"

"Keep your voice down," Beki looked around nervously. "Hanabi, I…Remember? I told you. It's probably nothing. He probably doesn't even like me like that."

"But you like him like that, right?!" Hanabi stamped her foot.

Beki was about done with Hanabi's attitude. All day long she had been breathing down Beki's neck, getting in her business, and throwing tantrums. Someone needed to put the spoiled little heiress in her place, and as much as she wanted to slap that haughty little face she knew she couldn't do it.

"Yes," Beki grumbled in frustration. "I really like him, okay? What the hell does it matter? Don't you have anything better to do than to poke around in my business all the time?!"

Suddenly there was movement in the bushes by Hanabi. Beki had just enough time to catch sight of the flap of a scarf as Konohamaru took off into the woods.

"What have you done Hanabi?!" Beki yelled at her. Hanabi stared back at Beki, wide eyed. Beki had never yelled at her before. Beki threw her bags at Hanabi and took off for the woods.

"Go home, Hanabi!" Beki barked over her shoulder.

Hanabi was left standing there with Beki's crushed up bags. Things had been going so well. She thought Konohamaru was just going to hear that Beki liked the Kazekage and give up on her, but now everyone was all upset. Hanabi stalked off toward home feeling emptier and more confused than she had before she had put the plan into action.

Konohamaru ran as fast and as hard as his legs would let him. His throat and eyes were burning. He had never felt so stupid or so embarrassed in his life. He had thought Beki liked him. He was in love with her and she probably just thought of him as some stupid kid that kept following her around. Of course she would like the Kazekage. A girl as pretty and nice as Beki would never waste her time with any of the boys in Konoha, let alone Konohamaru. He couldn't hold back the tears anymore. As they poured down his cheeks his vision blurred and he lost his footing. He tripped and fell hard, face first into the tree roots and moss below him. His body hurt and burned where he had made impact. He could feel his nose bleeding. As he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees he heard the leaves crunch around him. The hair stood up on the back of his neck. He knew he was in trouble before the first of the Rain ronin stepped into view.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He reached a hand out to pull Konohamaru up but he retracted.

"It's a little Leaf nin, lost in the woods," The rough looking woman said.

"That isn't just any Leaf nin," a third one, so quiet Konohamaru hadn't noticed him yet, pointed at him. "That's the Third Hokage's grandson,"

"What does that matter?" The first one asked.

"They're basically royalty," The third one explained. "We'll make a mint in ransom."

"Did you hear that kid?" The rough woman smiled with her gap toothed grin. "You're good news for us. Sucks for you though."

Konohamaru was scanning for a possible escape as they closed in. He didn't have his kit with him and he knew he didn't have enough experience to take on three adult ronin. Panic was setting in. The first one reached out for him when he suddenly stopped. Konohamaru saw a sleek kunai with royal blue wrappings pressed to the ronin's throat.

"How about you back off of the kid," Beki said, her voice calm, deep, and steady.

The ronin made a swing for her face, Beki ducked and countered, planting a blow with the butt of the kunai to his ribs. It was quick but deep, and Konohamaru heard a cracking sound as she made impact. The ronin jumped back to gain some space, and his counterparts readjusted so Beki and Konohamaru were surrounded.

"And who do you think you are little girl?" The first one held his injured rib with an infuriated expression.

"The Drowned Maiden," She replied cryptically.

"You don't look drowned yet," The woman said, spinning her kunai menacingly.

In an instant, Beki's skin went ashen and Konohamaru could see all her veins blue and sticking out against her skin. Her hair turned an inky black and clung to her as if an invisible bucked of water had poured over her and soaked her suddenly. She had her back to him, but he had a feeling whatever the ronin were seeing was a lot scarier than that.

Beki stared down the three ronin with her corpse eyes, praying her bluff would pay off. They were three seasoned-looking adults and she had no idea what they were capable of. It was late and they were outside the usual patrol route so Beki would be on her own against them. One on one with any of the three, Beki felt she would do just fine, but they were a squad. If this didn't work maybe she could hold them long enough for Konohamaru to escape.

"If you walk away right now I won't drag you all to a watery grave," Her voice had taken on a warbled gravely quality that set their teeth on edge. It was obvious the third one was losing his will to fight.

"Let's just get out of here," He said, backing away.

"She's just one girl," The first one said.

"You have a cracked rib already," The woman barked. "We haven't even started fighting yet and you're injured. Let's get out of here before any more Leaf ninja show up."

"Whatever," He growled, and all three of them retreated into the woods.

Beki waited until they were gone and her heart stopped racing. Her hair was still black and her skin still ashy because of the adrenaline, but her face was back to normal when she turned on Konohamaru and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"What were you thinking running off into the woods alone and unarmed?!" She shook him.

Konohamaru looked up at her. She wasn't angry, she was worried sick. He felt very bad all of a sudden, and then all the sadness he had felt earlier when he heard her talk about the Kazekage came back. He didn't want to, but Konohamaru started to sob. Beki pulled him to her tightly.

"Shh, it's okay," She patted his back. "Just don't do something dangerous like that again."

It was all over now, Konohamaru thought as he cried. All of it.

"I loved you Beki," he sobbed.

Beki went stiff but she didn't let him go. She held him until he had worked most of the crying out of his system.

"Konohamaru, I'm flattered, but I'm so different from you," She explained. "I'm so much older, too. I come from a different village and when I have to go back you are going to go on living your life and make new friends. Do you think after meeting all kinds of people and having all kinds of adventures you're going to want to come marry me in ten years?"

Konohamaru was very quiet as he thought about it.

"It's not smart to make deals that you want now but you may not want when they're up to be collected," Beki took his hand and started leading him out of the woods. She still kept on alert in case the ronin returned. "When I was little I promised I would become a Miko. All I had ever known was the shrine I grew up in. Now that I've traveled all over with my father and I've gotten a chance to see what being a ninja is like, I'm not so sure that's what I want anymore. But I promised. Do you understand?"

It was making a lot of sense. He felt this way about Beki now but when he became Hokage maybe he wouldn't be able to be with her.

"I think I understand."

"Konohamaru you are my friend and I'm going to keep looking out for you, okay? But you can't feel that way about me anymore," Beki explained. "I can't love you that way and you feeling that way about me will only get you hurt."

"Why, because you like the Kazekage?" He asked.

"No, because it will hold you back from your whole potential," Beki continued. "You'll meet a funny cute girl your age but you'll miss out on a chance with her because you still have those feelings for me."

It really hurt. Konohamaru really hurt. Not just all the scrapes and bruises he just got, but his heart. He felt like it was breaking. The girl he loved, the girl who had given him his first kiss, was telling him he couldn't like her anymore and she would never like him the way he liked her. He started crying again, not because he was mad at Beki, but because the truth hurt. She wrapped her arms around him until he got it all out of his system and walked him home.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked when they were almost there.

"No, you're being a good friend," He said gloomily. "I know you're just trying to help."

"I'll understand if you don't want to be my friend after this," Beki pat his back. "It's hard to stop feeling that way about someone once you start. If I see you in the street I won't wave or anything unless you do first, okay?"

The thought of not having Beki nee san to laugh at his jokes and show him new techniques was even worse than the thought of her not ever loving him. He stopped right there in the street and hugged her.

"Please don't stop being my friend," He said into her chest.

"Okay," She said as she gave him one more squeeze. "I'll see you tomorrow, Konohamaru."

When Konohamaru's mom asked him why he was crying, he lied and said it was the ronin. She had gotten really upset at that. He lied again and told her that he had been training in the woods waiting for his friends and the ronin had showed up. He told the truth about Beki saving him, but his mom still grounded him for doing something so risky. He didn't mind. He needed some time alone to sort out his broken heart.


	24. The Bear, the Pig, and the Alpaca

**Hi everyone, I'm back after a brief hiatus. The good news is, here's your chapter! I also uploaded my first requested illustration from the story onto my deviantart (same name as on here, ponchoninjax3). Bad news: Super business continues. I am working late and so I end up getting a good run or swim in after work and then I'm too tired to do much other than watch K-dramas and anime. That being said, I love hearing from you all. Let me know what you think of this chapter, what you think of the illustrated version of "The Run", and any other thoughts or comments you may have. Hearing from you all is super encouraging, and if you have an account on here I try to get back to you within 24 hours. If you don't have an account, but you leave me a review with questions I address them in this section of the following chapter. Thank you guys for all your support, and remember only you can prevent filler arcs.**

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Beki was furious. Hanabi had set that up on purpose. She was pretty sure Hanabi wasn't smart enough to understood what effects her little tirade would reap, but now she was going to hear it from Beki, who was so upset she was afraid what she would say to the little brat when she saw her. Beki decided it would be better to go to bed and cool off and try to have a calm talk with her in the morning. Her plans were thwarted when she saw Hanabi sitting on Hinata's couch with Beki's crumpled bags beside her. Beki was overflowing with rage but she did her best not to raise her voice.

"So was that what you were hoping for?" Beki slammed the door. "Konohamaru almost got kidnapped by ronin, Hanabi. Did you think that tricking me into breaking his heart wasn't going to hurt him?"

"You didn't even know he liked you!" Hanabi yelled at her.

"Do you know why? It didn't matter Hanabi! Everyone has puppy dog crushes they get over as they grow up and realize it would have never worked!" Beki's voice had a hard quality as she held herself off from screaming.

"I like him! I've liked him for a year and you just show up with your stupid blonde hair and your stupid boobs and I don't exist!" Hanabi's eyes were beginning to well up.

"What you're telling me is that you got jealous because a boy you liked didn't like you," Beki had calmed herself down somewhat but it was impossible to keep the disdain out of her voice. "So you took the logical course of action and did something to punish us?"

"You're just like Hinata!" Hanabi jumped to her feet and took Beki's bags and threw them against the wall. The tea tin clanked against the wall and the top popped open, spilling the expensive green black filaments all over the carpet. Beki didn't move. She didn't say a word. Hanabi was on the brink of sobbing. "I hate you!" Hanabi screamed and then ran out of the house.

Beki sighed, knowing she could have handled that better. Growing up with a single father and no siblings meant that Beki had never developed patience for teenage drama bullshit. When the squads in Getsu were dissolving into love triangles and rivalry, she kept her distance. That probably contributed to the mutual disdain she shared with her peers. She thought they were immature and petty and they thought she was stuck up and entitled. Beki shrugged at the memory and gave a frustrated grunt as she tried her best to salvage the tea. What she ended up with was a tin dented so far inward at a corner the canister almost looked like the letter C, a powder as fine as sawdust all over the rug, and half a tin of now tainted tea leaves.

She didn't want to leave the tea overnight, so she hoisted up the rug and took it outside. As Beki laid the rug over the clothesline to beat it, she heard footsteps approaching.

"Come back later, I'm not ready to talk about it yet," Beki called over her shoulder without looking.

"Is that how you speak to the Hokage?" Tsunade's voice was jokingly stern.

Beki turned and struck a bow instantly. Shit, she thought. I probably look like hell after holding all that anger.

"Don't worry about it, Tsukimori. I know I caught you off guard," Tsunade offered as she eyed the rug. "What happened there?"

"I dumped tea all over it on accident," Beki shuffled uncomfortably. "So what brings you the Hyuga compound? Hinata's out of town."

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Of course I know that, Tsukimori. I sent her on the mission,"

Beki's temper was short and she was on her last nerve but this was the Hokage. As much as she felt like an argument Tusnade was not the person to mince words with.

"I'm actually here for you," Tsunade looked around. "I have a high priority mission I need someone to help with and all the potential candidates are away."

Beki eyed her suspiciously. What mission would be so dire Tsunade would risk all kinds of repercussions for sending a foreign ninja on a mission for the Leaf?

"Okay," Beki replied cautiously. "What is it that you need help with?"

"I'll explain when we get there," Tsunade waved at the house. "Go pack a bag for an overnight stay."

"Um, Tsunade-sama, with all due respect," Beki started but Tsunade interrupted her.

"You won't be leaving the village," Tsunade sighed in frustration. "Just go pack a damn bag, Tsukimori."

Beki slapped the rug a few times for good measure. Normally she would have thought that would be disrespectful, but hey, Tsunade wasn't her boss. Not directly, anyway. She brought in the rug and went up to her room. Her olive green duffle bag was the only one she had handy, so she threw it open on the bathroom counter and tossed in her toothbrush, some face wash, a hairbrush, and toothpaste. She threw the bag on the bed and looked at her options. Beki hated pants, so she usually slept in either a tank top/tshirt (weather permitting) or a nightie.

"Tsukimori, hurry up!" Tsunade called from downstairs. "I've got places to be!"

"The gambling hall can wait!" Beki called back before she could check herself. She instantly clapped her hands over her mouth in horror. This is how I die, she thought.

Instead she heard a soft chuckle.

"You really are Seiichiro's daughter," Tsunade hollered back. "I was beginning to worry Hinata was mellowing you out."

Beki grabbed the white cotton lacy sleeping bra and sinfully soft powder blue tank top she'd worn the night before. She shuffled in her drawer unsuccessfully for a pair of sleeping shorts, so she moved on to clothes for the next day. She gave the room a once over and her eyes fell on the pillow sized white stuffed alpaca with the gentle expression of a guardian angel that she slept with every night. She grabbed it and stuffed it shamelessly into her duffle bag.

"I'm leaving a note on the counter about where you are going," Tsunade said. "Hinata might come home early and that girl is a worrier."

"You are kind of abducting me," Beki joked as she stuffed her favorite champagne colored bra, a lime green racerback tank, and gray leggings in her bag.

"We use the word 'commandeering' in situations like this," Tsunade replied. "I am bringing you back after all."

Beki plodded down the stairs.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Tsunade gave a curt nod.

"Then follow me."

Beki couldn't help but feel excited as she followed the Hokage through the dark and narrow alleys of Konoha. Nightfall had a tendency of rendering even the blandest boulevard into something right out of a noire film. Part of her couldn't help but fall into the fantasy her imagination was dredging up. Any moment now they would come across the body of a murder victim and Tsunade would put her on the case to stake out the possible killer. It would be Shino, Beki decided. No, wait, Beki thought. That would be red herring. Of course the creepy stalker guy couldn't be the killer. It would have to be Ebisu sensei. He was well respected in the community and smart enough to cover all his tracks. Plus, Beki didn't like him. It was her detective fantasy, if she wanted him to be the serial killer that was her own damn business.

"What is going on in that head of yours?" Tsunade knocked her on the forehead. "I've been talking to you for a whole minute with no response."

Beki shook her head and smiled.

"Murder stuff."

Tsunade stood there silently for a moment and then knocked Beki's forehead again. Beki looked up and saw that they were outside the Hokage's mansion.

"Someone was murdered in your office?" Beki asked, still not fully shaken from her mental detour.

Tsunade gave her a strange look and shook her head.

"No, no one has been murdered. Shizune has been deployed on a mission of extreme importance very suddenly," Tsunade explained. "Normally I have one of the genin or the chunin watch Tonton but as I said before they're booked solid."

Beki gave a frustrated sigh.

"You want me to pet sit? Why didn't you just drop Tonton off with me at the Hyuga mansion?"

"Do you want to explain to Hyuga Hiashi why you have a pig running around his gardens?" Tsunade gave her a "go on and try" face.

"I guess you have a point there," Beki shook her head. "But why aren't you watching your secretary's pig?"

Tsunade hovered a knuckle threateningly in front of Beki's forehead.

"Because I am the Hokage and that's one of the perks. I don't have to pet sit, I don't have to move couches, and I don't have to pretend to like people's cooking,"

"Duly noted," Beki shifted uncomfortably.

"Alright kid, here's the deal," Tsunade started walking up the stairs and motioned for Beki to follow. "I already walked the swine so you just have to watch him tonight. Shizune left out food and water, but he's the neediest little bastard you've ever seen. Iruka says you're good with kids so you should be fine."

"That's human children," Beki made a face.

Tsunade looked at her and shrugged.

"Pigs, toddlers, who can tell the difference?"

Tsunade motioned her inside the office and gestured towards the couch.

"I've left out some blankets and pillows, the bathroom's over there, I'll be back early tomorrow morning to relieve you."

Beki eyed her long and hard.

"Do I at least get brownie points for this?"

Tsunade thought about it for a moment and shrugged.

"Sure. We'll say…one free shenanigan."

"Sounds like a deal," Beki held out her hand and Tsunade shook it.

"I'm going to lock you in, okay?" Tsunade walked out the door and started to close it.

"Isn't this place guarded?" Beki looked around suspiciously.

"Yeah, they're on the roof," Tsunade chuckled. "So don't try to steal village secrets or anything."

"Don't you keep those locked up?" Panic was sneaking into Beki's voice. "What if I accidentally see something I shouldn't?"

"Scoop out your eyes," Tsunade laughed wickedly as she locked Beki in.

With the click of the lock Beki sighed and looked at Tonton. He had the expression she had seen on children who thought their mothers had abandoned them in the grocery store.

"It's okay buddy," She sighed. "I'm going to change into my pjs and we'll cuddle up for bed, okay?"

For a moment she felt stupid having such a serious conversation with a pig until he replied:

"Oi," and plopped down by the couch to wait for her.

Beki went into the bathroom and changed into her sleeping bra and tank top. She sighed when she saw that she had forgotten what underwear she had worn after she changed earlier. They were white hipster panties with powder blue lace and a teddy bear face on the front and "beary cute" on the back. Thank god she wasn't going to be around anyone all night. Beki brushed her teeth and then climbed onto the couch. It was unsettling to sleep in a strange environment, so she turned on the desk lamp on Tsunade's desk and curled back up on the couch. She tried to hug her alpaca, but Tonton hopped up on the couch and claimed the place in her arms. Beki had to shift the alpaca down between her legs, which wasn't uncomfortable but it made her feel silly to be "riding" a tiny alpaca in her sleep. Tonton was a major cuddler and within moments was fast asleep in Beki's arms. His soft piggy breathing and warmth soothed Beki quickly into her own slumber.

…

A few hours before:

Kankuro was waiting anxiously for Gaara to get back. To keep himself busy, he was doing some repairwork on Karasu. The door to the hotel room clicked and Gaara walked in, looking slightly dazed and confused.

"You okay, Gaara?" Kankuro put down the screwdriver.

"She called me 'cute', Kankuro," Gaara looked at him. "No one has ever called me 'cute'."

Kankuro immediately snapped out a notepad and a pen.

"I need details while you still remember them, go."

Gaara described the conversation they had and how it had ended with the pinky swear.

"She's an odd little duck, isn't she?" Kankuro said half to himself. "It sounds like she likes you, Gaara. Do you like her?"

Gaara sat on his bed across from Kankuro's. He looked at his brother, honest turmoil on his face:

"How would I know if I liked her?"

Kankuro squared off with him and looked him dead in the eye.

"Do you want to see her again?"

Gaara paused before responding:

"Yes."

"What color are her eyes?" Kankuro pushed.

"Gray," Gaara said automatically.

"Do you really want to get to know her? The good stuff and the bad?" Kankuro pressed.

Gaara paused and thought again before he spoke.

"Yes."

Kankuro threw up his hands and sighed.

"Then yes, Gaara, you like her. Why don't you ask her to lunch tomorrow?"

Gaara's eyes grew wide as if Kankuro had suggested he declare war on Konoha.

"Ask her to lunch?"

"It's not that big of a deal, Gaara. You two are friends and she's the daughter of an ambassador. You have a lot in common," Kankuro picked his screwdriver back up. "For all anyone knows it's just business. Besides, lunch is a pretty noncommittal way to have a conversation and get to know someone a little better."

"But Kankuro, how do I ask her to lunch?" Gaara's face was betraying his distress.

"You're the leader of one of the five main ninja villages, Gaara. Just walk up and ask her." Kankuro made some adjustments to the tension on Karasu's screws. "She likes you. She won't turn you down especially because it's not directly a date. Zero pressure."

"Just like that?" Gaara leaned back on his hands.

"Just like that." Kankuro smirked at his brother and shook his head. Even when he had been elected kage he still couldn't bring himself to think of Gaara as more than just his baby brother. If he pulled this off though, if he managed to go out on this date, Kankuro would be able to look at him as a man.

The next morning when they set out for Gaara's meeting with the Hokage, Kankuro slapped Gaara on the shoulder for encouragement.

"You'll do just fine Gaara," Kankuro chuckled. "Don't sweat it."

No one else would have noticed the slight pinched up quality to Gaara's face that indicated he was nervous, but Kankuro saw it. He really hoped they ran into the girl before they got to the Hokage's mansion so Gaara could focus on the meeting.

"I'm early," Gaara looked up at the morning sun.

"That's what happens when you don't sleep all night and dressed in a rush," Kankuro rubbed his eyes. "Do you want to go get breakfast?"

"No, Tsunade must already be working," Gaara gestured toward the windows of the Hokage's office. "See? Her lights are on."

"Okay Gaara," Kankuro folded his arms. "Do you want me to go do recon on your girlfriend while you're in there?"

Gaara's eyes grew wide and he shook his head.

"Too bad, I'm doing it anyway," Kankuro started to walk off towards main street. The look on Gaara's face was priceless. Kankuro never defied his brother's orders, but he was the big brother and today he was pulling rank. Gaara would just have to deal while Kankuro set this up for him.

Gaara watched his brother walk away in a mild state of panic, which for Gaara amounted to slight concern. He shook his head. He had Kazekage business to deal with. At this hour of the morning, the Hokage's mansion was minimally guarded. A few guards were posted on the roof and the remaining visible guards were stationed strategically along the building's access points. As Gaara approached, they nodded in greeting and allowed him to pass. He climbed the steps to the Hokage's office and mentally prepared himself. Now that Gaara was Kazekage, he needed to do everything in his power to assuage the sore feelings the Leaf held against the Sand for the attack at the chunin exams two years ago. As a start, they would arrange a trade agreement that was slightly more beneficial for Konoha than for Suna and then a pact of alliance. He had to be assuring but not forceful and apologetic but not pitifully so. The men responsible for that incident were dead or missing so all they could do was move forward.

He knocked on the door of the office and waited for Tsunade's assistant to let him in. The patter of feet he heard on the other side of the door sounded like the person was stumbling and bare footed. Before he had time to react, he heard the door unlocking.

"What's wrong Hokage-sama, you party so hard you forgot your keys?" Beki smiled sleepily as she opened the door.

It took a moment for Beki to register that it was the Kazekage and not the Hokage standing before her. As it slowly registered her eyes widened in horror but it was too late. She stood before him in her disheveled tank top and teddy bear underwear and she had never felt so embarrassed in her life. Instinctively she clutched the alpaca she had been carrying idly against her stomach to cover herself.

"Kazekage sama, what are you doing here?!"

Gaara was speechless. He had been mentally preparing for the meeting with Tsunade and had been in full Kazekage mode. Now that he was suddenly faced with Beki he was jarringly set back into his personal life. Worse yet, she was obviously not expecting company. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were still heavy with sleep, and she wasn't even wearing pants. He caught an embarrassing glimpse of a teddy bear face on her underwear before he caught himself and she covered herself. Beki had always seemed to carefree and easy going, but right now she was obviously vulnerable.

"I…I was here to meet with the Hokage," He looked away politely. "I saw the light was on and I thought she was here working early."

"Uh," Beki looked around the room in a panic. "She um, she should be here soon-"

Seeing that he had turned away Beki sprinted for her bag. In the chaos of her sudden movement she startled the sleeping Tonton into a frantic scurry. He got caught between her legs and tripped her. Beki barreled over face first onto the hardwood floor. Physically it made her thighs and her stomach sting but she hardly felt it in the sea of humiliation that swept over her. The shame she felt was paralyzing and Beki realized that she hadn't moved in the seconds since she fell. A hand was suddenly around her arm and she was being helped to her feet. Gaara had moved so silently Beki hadn't even noticed him approach. Once she was back on her feet the Kazekage took a step back from her for propriety's sake. Now that he was inside the room with her Beki's state of undress grew increasingly more nagging, especially since he touched her. Unsure of what to do in this situation, Gaara took off the wrap he wore over his coat and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Beki said as she draped it over herself. "And I'm sorry. I know this is really a strange situation. Tsunade asked me to pet sit the pig since all the genin are out on assignment and so I was just sleeping over in the office until she got here."

"I must admit it's not usual for someone to be sleeping in an office overnight-" Gaara began but the creek of the door opening drew both of their attention.

Tsunade stood in the doorway with a look of disbelief.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"I-it's not what it looks like!" Beki stammered. "He was here for your meeting, I thought it was you so I let him in and I was going to go get changed but I fell and he helped me up-"

Tsunade laughed.

"Don't worry about it Beki, I know nothing indecent happened." She gave Beki a sly smile. "How could anything indecent happen when you're wearing teddy bear underpants."

"I think bears are cute," Gaara said half to himself.

Beki was on the brink of exploding. She was somewhere between absolute despair and unfathomably rage.

"I'm going to change now," Beki croaked as she grabbed her duffel bag and ran into the bathroom.

Beki's hands shook as she took off the wrap Gaara gave her and dressed in her clothes. She brushed her teeth and her hair. Beki let the water run for a moment as she collected herself. Once her heart stopped racing she washed her face and toweled it off with her tank top. If it had been her bathroom Beki would have punched the wall. What had just happened was beyond mortifying. If it had been Tsunade or any other adult that had seen her like that, Beki could have brushed it off. Anyone over thirty acted like teenagers were toddlers and it would have been readily dismissed. The Kazekage was her age, however, which sent Beki right back to the shaem and humiliation she felt as a child when she messed up in school in front of her classmates.

After a few minutes of stewing Beki decided she had been hiding long enough. She walked out of the bathroom with all the confidence she could muster. Instead of side eyes and malicious grinning, she found herself alone with the Kazekage again.

"Where is lady Tsunade?" Beki asked automatically, suddenly much more aware of being alone with him.

He respectfully kept his distance.

"Since I'm so early and the Hokage's assistant is out, she is sending one of the guards for coffee."

"Oh, alright," Beki looked at her feet. "Would you mind telling her I've headed out?"

"Of course," Gaara could sense her discomfort and as much as he wanted to respect it opportunities were too few and too far between. "Miss Tsukimori-"

"Your wrap!" Beki ran back into the bathroom and took it off towel rack. "Here, I'm sorry I almost forgot it."

Gaara reached out and took ahold of the wrap while she still held onto it.

"This meeting with the Hokage will be brief," He kept his eyes on her hands as he built up his courage. "I should be free around lunch. Do you have any plans now that you've finished pet sitting?"

Beki was frozen in place as her heart quickly picked up pace again.

"No, I'm free today," Beki realized she was still holding onto the wrap so she released it. "So should I meet you back here around noon?"

Gaara could hear the blood pounding in his ears. Kankuro had been right. In spite of all the embarrassment Beki had experienced only a short time before she still accepted his invitation to lunch. If nothing else, she must want to be friends, Gaara thought.

"Okay, I'll see you later then," Beki said as she walked to the door.

"And Miss Tsukimori?" He called after her, unable to help himself. "Don't worry about today. I thought you were 'beary cute'."

The look of horror on Beki's face was priceless as she slammed the door shut behind her. Gaara could hear her race down the stairs and smiled in spite of himself.


	25. Fixing the Order of Things

**Okay friends, let me just say I had every intention of getting this chapter out this weekend. First off, the writing was slow going. All my music was wrong, the words just came out clunky, and a lot of the material I had planned to revise and use here just didn't work anymore. That meant a lot of original brand new content. With the holiday being in a mixed family everyone wanted a chunk of us this weekend. We were at three houses today. THREE. The next problem was the damned gloriousness that is X-Men Age of Apocalypse. After the flaming disappointment of the slapped together cameo fest that was Civil War, X-Men AoA brought me right back to watching Saturday morning cartoons in the nineties and I spent the two hours after I got home jumping around my house like an 8 year old pretending to be Jean Gray (Go ahead and judge me. I can KILL YOU WITH MY MIND. Oops. Wrong fandom. Disregard). That being said, I have been a completely irresponsible adult and stayed up two hours past my bedtime to finish writing/editing this chapter for you guys. So please enjoy and be forgiving of any grammar mistakes towards the end. As I have mentioned before I am taking requests of what you would like to see illustrated from my story. I have my first request up on my deviantart (same name: ponchoninjax3) already. I love hearing from you all and it's super helpful to hear what you like, what you don't like, and what you would like to see more of. For example, do you like the romantic stuff, the action stuff, etc. I get a lot of helpful/encouraging feedback from you guys about how I write specific characters and that has been great. My sleep deprived rant is almost done. I'm going to be super busy still for the next weekish, but I have a lot of great stuff in store for you guys so check back often. PHOENIX FORCE!**

* * *

Beki ignored the raised eyebrow that the guard gave her by the door as she ran down the steps. Any other day she would have stood her ground and gave it right back to him, but all she wanted to do right now was run away and hide. It had been a very long time since she had felt so many conflicting emotions. She was furious with herself for acting like such a fool, embarrassed by being seen so slovenly, but also very excited. In spite of how out of sorts she had been the Kazekage had asked her to lunch.

As she made the trek back to the Hyuga mansion her thoughts were consumed with analyzing the situation over and over. Did he feel guilty or embarrassed for her and that was why he asked her to lunch, or did he actually find her conversation interesting? Part of her still worried it was all just business. Beki was upset with herself for setting the bar so high. The Kazekage? She thought. I'm getting my hopes up for nothing. Beki's father had been in politics long enough for her to know what kind of women politicians married. Girls that ran around with stuffed alpacas and teddy bear undies were not those kind of women. They wore jewels over their impeccably tailored silk dresses or stylish suits.

He just wants to be friends, Beki, she told herself. Don't overthink it, don't make it weird. There's a good chance you'll have to work with him someday so keep it together for your own sake. And your dad's, she reminded herself and then blushed. Gaara had seen her in her underwear and now he was going to have to work with her dad. She groaned out loud at the though. If Seiichiro ever found out he'd send her off to the shrine.

It was still fairly early when she walked through the door to Hinata's house. Judging by the silence that greeted her, Hinata hadn't come home that night. Beki sighed as she crumbled up the note Tsunade had left on the counter and threw it in the trash. She opened the fridge and stared blankly at its contents. That morning's escapades had left her with no appetite. In an attempt to try and calm herself down she slapped on her training shoes and went out into the woods for a jog. After a half hour run, she made her way back to shower and get ready for her lunch with the Kazekage.

Beki turned on the shower and sat on the counter while she waited for the water to warm up. She really wished Hinata was home. Whenever Beki felt conflicted about something, which admittedly happened pretty often, Hinata could always help her sort things out. When left with her own thoughts Beki tended to overthink things and interpret the situation in the worst way possible. Hinata would always comfort her and say just the right thing to pull Beki's mind out of the gutter. Beki decided to try to be positive about the lunch and take lots of mental notes to share with her friend later.

She carefully washed her hair and scrubbed herself down with tangerine scented sugar scrub. After she had toweled off, she blow-dried her hair and borrowed some of Hinata's hair oil to keep it from frizzing up. Beki stood in front of her closet in her underwear while she tried to decide what was appropriate. She remembered her gold top but as she reached for it she realized she had lent it to Sakura. Beki went in her drawers for her green shorts but then remembered Hanabi had them. Every item she went to grab was out and about for one reason or another. Beki kicked the dresser in frustration. If she wore a dress it would look like she was trying too hard. She took stock of the outfits she did have in her closet and pulled out the only one that was even remotely acceptable. It was a slouchy heather gray blouse and a pair of white pants. Beki hated wearing white because it was so easy to get it dirty but it was literally the only outfit she had that even remotely matched.

After a spritz of perfume and putting some powder on her face she headed out to meet the Kazekage. Okay Beki, she thought. This is your chance to prove to yourself that you've actually learned something being an ambassador's daughter. You can't mess this up. If you mess this up, you'll embarrass yourself, Konoha, your father, and Getsugakure and will probably have to commit seppuku for reals. Beki's favorite show had come back from a two-year hiatus and she would be damned if her own social incompetency caused her to miss out. Then again, how could she embarrass herself beyond this morning? The guy had already seen her in her most juvenile pair of underwear so there wasn't much damage to be done beyond that. It could only get better from here, she thought.

…

Kankuro leaned against the wall of a building across the street from the Hokage's mansion with Karasu wrapped up beside him. He had all but run all over town looking for the Tsukimori girl but she was nowhere to be found. What had made it more difficult was that he didn't want to advertise that he was looking for her, which limited how much he could ask around. Usually he would work like a beat cop and take a picture around to the shops to track someone down. The situation with Gaara aside, a Suna official trying to track down the daughter of a Getsu official would raise a lot of red flags he didn't need to deal with.

The door opened to the Hokage's office and Gaara stepped outside. He said a few words to the Hokage before closing it and beginning his descent to the street. Kankuro adjusted himself against the wall. He had wanted to help Gaara with his first crush and had failed. Now it would have to happen when they ran into her at random and Gaara would have to wing it. Kankuro sighed and started across the street to meet his brother. Can't win them all, he thought.

"Bad news," Kankuro tossed Karasu up on his back. "I couldn't track her down. We'll just have to cross our fingers we run into her at some point."

"Actually we crossed paths this morning," Gaara motioned towards the Hokage's office. "She was in Tsunade's office this morning pet sitting."

"What?" Kankuro smiled. "Wait, you're making a joke. That was pretty good."

"I'm serious," Gaara folded her arms. "We had a few minutes to talk before Tsunade arrived for our meeting."

"Well then," Kankuro dropped his voice in case anyone was listening in. "How did it go?"

Gaara looked off to the side for a moment as he tried to decide how to word his response. Uh oh, Kankuro thought. Please tell me she didn't friend zone him.

When Gaara finally looked his brother in the eyes there was no sadness or pain there, just a hint of mischief as he said:

"What base are we at if I've seen her in her underwear?"

There was a loud thunk as Kankuro dropped Karasu on the sidewalk. He stood there slack jawed for a moment as Gaara watched him with a slightly smug expression. Kankuro did the only thing that he could in that situation: he punched his brother in the shoulder.

"You whore, you just met her!"

"It wasn't like that," Gaara looked down at his feet. "It was an honest misunderstanding- "

Kankuro punched him in the shoulder again.

"Did you even bother asking her out?"

Gaara fortified himself with a thin coating of sand armor on his arm in preparation of further blows and rubbed his shoulder where Kankuro had punched him.

"We're going to lunch."

Kankuro threw up his hands in exasperation.

"I leave you alone for one morning and this is what happens," He sighed. "You want me to go book you guys a hotel room or something…?"

"Shut up, Kankuro," Gaara looked away as the slightest hint of color rose in his cheeks. "Here she comes."

Beki was walking up the street looking at her feet self-consciously. When she looked up and caught sight of them she broke into a smile and waved. Kankuro looked at Gaara smugly as he watched his brother's mild panic set in.

"What are you doing? Wave back." Kankuro nudged him on. Gaara stared at his feet and used the sand to form a hand and give her a shy wave in return.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kankuro leaned on Gaara. "I could sit at the next table and tell you what to say."

"No, Kankuro," Gaara gently bumped him away. "I'll be fine."

"Alright, if you say so," Kankuro began to walk away slowly. "I'll just be…around."

Gaara gave him a pleading look.

"Please refrain from interfering. Whether this ends in success or failure, I want it to be my own doing."

"Just remember, you and the Hokage reconvene in an hour," Kankuro turned away and picked up speed to a normal pace. "If you aren't in her office I'm going to come looking for you."

"Must be hard," Gaara's attention was on his brother so Beki spoke to announce herself. "Having your older brother be head of security."

"Only when he confuses those roles," Gaara turned to face her. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Well, you kind of have me painted in a corner after this morning," Beki joked.

"Blackmail for life," Gaara didn't miss a beat. In a way Beki liked that but at the same time he delivered everything with the same stoic expression of a police officer at your door to tell you a relative had died.

"I'll make a point of not taking any jobs with high security clearance," Beki looked around. "So where are we headed?"

Gaara froze. He hadn't actually considered that they would make it to this point. He had asked her to lunch, so taking her somewhere expensive would probably seem pretentious. At the same time, she was an ambassador's daughter so he needed to invite her somewhere worthy of her station. Gaara looked around and realized the flaw in his plan. No matter where they went they would be the object of scrutiny and could have no expectation of privacy. He realized he had been quiet for quite some time but before he was able to say something she spoke:

"Worried about privacy?" She jerked her head toward some gawking passersby.

"A little," He admitted, hoping she didn't think it was because he didn't want to be seen with her.

"I get it," Beki shrugged. "I'll take care of it. Be right back."

Beki ran off into one of the diners and came back about ten minutes later with a couple of well-made bentos.

"Let's go eat up on the roof," Beki jerked her chin at the Hokage's mansion. "Tsunade owes me one and you're less likely to be late for your meeting."

"Beki, wait," He held out a hand to her. She looked unsure but took his hand anyway. Gaara gathered his sand beneath them and gently raised them to the roof. Once they stepped off onto the tiles the sand returned to his gourd.

"Have I ever mentioned how ridiculously cool that is?" Beki handed him his bento. "I would give anything to fly."

"I have to admit it saves a lot of time," Gaara accepted his lunch.

"You are the only person in the whole world who likes flying because it 'saves time'," Beki shook her head and smiled. After a moment of silence, she looked up at him and said:

"I hope this isn't too personal of a question but the curiosity is killing me: is that a tattoo on your forehead?"

"Oh," Gaara reached up and touched the mark self-consciously. "I was going through some things as a kid and I carved it into my forehead with the sand."

He looked at her, searching for the telltale signs of revulsion. All she did was blink and take a bite of her rice.

"That's pretty hardcore."

"That's all you have to say about that?" He asked with surprise bordering on suspicion.

"I don't know; I think out west everyone seems so shocked by the cruelty of the world. They act like if they ignore it it'll go away and nothing bad will happen to them," Beki explained. "Out where I'm from EVERYONE is messed up and we all just kind of accept it."

"In what way?" He asked as he opened his lunch.

"Think about it: up until recently, in the Rain village for students to graduate the academy they had to kill all their classmates," Beki elaborated. "In the town I grew up in, if my father hadn't been all but disowned by his father there's a good chance I would have had to marry my first cousin. Maintaining bloodlines and all that jazz."

Gaara had a good feeling about Beki when he met her and after meeting Seiichiro, Gaara had built up the impression that they were a "normal" family. When he had been debating with himself whether or not he should ask Beki out this had caused him some anxiety. How could a perfectly well adjusted girl like Beki deal with all the baggage he was carrying around?

"My mother died giving birth to me," Gaara said very quietly. "It was my father's decisions that led to her death but he blamed me. He hated me and he made it his mission to make the whole village hate me. I didn't have a single friend as a child. It made me bitter and angry and violent."

Beki was listening patiently, her face unreadably steady.

"When I was eleven we came to Konoha for the chunin exams. It was all part of a plot my father had conspired with Orochimaru to destroy the Leaf Village. When the plan fell apart, Orochimaru killed my father."

"He killed my mom, too." Beki took a bite of her food, careful not to make eye contact.

"My father?" Gaara asked, praying that wasn't the case. This was sounding so promising but it would be just like his father to cock block him from beyond the grave.

"No, Orochimaru," Beki explained. "My parents' clans are hundreds of years old, but my mother was the last of her clan and the kekke genkai in my father's line has all but died out. When word got around they had a child, Orochimaru came for me. I was five, and my mom sacrificed herself so my father could get me to safety. He took a job as a clerk in Getsugakure to try to keep us safe and later accepted the position as ambassador to keep us on the move. Unfortunately, everyone just thought anything we had or earned was just based on royal favor from my father's promotion to ambassador to my acceptance at the academy."

Beki looked at Gaara and started to say something but stopped herself and looked away. Gaara feared the worst. She had given him a shot but either he had more damage than she was ready to take on or she was just another girl who had idealized him because of his job.

"I know you have some rough patches," Beki began. "I really like you for who you are now, so I'm not going to lie to you. I've heard some rumors about your past, but anything bad you did before helped you become you who are now. That being said, I really appreciate you being up front about it. I just wish our paths could have crossed when we were younger."

Gaara blinked. That was the exact opposite of what he was expecting.

"Why would you have wanted to get to know me when I was so angry?"

"You didn't start out angry," Beki shuffled self-consciously. "It sounds like you were lonely and when I was a kid I was lonely, too."

Gaara felt his heart beating so hard he was surprised Beki couldn't hear it. He had been lucky with her so far, so he decided to push his luck a little farther. Go for broke, Kankuro would have said.

"That's just the beginning," Gaara watched her as he spoke. "It would take a whole dinner to get through the interesting parts."

Beki looked down at her empty box and smirked.

"Are you asking me on another date?"

"Are you saying that this lunch was a date?" Gaara asked.

"Of course it was," Beki folded her arms and huffed. "We're getting the order all mixed up. It's supposed to go coffee/lunch date, nice romantic dinner date, THEN you see me in my underwear."

"So once we've had the romantic dinner date we'll be back on track?" Gaara hid his smile behind his folded hands.

"Exactly," Beki smiled. "Maybe I can get some of my dignity back."

"No," He shook his head. "That's long gone. You could say you lost it a 'beary' long time ago."

The grin instantly fell off her face and was replaced with a look that could cut glass.

"You are never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Well first it was the flour, now it's the bears," He explained. "I'll tease you about the next cute thing you do as soon as it comes along."

"Gaara!" They heard Kankuro call from the door of the office below. "Come on, the meeting's starting again,"

"So I'll meet you here tomorrow night around six," Gaara said as he stood.

"Alright," She smiled as she headed for the side of the roof with the empty bento boxes. "I'll see you then."

He watched her jump off the roof and land lightly like a cat. Beki was not what he had expected at all. He found himself wanting nothing more than to sit and talk with her for hours, to find out what she thought about everything. His position as Kazekage had taught him how to assess the potential problems of a situation and also how to resolve them. As he walked through the doors for his meeting with Tsunade, he knew he would have to use all of his discipline to focus. Even as he sat down at the table, he was trying to work out a way to keep the connection between him and the Getsu ambassador's daughter alive.


	26. Operation Summer Wind Pt 1

**Hi everyone. If you haven't read or watched Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth, I highly recommend doing so before reading this chapter and the one that will follow. I took inspiration from the layout and the overall feel of RLSY, which is different from what we usually do here. That being said, enjoy. I look forward to hearing from you all. PS: I finally fixed up the comic I made of "The Run" on deviantart (same tag ponchoninjax3). Check it out if you have time, and I'm open for taking suggestions of other scenes you all would like to see illustrated.  
**

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Neji squinted up at the roof of the Hokage's mansion as his teammates ate their lunch around him. His udon was going cold as he focused all his attention on reading the lips of Beki and Gaara eight kilometers away.

"Neji, your food is getting cold," Tenten knitted her brows in concern. "Is something the matter?"

"Whatever it is, it isn't as important as your health," Might Gai flashed him a smile. "A shinobi's youth is retained through both exercise and good nutrition. You'll never grow up handsome and strong like me if you skip meals!"

"Apologies," Neji deactivated his Byakugan and picked up his chopsticks. His fears had been confirmed. The acquaintance Tsukimori had formed with the Kazekage was quickly gaining momentum and tomorrow night they were planning to go on a date. Neji knew that it was none of his business, however with Hinata's mission delayed Beki was operating without guidance. Had Hinata been privy to all this, she probably would have advised Beki to take things more slowly, so in a way Neji was just acting as Lady Hinata's advocate.

Objectively, the Kazekage fell within the standards an ambassador's daughter should hold, but Neji had reservations. Although he had turned over a new leaf, the Kazekage had a tumultuous past and a violent streak a mile wide. His village had only a few years before teamed up with the Sound and attacked the Leaf, so Suna didn't seem like such a friendly welcoming place. As much as she liked to hide it with a boisterous front, Neji had seen Beki's vulnerable side during the flour coated kage incident. She had been scared as a child that day and Neji worried that a relationship with the Kazekage would drag into unwanted attention and scrutiny from not only Suna, but Konoha and her own village as well. If she was a spinster like Tsunade he would probably keep his concerns to himself but she was young and had lots of opportunities ahead of her. He had to stop this train before it left the station and as he watched Lee enthusiastically plow into his curry Neji knew he was looking at just the whirlwind for the job.

"It's just that I'm worried about our friend Gaara," Neji slurped up a noodle as the three snapped their attention to him.

"What's wrong with him?! IS HE IN DANGER?!" Lee almost upset the table as he slammed his hands down on either side of his plate.

"He isn't in danger, its just that…" Neji shook his head. "It's none of my business. Nevermind."

"Come on Neji," Tenten leaned closer. "You can't just say something like that and leave us all wondering."

Neji heaved a heavy sigh and motioned for them all to move in closer.

"It seems Beki has caught his eye."

"Really?!" Gai sensei shook his head and scoffed. "That girl just won't stop beating on the poor man!"

"Not like that, Gai sensei!" Tenten rolled her eyes with enough force to dislodge them from their sockets. "He means that Gaara is interested in her. Romantically, I'm assuming?"

Neji nodded solemnly.

"I hate to admit it but I was watching him ask her on a date just now," Neji looked over his shoulder before he continued. "She's such a firecracker."

"You're worried he's not equipped to handle her?" Tenten folded her arms as she thought.

"Not to make assumptions but I don't believe the Kazekage has much dating experience to begin with," Neji sighed. "Beki is the daughter of the Getsugakure ambassador and although she's very good natured-"

Tenten's eyes widened as it clicked.

"If he were to do something really strange it could cause an international incident!"

Neji nodded.

"Exactly, and after Beki's flour incident-"

Gai's eyes narrowed and his voice dropped menacingly low when he spoke:

"It would seem like retaliation."

Fire burned in Lee's eyes as he punched the air enthusiastically.

"We have to help him!"

"But how?" Tenten's brows knit with concern once again. "We can't exactly tail them the whole time and hold cue cards of what to say for him…"

"This will all depend on you, Tenten," Neji eyed her seriously. "Hinata is out of town, so Beki undoubtedly has had to keep all this to herself. If you go to her with the pretense of offering a friendly ear she will probably reveal lots of valuable information on how we can help."

"I will talk with Gaara!" Lee smiled confidently. "I will assure him that this will be the best first date ever!"

Neji nodded. If there was any surefire way to see this date crash and burn it was to let Lee take control. Now that he had planted the seeds the rest of his squad would stack the deck against the Kazekage. What about Beki? Neji thought. It would be one thing if the date headed down a bad path, but perhaps if he triggered certain undesirable behaviors in his family's ward the Kazekage would have no interest in a follow up. Neji sighed. That would have to be his job. He would work in tandem with Tenten and Lee to make sure whatever harebrained schemes they came up with set off Beki's slow to build but explosive temper.

…

Beki stood outside the one clothing store in Konoha that dared to cater to younger women. It was the end of the month and her funds were limited, but she desperately needed something to wear to dinner tomorrow. The challenge today would be to find something that was tasteful and that didn't look like it came off of a bargain rack. She took a deep breath and rolled up her sleeves. In towns where all the young women were forced to shop from the same store flying elbows and territory disputes came with the territory.

"Beki chan!"

She turned in confusion to face the approaching kunoichi. Tenten was hardly ever on her own, and when she was it wasn't often she sought out Beki's company. Hinata was out of town, however, and since Hanabi hadn't apologized yet Beki was completely isolated from any sisterly advice.

"Hi Tenten," Beki smiled at her. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just," Tenten scratched her head. Why would she be approaching Beki by herself? "We got out of training early and I know Hinata's been gone a few days so I wanted to check in on you."

"Well that's sweet of you, Tenten," Beki's smile widened. "Wanna help me shop for an outfit?"

Perfect! Tenten thought. This is the best way for me to pry about her date without seeming nosy!

"An outfit? For what?" Tenten blinked innocently as she walked into the store with Beki.

"I…" Beki weighed how much she could safely tell Tenten. "I have a date tomorrow night."

Tenten clapped her on the back a little too enthusiastically. Beki smiled at her uncomfortably as she rubbed the spot.

"Good for you! Who is it?"

"Well, it's just a first date, so I don't want any gossip going around," Beki grumbled. "God knows I'm the rumor mill's favorite subject."

"Oh, I didn't mean to pry!" Tenten held up her hands defensively. "It's just that would help me help you pick an outfit. I know just about every boy in town and uh, what they're weak to, you know?"

Beki squinted and gave her the side eye:

"What do you mean, what they're 'weak' to?"

Tenten's eyes widened and she stammered as she tried to cover herself:

"You know, some men are more into, um, legs, and some boys like, uh, they like-"

"Boobs?" Beki offered.

"Yes! They like boobs!" Tenten sighed with relief. "You know what? Never mind. I'm sure you know what you want to wear but, uh, what's…what's his favorite color?"

Beki stared at her hands. She hadn't asked him his favorite color. That seemed like the sort of thing you should talk to someone about before Orochimaru murdering you parents came up. Dammit! Beki thought. I've screwed up the order again. It seemed fairly obvious what Gaara's favorite color would be, but she didn't want to make assumptions.

"I think he likes…red?"

"Red it is!" Tenten started shuffling through the racks.

"Uh, Tenten?" Beki eyed her hard.

"What?" Tenten was holding up a pretty ruby colored ruffly blouse.

"Try bigger," Beki pointed at the sign above the rack that designated what size clothes were on the rack.

Tenten had been shuffling through the women's size small rack. She laughed nervously.

"Of course! With your muscular shoulders you're definitely a medium!"

Beki's eyes were shadowed out and she sighed nervously.

"Try bigger, Tenten."

Tenten took a cautious step towards the size large clothes. When Beki said nothing in response, Tenten began rummaging through it.

"Wow, there isn't a lot to work with in clothes this size," she scoffed and then caught herself. "No! Beki! I didn't mean you! I mean they don't have enough options!"

Beki pressed her lips into a thin line and silently began going through the meager offerings in the large sized women's clothes. Most of the options were for the wrong season, in unflattering colors, or patterned loudly.

"Maybe we can go back to your place and put together something from what you already have?" Tenten offered meekly.

"I tried that, Tenten, but all my clothes are out on loan." Beki glowered at the rack.

Tenten blinked.

"Wait, Beki, you lend your clothes out to Sakura, Hinata, and Hanabi. How does that…?"

"It's my shoulders and back, Tenten," Beki gestured across her collarbone. "Since I started practicing with my dad's kanabo I've bulked up a bit. The only shirts that still fit me in a medium are the ones that are sleeveless or open backed."

"Oh," Tenten hadn't had many chances to hang out alone with Beki and she felt like she was failing her at a critical juncture. She grappled with what she could say to save the situation but before she could speak Beki had moved to the next aisle and began going through the extra-large options. There were a few more options in that size and Beki picked up pomegranate colored dress and a crimson colored one.

Tenten saw her chance to redeem herself and sprang on it:

"Those are pretty! Which one are you leaning towards?"

"Well," Beki mused. "He wears red all the time, so I think this one?"

She held up the pomegranate colored dress and wiggled it a little. Tenten looked at Beki next to the dress. More than once Tenten had seen Beki with a definite blue tone to her skin, especially in the mornings and late at night when she was tired and pallid. The purple undertones complimented her skin and made her look warm in comparison. At the same time, Gaara only ever wore red and would probably take it as a compliment if Beki wore his favorite color on their date.

"Isn't his favorite color red, though?" Tenten pointed out.

Beki eyed the red dress. It was a very pretty color but Beki recalled a certain photo her father kept in his wallet of when Beki had gotten ahold of the Mizukage's scarlet lipstick and smeared it over her face. She had looked like a murderous clown in that shade.

"Won't it be weird if we're matching on a first date? Try hard much?" Beki gave Tenten an unsure look.

"No, I think it's kind of cute." Tenten smiled back at her with false confidence. She really hoped Gaara wouldn't think Beki was mocking him.

Beki sighed:

"Red dress it is."

Tenten followed her to the checkout and prayed that she had led Beki down the right path.

…

Gaara resisted the urge to fly back to his hotel room after the meeting ended. As much time as that would save, it would be rude to fly through Konoha when the inhabitants weren't used to it the way everyone was in Suna. He had used all of his willpower to focus on the meeting but now that he was free all he could think about was his lunch with Beki. This was the time he could spend analyzing the entire conversation to try to plan for their date tomorrow. The Kazekage took a deep breath. He had a dinner date tomorrow with an attractive and sweet girl. If that wasn't terrifying enough Gaara would have to work with her father regardless of the outcome. Caution would be key, he decided-

"GAARA SAMA!" Lee stopped just short of barreling over the Kazekage. Gaara had reflexively formed a sand shield in anticipation of the impact. Once the threat had passed, the sand receded back into his gourd.

"Yes, Lee?"

"I heard from a trusted source that you're going on a date with Beki," Lee's volume could hardly be described as a whisper, however it was much quieter than his usual enthusiastic belt. "She has lived in Konoha for some time now and is good friends with everyone on our team. Team Gai would like to offer to help you with this date!"

"How do you mean?" Gaara folded his arms out of habit.

"We are prepared to help you plan and execute the perfect dinner date with Beki!" Lee saluted. "We call it 'Operation Summer Wind!'"

It had occurred to Gaara as he had been walking that even though he had exchanged several deep conversations with Beki he had no idea what kind of food she liked, what her favorite color was, or any sort of personal information that he could use in consideration of planning their date. Team Gai's experience with her could prove to be invaluable in that regard.

"Thank you," Gaara nodded. "I would appreciate the help. Where do you recommend I take her to dinner?"

Lee shook his head enthusiastically.

"No, that's not how we should approach this. Each stage of the date needs to accomplish a goal."

Gaara gave him a slightly puzzled look.

"We eat so we are not hungry. Isn't that accomplishing a goal?"

"The point of the dinner is to give you a chance to have a conversation with your date," Might Gai leapt out of the bushes with a flourish. "But you are the Kazekage. You can do better than just conversation. Dinner should be an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are caring and considerate."

"We will set up an opportunity for you to demonstrate your compassion during dinner," Lee fist pumped the air.

"Then you should take her to a movie!" Neji jumped out of the bushes opposite the ones Gai had leapt out of. "Some people would recommend you go see a romantic comedy, but Beki is not the romantic type. She responds to strength and survival skills."

Lee nodded and then looked at Gaara.

"Don't worry Gaara sama, even though Beki is a tough customer we will guide you to success!"

Gaara had already been slightly preoccupied with the date the next evening, however after talking to the members of Team Gai he began to suspect it was even more daunting than he had originally believed. He appreciated their help. Based on their feedback, everything he had been considering would have ended in failure.

…

Ebisu was riding on Beki's last nerve. He had sent some genin to her house late the previous night to let her know their training had been pushed up to 7 AM. She had slept poorly the night before due to her anxiety over her date that night, not to mention she kept imagining someone was throwing pebbles at the house. Hinata hadn't been sent away on a mission for this long since Beki had come to stay with her and the quiet in the house was affecting her mind. As she squared off against her sensei for hire, she found her focus was off and her reaction times were almost halved. She saw that he was coming in for a strike to the face so Beki prepared to block it but her arms just wouldn't respond quickly enough. Ebisu saw that his blow was going to connect too late for him to redirect it, so instead he opened his hand so she was struck with a palm instead of a fist.

Beki stumbled for a moment and then lost her balance, collapsing on to her side on the grass.

"What is with you today?" Ebisu loomed over her with his angry teacher pose. "Your performance today is atrocious!"

"I didn't get any sleep, sensei," Beki rubbed her face where he hit her. It wasn't the hardest she'd been hit during training but this was going to make her face swell. Great, she thought. One more reason why I'm going to look like hell tonight.

"Get it together, Tsukimori. You'll be twice as tired on a mission and the enemy won't show you any consideration-"

"I've got it, sensei," Beki barked in reply as she groggily got to her feet. "I'm done for today. I need to go home and try to get some rest."

"Training isn't over until I say it's over!" Ebisu grabbed her by the shoulder. "You can't just run from adversity-"

Her skin went ice cold and clammy in his hand. Ebisu's eyes shot up to her face and were greeted with the hollowed out visage of a corpse.

"Sensei, I'm REALLY tired."

He instinctively let go of her arm and took a step back.

"Just this once. Next time we train we'll train twice as long to compensate."

Beki nodded and trudged away awkwardly. As he watched her stumbled a few yards away, Ebisu shuddered. He had heard that Beki's kekke genkai had recently started to activate itself. In all his years as a shinobi he had seen some terrifying and ugly things, but looking into her face just now was like glimpsing at death itself. With a modicum of shame, he wiped his hand on his flak jacket. It was time for him to do some research into her family's kekke genkai.

…

"NEJI KUN!" Lee called over the wall of the Hyuga compound.

The gate opened and Neji stumbled out as haggard as a cadaver.

"What happened? You aren't sick are you?! YOU NEED TO POWER THROUGH IT. YOU NEED TO DO IT FOR GAARA!" Lee shook him violently until Neji slapped him away.

"I'm fine. I just…didn't sleep too well." Neji knew from personal experience Beki always looked terrible when she was tired. He had sacrificed his own night's sleep to flick pebbles at her window from a few hundred feet away every hour or so the entire night. Once she left for training, Neji had been able to catch up on a few hours of sleep but not nearly enough.

"Alright!" Lee smiled. "It's time to implement Operation Summer Wind!"

…

Beki had managed to catch a few hours of sleep but the sun creeping through the blinds kept her from achieving any true rest. She dragged herself out of bed and took a long hot shower. After she dried off, Beki used her best lotion so she smelled nice, and then went into her closet and pulled out the red dress. She still had reservations about the color but it was too late to change her mind now. There was no wind that day and it was kind of warm so Beki decided she was safe not to wear shorts underneath the knee length dress. A quick peek in the mirror had confirmed that even an extra five hours of sleep couldn't fix the swelling in her cheek and the bags under her eyes. To boost her confidence, Beki picked out a lacey electric blue thong and put on a matching bra. She threw the dress on quickly to make sure that the bra wouldn't show through and to her relief the fabric was thick enough the panty lines didn't show through. She had a quick snack to hold her off until dinner and then started putting on her makeup. The same way the sleep didn't fix much the makeup didn't make much of a dent in how tired she looked.

After giving up on looking fresh and bright, Beki pulled on her dress, fixed her hair, put on her shoes, and walked out the door. She caught Hanabi creeping a peek at her from behind a corner as she walked out the gate. The sooner Hinata gets back, the better, Beki thought as she walked out onto the main road.


	27. Operation Summer Wind Pt 2

**Hi everyone. I'm really excited about this chapter and I had a lot of fun writing it. I have been getting some really great feedback so I would like to take this chance to say thank you to everyone who has sent me reviews. Just know that I really appreciate them and it makes me really happy to hear what you all think of my story. Plus, when I get feedback, that lets me know if I'm on the right track and my writing gets better. That being said, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter and I look forward to hearing from you!**

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"The horse has left the stable, I repeat the horse has left the stable," Hanabi whispered into the headset she was wearing as she watched Beki walk out the gate. "And my god that dress looks bad on her."

Tenten groaned audibly into her headset.

"I knew she should have picked the other once. Why didn't I say something?!"

"How does she look? Excited? Anxious?" Neji was positioned halfway between the Hokage's mansion and the restaurant the date would be held at. He and Tenten had made the reservation for a secluded booth in the back of the room and for the couple to be let in from the back entrance to avoid prying eyes. All Neji's plans would be for nothing if he didn't at least make it seem like he wanted the date to go over smoothly.

"She looks like she hasn't slept in a week and her dog died," Hanabi scoffed.

As the team made a series of empathetic noises into their headsets, Neji silently lifted his fist in the air and pulled it down in a reverse fist pump of victory.

…

Lee stood beside Gaara under the shade of a tree just off of the main road.

"She's on her way," Lee smiled reassuringly. "And the restaurant staff has already been alerted to let you two in through the back. You won't be interrupted by gawkers or fans looking for autographs!"

Gaara nodded gratefully.

"I really appreciate all your help," He explained. "I'm sure the date will go a lot more smoothly with all of you guiding things in the background."

"Everything is going to be great. This can't be any harder than running a ninja village, after all," Lee gave him a thumbs up. "And Beki is a kind person. If you just be yourself with her she'll be happy."

Gaara folded his arms out of habit.

"You'll be heading to the restaurant now?"

"Yes," Lee saluted him. "Now remember, our objective for dinner is not just conversation, it's going to be an opportunity for you to protect her."

"She won't be put in any danger during this, will she?" Gaara couldn't imagine that even the best date would be remembered fondly if someone was bodily harmed.

Lee shook his head. "Of course not. It will be something tiny and inconsequential, really, but according to Tenten girls appreciate when guys take care of little unpleasant things for them. You know, like killing bugs for them or taking phone calls from their crazy aunt so they don't have to. That sort of thing."

Gaara's imagination switched from protecting her from thugs in an alleyway to squashing bugs and having to sit through a phone call with her father. That didn't really seem like protecting Beki to Gaara, but he was sure that Team Gai had planned appropriately. With a bow, Lee ran off leaving a cloud of dust and gust of wind behind him. Gaara brushed the dirt off of his sleeves and shook his head. The clack of heels against the pavement steadily grew louder from the direction Lee had headed. He anxiously watched as Beki approached in a bright red dress. Beki looked at the ground as she walked lost in her thoughts. Gaara felt his heartbeat pick up speed and clenched his fists subconsciously. He had been less nervous about meeting heads of state than he was right now. Beki was always lovely, but in this moment the sun shone on her hair and it glowed like a golden halo around her head. Just the sight of her left him speechless.

Beki approached him and he gave her a slight smile. At last he found his voice and he began to say "hello" but she walked right by him. Gaara blinked in surprise and called out her name. Beki stopped and faced him with a surprised look on her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry," She walked over to him. "I wasn't expecting to run into you out here." A sick feeling washed over her with her embarrassment. She had been so caught up in her thoughts she didn't even notice the Kazekage, which in his usual all red ensemble was a hard thing to do.

"I thought I would meet you halfway," Now that Gaara could see her up close Beki looked a little flushed. There were also hints of dark circles under her eyes. It must be the heat, he thought to himself as he took her arm and guided her into the shade as they walked. Lee had reminded him to compliment Beki often, so he said: "I like the color you're wearing."

"It's not weird that we're matching?" Beki gave him an uncertain look.

"Not at all," he shook his head. "Red's my favorite color."

Thank you, Tenten, Beki thought. Talking her into that red dress earned Tenten plus ten best friend points in Beki's book. "So, where are we headed?" Beki adjusted her collar self-consciously.

"I'm not a local but I've heard that the food at this restaurant is top notch," Gaara tried to paraphrase what Lee had told him so it sounded like his own words. "It's just off of Main Street, and the staff are aware we're on our way so someone will lead us in from the back."

Even though Seiichiro was an ambassador he never expected VIP treatment. He had taught her to wait in line like everyone else but she supposed it would be a little different for a kage. Beki wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, so she offered "For privacy, right?"

Gaara realized that Beki might feel like he was trying to avoid being seen with her and mentally scrambled for a moment before replying:

"I would just like us to be able to enjoy our date like a normal couple with nobody interrupting and taking up our time together unnecessarily," Gaara explained. "Often when I'm out in public people approach me to ask me questions or strike up a conversation with me. Usually I don't mind, but in a situation like this I would rather avoid people than have to shut them down."

Beki nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense."

The alleyway along the side of the restaurant was narrow but clean. Beki knew if her father was aware she was letting a boy lead her down an alley all alone she was pretty sure he'd keep her leashed at all times. Her gut was telling her it was safe to trust Gaara, and her gut had never led her astray. In fact, the maître de that greeted them at the back door was more prim, polished, and polite than the one Beki had spotted greeting patrons at the front door. The employees in the back respectfully kept their eyes on their work as Gaara and Beki were led through the kitchen doors to a booth that was obscured from the view of the rest of the dining room by a large decorative screen. Gaara watched Beki as she slid into her seat for any signs of her being offended. Instead, she gave him a big smile and said in a conspiratorial voice:

"I have to admit this is pretty nice."

"You could get used to this kind of treatment?" Gaara couldn't help himself.

"Totally," Beki said as she picked up her menu.

"You'll have to keep going out with me then," Gaara kept his face as emotionless as possible as he spoke.

Beki made a face indicating she was aware she was being teased. "You're lucky this is only our second date or I'd hit you for that."

"Assaulting a kage is a serious offense," Gaara looked at the menu. "You might be barred from buying more groceries the next time you do."

Beki folded her arms. "You know, you think its so funny, but what you don't know is I make the best damn chocolate chip cookies in the world. Why do you not know that? Because I can't buy flour. So the whole world suffers in the absence of my cookies because SOMEONE couldn't dodge a blonde with a bag of flour."

"Have you ever considered that I might have let you hit me on purpose?" Gaara put down his menu as the waitress approached.

Beki looked at him slack jawed. Before she could reply the waitress had arrived to take their orders. Beki had given up on being a dainty lady on this date after looking at the menu. Everything looked delicious, but there was no way she could eat any of it without getting messy. The restaurant specialized in appetizers, noodles, and finger foods. She knew Gaara had been trolling her pretty hard since they met, so she had to wonder if this wasn't some sort of test. It was a tossup between soba and udon, so Beki went with udon. If things got awkward she could just chew on the thick noodles for as long as she needed. Gaara ordered steak sliders, the waitress took their menus and then left them to bring their drinks.

"Wait, what did you mean by you let me hit you?" Beki eyed him suspiciously.

Gaara had wondered if she would remember that comment in spite of the interruption.

"I'm the Kazekage. Do you think someone could hit me unless I wanted them to?" He made a point of avoiding answering the question outright. He himself was unsure how Beki had managed to not only hit him that day but completely incapacitate him. In all honesty his statement wasn't inaccurate. Perhaps his subconscious had allowed her through his defenses. It was anyone's guess.

Beki tapped the tabletop with her unpolished fingers. She cursed herself for not remembering to paint her nails earlier, then chastised herself for getting distracted.

"What reason would you have for letting me hit you?"

Gaara gave a slight shrug and folded his hands.

"Why do you think?"

Beki's eyes narrowed. "This conversation is going to go nowhere if we just keep answering each other's questions with questions."

"Then how about we change the topic. We should be trying to get to know each other's personal information," Gaara said. "For example, I don't know your favorite color."

"To be honest, I don't really have a favorite color," Beki stopped talking to accept her tea from the waitress. "I either like colors that are really bright or really subdued, like neons or neutrals."

Gaara rubbed his temples.

"I understand you're an ambassador's daughter and you're used to answering things diplomatically, but this is a one-word answer. We've all been through this, as children we're asked to pick a favorite so when we're getting to know people that's a safe and reliable course of conversation. So when you ask me what my favorite color is, I say red. So when I ask you again what your favorite color is, you say…?"

Beki smiled. Without realizing it, her rambling nervous answer had exasperated him. She could put one tally on the mental scoreboard she was keeping of their snarky exchanges. He was still in the lead, but who knows? She thought. The night is young.

"Gray," Beki smiled and Gaara held out his hands in front of him.

"Was that so hard?" He asked.

"And lime green and electric blue and petal pink and tropical orange and royal purple and gold and ruby and sapphire," as she named every damn color she owned a single article of clothing in, Gaara heaved a sigh and rested his cheek on his fist in exasperation. Yes, Beki thought. Another tally.

…

In the kitchen, Lee and Neji hovered over Beki's order of udon. They had explained to the chef and the waitress that they were trying to help the Kazekage out on his date and so they had allowed them to loiter back there. Neji pulled out the saran wrapped parcel from his pocket. He sighed with relief when he saw it hadn't leaked. Lee's eyes widened and he leaned closer to inspect the object.

"Wow! Are you sure that's not the real thing?" Lee poked the package.

"No, I special ordered this at the wagashi shop. The apprentice there is talented and often bored, so he was more than happy to oblige this…odd request." Neji unwrapped the sphere.

"It looks just like an eyeball, though," Lee looked at Neji with uncertainty. "You're sure it's not?"

Neji sighed. "For the last time, Lee, it's a treat made with gelatin and mochi. A real eyeball would have all sorts of stringy bits on it and would undoubtedly not smell like mochi. Smell it."

Lee gave it a whiff and his eyes sparkled. "You're right!"

Neji rolled the "eye" into the udon. He couldn't believe Lee. Even if Neji did want to ruin Beki's date, he would never put an eye in her noodles. Not only was that mean, she would probably get sick. He grabbed a pair of disposable chopsticks and rearranged the noodles on top of the "eye" so it was hidden in the dish. Now it was just a waiting game.

…

When Beki saw the waitress coming with their food her stomach rumbled. Even though she had snacked before she had left the house, Beki's nervousness on the date had burned through her reserves and she was now starving. The waitress set their dishes down in front of them, bowed, and retreated.

Beki's mouth watered at the smell of the delicious hearty broth. She picked up her chopsticks and fished out the end of a noodle.

"So is it just you and your brother in Suna, or do you have more family?" Beki asked as she raised the noodle to her mouth.

Gaara put his napkin on his lap. "Our sister, Temari, lives with us as well. She's the oldest."

"So you're the baby?" Beki said after swallowing her chunk of noodle.

Gaara gave her a sidelong glance. "I suppose you could put it like that."

Another tally, Beki smirked and resumed eating her noodles. As the noodle unwound within the bowl, something caught her eye. Something was obscured in the bed of noodles. She put down her chopsticks and picked up a spoon. As she fished around in her bowl, Gaara leaned towards her to see what had her attention.

"What is it?" He said as she fished something up out of her bowl.

Beki's eyes grew wide as the bright brown eye of a cow peered back at her from her spoon. She dropped the spoon back into her bowl and clapped her hands over her mouth. Beki closed her eyes tight as her stomach turned violently.

"Its an eye," Beki whispered between her fingers. "There's an eye in my noodles."

The two of them sat there as a silence grew between them. Gaara's eyes grew wide as he realized this was probably the chance to protect her that Lee had been alluding to.

"What would you like me to do?" He asked.

Beki shook her head and kept her eyes closed. "I don't know, make it go away!"

Gaara fished it out of the bowl with the spoon and picked it up with the sand. He had the sand form a hand and then clenched a fist around the eye. The sand squeezed, but Gaara didn't hear the pop he had been expecting. The sand hand unfurled and he saw a mushy mess like ground rice and jello.

"Beki, this isn't an eyeball."

"What?" She snuck a peek. "What are you talking about? Of course it is!"

"No, look," The sand hand extended across the table so she could see it.

"What are you doing?! Don't bring that over here!" Beki shrank into her seat.

Gaara gave a slight sigh. "Trust me. Look at it."

Beki bit her lip and looked at the mushed mass.

"This is probably just broth that coagulated with another additive and it just ended up looking like an eye." Gaara explained.

"How do you know for sure?" Beki watched as the sand retreated back into the gourd.

"It didn't pop when I crushed it," Gaara explained. "Eyeballs pop. They're basically a membrane full of fluid."

"Oh," Beki shuffled uncomfortably, feeling an annoying combination of nausea and embarrassment. "I'll, uh, I'll be right back."

She stood and headed towards the ladies' room. Maybe she could figure out a way to splash water on her face without messing up her makeup. Gaara watched her walk away and instantly he got the nagging sensation he had done something wrong. Almost on cue, Lee snuck in from the kitchen.

"How did it go?"

"The eyeball?" Gaara asked. "That was the 'opportunity', right?"

"Yes!" Lee gave him a thumbs up. "It was gelatin and mochi."

Gaara thought about it for a moment and nodded. "That makes sense."

"So, how did it go?" Lee nudged Gaara's shoulder.

"Well," Gaara picked at his food. "It frightened her and she asked me to make it go away. As I was disposing of it I realized it wasn't an eyeball and tried reassuring her by explaining why it couldn't be an eyeball."

Lee nodded emphatically. "It sounds like you handled it perfectly!"

"I hope so," Gaara watched the screen for any sign of her approach.

Lee scooted back into the kitchen just as Beki approached the screen. Her makeup had been messed up so she had just decided to take it off. Fortunately, she had make up remover in her purse, but unfortunately without the cover-up she looked half a cadaver.

As soon as Beki sat down Gaara noticed she looked sicklier than she had earlier. Instead of the flush she had earlier, Beki looked pallid and the rings under her eyes were darker and more noticeable. The scare with the "eyeball" had probably turned her stomach, he decided.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Beki sighed knowing that she looked deathly. "Yes, I'm fine."

Gaara nodded and dropped the subject, which surprised her. Maybe he was just asking to be polite and really hadn't noticed her transformation from tired teenager to walking corpse. Beki clung to that optimism after they left the restaurant and headed to the movies. The date had started out so fun, Beki thought. Maybe they could pick up that same rhythm again by watching either a comedy or a movie that was so bad it was funny. Beki loved to do that with her dad. They had been thrown out of theaters before for heckling the bad acting and special effects of several b-movie premiers. Maybe she could do the same thing with Gaara, albeit much more quietly. He had surprised her several times with what she now realized to be sarcasm. The Kazekage would probably be hilarious if they found the right movie to roast.

The two walking a long avenue that was uncharacteristically empty. Beki figured it was due to the unseasonably hot day they were having and the fact it was a work/school night. Everyone was probably going to stay home tonight.

Team Gai watched the two make their way down the street with anxious looks.

"The two of them are keeping their distance, huh?" Tenten's voice was full of concern.

"What could we do to _push_ them closer together, I wonder," Neji "accidently" bumped into Lee as he wondered aloud.

"I know!" Lee jumped up. "I've got this! LEAF WHIRLWIND!"

Lee jumped out of the bushes far enough away from the couple they didn't see or hear him. He spun through the air, creating a powerful whirlwind.

Beki had been telling Gaara the story of how she had come to live with the Hyuga when a strong wind picked up. She had the habit of talking with her hands, so there was nothing to stop the sudden gale from picking up the hem of her skirt and hurling it into the air.

Gaara had been looking at her as she spoke but the sudden movement caught his eye. He caught more than a glimpse of her electric blue underwear, if you could call anything that skimpy underwear, before she managed to slap her skirt down into place.

"Where the hell did that come from," Beki was red with embarrassment as she held the hem of her skirt balled up in fists in a vice grip at her sides.

"No idea," Gaara looked away as he tried to dismiss the image of her tiny lacey underthings from his mind. Those were nothing like the underwear he had seen her in before. The bear underwear had been innocent and adorable. The kind of underwear Beki was wearing today were definitely the kind a grown woman wore and the thought of them kept pulling Gaara's mind down the path of indecent thoughts. He clenched his fists. What had just happened was an accident and it would be wrong of him to enjoy it, especially as much as he was enjoying that memory now.

…

Tenten bopped Lee over the head.

"What were you thinking, using a whirlwind on a girl in a dress? PERVERT!"

Lee covered his head defensively as tears flowed freely from his eyes.

"I thought it would push them closer together."

"The idea was good but the execution needs work," Gai sensei nodded.

Oh god no, Beki thought. He's kind of blushing. He saw. He saw _everything_. The embarrassment kept either of them from talking until they reached the movie theater.

Instead of moving for the ticket counter, Gaara led her straight to the doors. "I already bought the tickets," He explained.

"Oh, okay," Beki shrugged. She should have expected that he would be a planner in nature. To have a job like his, Gaara probably had every aspect of his day penciled out let alone what he would do on a date.

The title on the marquee of the theater they stepped into was unfamiliar to Beki. She didn't get out much to see movies because of her rigid training schedule and the fact that most of her friends preferred more active activities. They were the first ones in the theater, so they had their choice of seats. They picked seats in the very back row toward the middle.

"Oh, I wasn't thinking," Gaara looked at her. "Would you like anything from the concession stand?"

Beki's stomach rolled at the idea of more food. "No, I'm okay. Thanks, though."

Slowly, the theater began to fill with other couples and groups of teenagers. Beki began to grow suspicious. "What kind of movie is this?"

"The technical name for it would be a 'thriller' I believe," Gaara folded his arms. "I don't watch a lot of movies. This will be interesting."

A chill went down Beki's spine. She would never admit it to the Kazekage, but she was a total chicken. Even if she was well aware that everything she saw was fake, late at night her imagination would run wild and she couldn't help but see monsters in every shadow. The last time she saw one, she made Hinata stay in the room till she fell asleep.

It turned out the movie was not about shinobi at all. A group of teenagers went looking for their missing parents in an abandoned palace in the mountains. They were hunted by oni and the angry spirits of the royal family members and their attendants who had been cursed and died there. It was so frustrating to Beki how powerless they all were in their situation. One of the girls had shut herself in a wardrobe to avoid the maid with the mangled face.

Gaara was leaning on the armrest with his chin on his hand. Beki had leaned all the way back in her chair and slightly behind Gaara so she only had to watch the movie around his head.

"Why would she corner herself like that?" Gaara mumbled to himself.

A moment of heavy silence followed and then the doors of the wardrobe flung open, revealing the mangled maiden's face. The girl had only a moment to scream before the maiden howled her otherworldly scream and climbed into the wardrobe with her. Blood trickled out of the bottom of the doors. Gaara turned and looked at Beki over his shoulder. She realized she had grabbed ahold of his sleeve so tightly it probably pinched his arm.

"Does this frighten you?" Beki couldn't tell if his tone was mocking or genuine.

"I just get wrapped up in the action, is all." Beki released his arm and folded her hands in her lap. The scene had switched to one of the smarter boys as he snuck his way into the room the oni kept so closely guarded. The walls, floor, and ceiling were covered with the bodies of the fallen teenagers and their parents. He approached his father with a look of horror on his face. He looked peaceful in death, in spite of the spikes through his body. His eyes snapped open and he whispered to his son "run."

Beki squealed when his eyes opened suddenly and hid behind Gaara again. He gave a soft chuff and adjusted so he obscured more of the screen for her.

…

The ending of the movie had Beki completely fixated. The smarter boy managed to escape with the girl who turned out to be the descendant of a kitchen maid who had escaped the original curse, burned down the mansion, and headed home. When the boy had opened the door to his house and walked inside, the crazy ghost of the princess stood in his living room and said "welcome home."

When they walked out of the theater night had fallen. Beki instantly noticed that the creepy factor on Konoha had been dialed up to a 9 after watching that movie. Half the damn town looked haunted or abandoned in this light.

"So, uh, can we get some air?" Beki grabbed his hand and started walking toward the park. "I feel like a walk."

The park had large open spaces and even at this hour there were bound to be lots of people. Angry ghosts and oni only attacked people who were alone. Until she got her wits back, Beki wanted to be around people. They walked along the path amongst the other couples, families, and friends enjoying the ebb in the heat. Beki was so fixated on the movie she had failed to notice the silence that had fallen between them. Gaara had noticed it, and he couldn't help but worry that he had made the wrong choice in movie. In spite of her realistic outlook on life, it seemed like Beki struggled separating reality from fiction in movies. He had read somewhere that was due to a heightened sense of empathy. That in turn made him worry Beki would think he wasn't empathetic at all for not fearing for characters on a screen.

Their stroll led them onto a bridge over the river that ran through the park. Beki's pace slowed and she leaned against the railing of the bridge.

"But HOW did the ghost get out and beat him home?" She half asked herself.

Gaara blinked and frowned slightly. "I believe that was just a dramatic device."

"They should have done something to make that ending make sense, like he took something from the mansion or it turned out the girl he rescued was actually the ghost princess all along," Beki pushed herself up so she was sitting on the railing. "I guess they were doing scary stuff just for the sake of being scary, but that's sloppy writing if you ask me."

Gaara felt relieved. Beki had been lost in thought again, just like she had been earlier when she walked right by him in the street. He watched Beki as she mumbled to herself. She was really more suited to moonlight, Gaara decided. Beki was pretty during the day, but at night she was downright ethereal. Her skin became fine porcelain and her hair was pure moonlight.

Beki caught him smiling at her. He didn't have a big smile, it was shy and small. It reminded Beki of the shy preschoolers she worked with at the academy. He was the Kazekage but when he looked at her like that she couldn't help but think he was cute. His features were still too boyish for him to be considered handsome. The fact that he was probably making fun of her in his head was the only thing that kept her from getting completely wrapped up in the moment.

"What are you smiling at?" She watched him suspiciously.

"You," He said in complete monotone.

Dammit, she thought. I can never tell what he's thinking. I've repeatedly made an ass out of myself tonight. He'll probably tell the other kage and ambassadors what a fool Seiichiro's daughter was. Beki sighed. She deserved it.

Team Gai watched the pair on the bridge.

"They're missing something," Gai mused.

"Has Gaara had a chance to demonstrate his manliness at any point?" Neji asked. "They saw that scary movie and he took care of the eyeball, but what about his strength or his reflexes."

"You're right!" Lee punched the air. "He hasn't had a chance to show his amazing talents with his sand!"

"Lee, what are you doing?" Tenten looked frightened as he pulled something from the bushes.

"Oh these?" Lee held up a set of massively heavy dumbbells. "These are just my walking dumbbells. They weigh 50 pounds each. Featherweight, really. One of these should be plenty!"

"What do you mean 'plenty'? What are you going to do?" Tenten tried to get in Lee's way.

Lee dropped one of the dumbbells and it dented the earth beside him. He lined up his shot like an expert javelin thrower. Neji had silently picked up a pebble from the ground and activated his Byakugan. He would only need to adjust Lee's angle slightly to change Lee's target from Gaara to Beki. Gaara would more than likely still catch it, but the shock might be enough to get Beki to lose her balance in the process. Neji had seen Beki get her hair wet when some of the academy students had been playing with squirt guns. They went home with broken squirt guns and she had been grouchy the rest of the day.

Lee's arm began moving forward to throw the dumbbell. Neji flicked the pebble and it hit Lee's forearm. He deactivated his Byakugan and watched as the dumbbell sailed straight for Beki.

"Heads up!" Lee screamed realizing too late that the dumbbell was heading for Beki.

"Huh?" Beki held up her hands instinctively and caught the bar of the dumbbell harmlessly in her hands. The momentum of the impact, however, carried her right over the side of the bridge and she landed in the water with a splash. Gaara leaned over the railing with an impending sense of doom in his chest. Team Gai all ran up to the bridge together with looks of concern on their face. Beki almost immediately resurfaced with a gasp for air, her clothes soaked. Her hair had turned black and was plastered around her face and shoulders.

"Beki, are you okay?" Gaara called out.

"Okay, I'm wet now," Beki whined. She looked up to see not just Gaara, but all of Team Gai looking at her over the railing of the bridge. All night long Beki had made mistakes and embarrassed herself. This went above and beyond though. All she wanted to do right now was run away and cry. In her heart she knew that wasn't the grown up thing to do, so she took a deep breath and said: "I'm going to go in the bathroom and try to dry off. Of something."

"I'll come with you!" Tenten cried out and ran down to meet her at the riverbank.

Gaara watched helplessly as his date trudged off through the park soaking wet and with the most disheartened face he'd ever seen.

"She looks just like a wet cat," Neji mused aloud.

"I ruined everything." Gaara stared off after her. "At the restaurant, I described how an eyeball pops the way only someone who has popped eyeballs could, I took her to a movie that scared her and teased her about being scared, and now this. I didn't protect her from the dumbbell."

"I don't know what happened," Lee stared at his hands. "I was aiming for you."

Gaara shook his head. "It's not your fault. All you have been trying to do all night is help me. I'm just…incompetent."

"I'm curious," Neji asked. "Your defenses are usually so automatic. How did you not sense that dumbbell coming?"

Gaara thought back to how beautiful Beki had been sitting on that railing in the moonlight.

"I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings at the time."

…

The bathroom was blessedly empty when Tenten helped Beki stumble in.

"Beki…" Tenten watched the tears welling up in Beki's eyes.

Beki pulled away from Tenten and started to wring out her hair in the sink.

"Beki, it's okay," Tenten put a hand on her shoulder.

"No, it's not," the tears started falling down Beki's cheeks but she wouldn't let herself sob. "I've just made an idiot of myself right and left. I was stupid to think that a bumbling cow like me could date someone like him."

Beki let out a sob and then bit her lip. She hated crying, but it was too late. She had started and now she couldn't stop. She put her face in her hands and let it out.

"You are not a bumbling cow," Tenten put an arm around Beki's soaked shoulders. She felt the water transferring to her own clothes and made herself ignore it. "I have it on pretty good authority that Gaara feels that way about you."

"What are you talking about?" Beki wiped her eyes and blew her nose into a paper towel. "He's the Kazekage and I couldn't even keep it together one night."

"For one thing, you're pretty," Tenten searched Beki's eyes desperately for some sign of acceptance. "You're also really funny, and you didn't let someone's violent murderous past keep you from giving them an honest chance."

"Was he really that bad?" Beki asked as she wrung out the skirt of her dress.

Tenten had gone completely quiet so Beki looked at her. Tenten nodded violently. "Yes. He was that bad."

"I mean other than the eyeball popping comment I would have never guessed," Beki smiled weakly at Tenten.

Finally, Tenten thought. Beki's making a joke. She didn't know if she could handle Beki sad for very long. It was like seeing a sad animal in the zoo.

"Um, Tenten," Beki's face was flushed with embarrassment. "Could you watch the door while, I um, I wring out my underwear."

Tenten's eyes widened and she instantly did an about face. "Y-yeah of course."

…

Gaara was waiting for her about twenty feet from the restroom. He was struggling with mixed emotions: frustration with himself for making such foolish mistakes during the date, regret that he had dragged Beki through such a horrible night, and sadness that he would never get to enjoy her company again.

Beki stepped out of the bathroom at last with Tenten at her side. The girls exchanged a few words and then hugged. Beki walked towards him with her shoes in her hands. Her clothes were damp now but not dripping. Interestingly enough, her hair was still dark. The momentary curiosity was instantly swept away by the reminder that he had ruined his chances with her.

"I imagine you would like to go home," Gaara kept his gaze on the ground.

Beki held up her ruined shoes. "Can't run around town barefoot."

Gaara offered his arm and she took it. The sand cloud formed and he began to fly her home, careful not to go too fast. He didn't want her to catch a chill in her damp clothes. They both wordlessly watched the world ahead. Gaara wasn't sure which would be more painful: to memorize the feeling of her arm around his or to try to block it from his memory.

His face was almost a blank, but Beki caught the hurt and disappointment in his eyes. As hard as all this was for Beki, she couldn't imagine how much harder this was for Gaara. She wanted to console him, but now didn't seem like the right time.

…

The Kazekage set them down just outside the gates of the Hyuga compound. He struggled to find the words to express how he was feeling. He wanted to apologize more than anything, but behind that he also wanted to plead for her forgiveness and ask for another chance. Gaara knew he didn't deserve another chance, but Beki had made him happy. He selfishly wanted more chances to be happy with her, however after tonight it was clear that wasn't in the cards. He finally found the words to say and looked her in the eye.

What he found was concern. Not pity, not anger, not disappointment.

Beki leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek "It'll all go better next time."

"Next time?" Gaara blinked in surprise.

"Our next date," Beki brushed some of her still wet stringy hair behind her ear. "I was having a fantastic time with you. I just can't believe all those freak random accidents kept happening."

Gaara felt like he had been spared the executioner's chair. Beki gave him a worried look.

"Did you not have a good time?"

He shook his head. "I really enjoyed myself. Other than when the accidents happened."

"Alright," Beki gave him a small smile. "So you'll send me a letter next time you know you'll be in town?"

"Of course." He was on autopilot. Gaara was still trying to process how he had not been dumped after a night that awful. Lee was right. Beki really was kind, and Gaara was realizing after how terrified he'd been of screwing up that he was genuinely interested in her.

Beki gave him a soft pat on the cheek and went inside. Gaara stared at the gate a full five minutes before he had the wherewithal to fly back to his hotel. As soon as he told his brother about how the night had gone, Kankuro folded his arms and said:

"You're right, she should have dumped you. I can't believe you took the advice of those jokers about dating and you didn't even ask me!"

"You don't have a girlfriend, Kankuro," Gaara sat on his bed. "They at least had a girl on their team."

"I don't have one girlfriend, Gaara, I have many," Kankuro waved his hat at him. "Your brother is an absolute slayer. If you had come to me, I would have told you how to lay the romance on so thick she would have been putty in your hands."

"Why would I want putty in my hands when I have all the sand I could ever want?" Gaara gave him a confused look.

"Metaphorical putty," Kankuro sighed as he turned out he light and climbed into bed. "We have a lot of work to do with you."

Gaara was exhausted, but fortunately he had plenty to think about for the rest of the night. Some of it was the softness of Beki's lips on his cheek, some of it was how pretty she was in the moonlight, more of it was how funny she had been about the movie, and more than he liked to admit was about what he had seen when a chance gust of wind came by.


	28. Roses and Poultices

**Hi everyone, this is the first of hopefully two weekend updates. If nothing else, the Sunday update will be postponed until Monday because sometimes Game of Thrones gets in the way of things. Like me being a responsible adult and not finding ways to incorporate GoT one liners into everyday conversations. Seriously, I have made so many "fire and blood" and "the night is dark..." comments while playing the new Doom and Dark Souls 3 I think Tallman will hit me if I do it again. That being said, please enjoy, and I look forward to hearing from you all. I really appreciate any and all feedback and it makes me very happy.**

* * *

Beki stepped through the door of Hinata's house feeling relieved. As much as she had been humiliated throughout the course of the night, the date was over and had a positive outcome. She didn't know when she would hear from the Kazekage again. Part of her was afraid that he had actually had an awful time with her and his offer to write her had just been his polite attempt to end the night on a positive note. As she set her bag down on the entryway floor (it too had gotten soaked when she fell in the river) she was greeted by the smell of freshly baked cookies. Hinata was pulling out a cookie tray from the oven and without turning around she said:

"Welcome home Beki! How was your day?"

Beki smiled at Hinata's kindness. She had been on a mission that had gone three days over schedule, come home, made cookies, and was asking Beki how she was doing. Any day now this girl is going to sprout a pair of wings and a halo, Beki thought as she shook her head.

"It was, uh, good overall. Had some rough patches here and there but, yeah. Good day."

Hinata had finished setting the cookies on the stovetop to cool. They were her matcha green tea shortbread cookies cut in the shape of little flowers. Beki loved those cookies. They were mildly sweet with just the tiniest hint of green tea to them. A batch was cooling on the kitchen island so Beki snuck over and stole one. It was still warm and had the tiniest bit of crunch to it as she bit the flower in half. There is no better way to end a night than hot cookies and a shower, Beki decided.

Her friend finally turned to face her and balked. "Beki, what happened to you?"

After she had fallen in the river, Beki's hair had turned black as part of a fight or flight response. The anxiety she had built up over the night had delayed its return to normal, so even though the event had happened almost a half hour ago her hair was the color of charcoal. Hinata took ahold of Beki's face with one hand and rotated it into the light.

"You look like death, sweetie. Did you get in a fight or something? Where did that dress come from?"

Beki sighed. Hinata was such a mom.

"Well I went on a date tonight, and even though overall it went pretty good, like I told you some parts went very very bad."

Hinata snapped Beki's face back so they were eye to eye. "Who did you have a date with?!"

Beki smiled sheepishly. "The Kazekage."

Hinata slapped an oven mitt on the counter. "I'm gone for a few days and you are already on a dinner date with the Kazekage?!"

"And he's seen my underwear," Beki's grin widened as she popped another cookie in her mouth. "Twice."

The gasping noise and look of horror on Hinata's face reminded Beki of an overturned turtle. It was priceless.

…

After Beki had summarized the events of the evening, Hinata shook her head.

"What a bunch of freak accidents."

"Tell me about it," Beki started to unravel her braid. "It was like someone out there was on a mission to make that date go wrong at any cost."

"And they started with your outfit," Hinata looked at Beki with surprise at her hurt expression. "Honey, you know red is NOT your color. At least, not that red. It makes you look like a tomato."

"His favorite color is red, Hinata!" Beki griped. "Besides, I've lent out my clothes to half the freaking village and the rest of what I have doesn't fit very well…"

"Don't worry about it," Hinata patted her knee. "It sounds like the Kazekage was impressed with you."

Beki sighed. She sure hoped he was. If not, that was going to create some very awkward situations in the near future. Without a doubt she would run into him again, and if he hadn't written her beforehand it would be obvious he hadn't actually been interested. It was times like this Beki envied Hinata with her secure future and clearly loving and devoted fiancé waiting in the wings.

"I think I'm going to go shower," Beki stood and walked for the stairs. "You wanna tell me about your mission?"

Hinata followed her up. "Sure. So the reason we were held up so long was because it turns out the person who hired us was actually a ronin who wanted revenge on his old teammates and was trying to get us to take them out for him while operating as his bodyguards. It would have been a nasty mess because they were Iwagakure ninja and Konoha doesn't exactly have a good relationship with them in the first place…"

Beki held up a finger for pause. "Does this story end with the ronin getting due justice?"

Hinata sighed and glowered at her. "Yes Beki. His teammates pushed him over a cliff."

Beki held out her hands like "See?" and Hinata swatted at them. "Sorry we're raised to believe there's a better way."

Beki turned on the water and climbed in. "Okay Hinata. I'll make sure if you're ever attacked by ronin I'll take them out, ok? So your conscience can be clear."

Hinata flushed the toilet and walked out of the bathroom to the sounds of Beki's shrieking as the water skyrocketed in temperature.

…

"So do you just want to announce to the whole world you're going out with this girl?" Kankuro blocked Gaara's path on the street leading to the flower shop.

"Can't we just say I'm sending her flowers as a gesture of friendly goodwill between villages?" Gaara's sand was slowly siphoning out of his gourd. If Kankuro continued to bar his path he planned on having sand hands come out of the ground and holding his ankles so Gaara could make his break for it.

"No one is going to buy that, Gaara." Kankuro shot an angry glance at the sand hand creeping for his ankles and it shrank away. "The two of you have pushed the friendship boundary enough already. Flowers is just going to set the gossip papers to press."

Gaara saw his point, but after all of the events of the night before he wanted to send Beki something as both an apology and a thank you. As far as he knew the only thing that met both those criteria were flowers. If he had more time he would just go see her in person, but they were already running over schedule on getting back to Suna. He had postponed his departure until this morning and had no time left to waste coming up with solutions.

"What if you bought them for me?" Gaara held out the note he had written to put in the flowers and some money. Kankuro pushed the money and the note back to Gaara's chest.

"That won't work. People aren't stupid enough to fall for that. You go on what looked like a date, then I buy flowers and the girl you went out with gets them. Real covert there, bro."

Gaara was just about to throw caution to the wind and just go buy the flowers when he spotted Neji walking up the street towards them. All of Team Gai had been so supportive on his date last night, what was one more favor?

"Neji, may I speak to you for a moment?" Gaara waved him over with the sand.

Oh no, Neji thought as he saw that menacing sand hand beckoning to him. He's figured out that I was behind everything last night and now he's going to kill me.

Neji did his best to walk over to the pair as casually as possible. "Kazekage sama. How can I help you?" He said with a bow.

"I know it's poor taste to repay a favor with another request, but I find myself with no other choice." Gaara held out the envelope and money to him. "I wanted to send Miss Tsukimori some flowers. Would you mind picking something and bringing them to her with that note?"

A wave of relief swept over Neji, not only with the realization his life was not in danger, but also because the night must have gone so poorly the Kazekage was sending Beki flowers to apologize. He was left wondering what tantrum she threw after she was thrown in the river or if Gaara had said something to set her off at the end of the night. Either way, it was clear the two were not going to become an item. Neji gave the Kazekage another slight bow.

"Of course, I'm happy to help. And I'm sorry about all of those unfortunate incidents last evening."

Gaara gave a small nod.

"These things happen for a reason. We just have to move past them. Thank you again for your help."

Neji watched them walk off towards the gates and then stepped out of sight. He couldn't help himself. He had to see just what the Kazekage was apologizing for. With his Byakugan activated, he scanned the contents of the note:

"Thank you for the memorable evening. You made quite the 'splash'. I look forward to hearing from you soon."

No, Neji thought. It couldn't be. All of his efforts to drive them apart had actually brought the two of them together. He weighed the money and the note in his hands. It would be very easy for him to not buy the flowers and destroy the note so Beki was left in limbo. However, that would make it very easy for them to track it all back to him and he did not want to face both the Kazekage and Beki's wrath. The safest move for him at this point would be to buy the loveliest flowers he could find and try to undermine their relationship in the long haul.

…

"Oooh Neji, breaking the bank?" Ino grinned slyly at the bouquet of velvety roses he had picked out. The Kazekage had given him plenty to buy just about anything in the store but came just short of the cost of the sea of crimson. Neji decided to put in the extra effort and shell out the difference.

"And who are these for?" Ino's eyes were locked on to detect any signs of deception. He would have to be very careful how he responded.

"They're for Beki," Neji's face was completely passive. "I want to express how deeply sorry I am that she was born so homely and ogre-ish."

Ino's jaw dropped and instantly clamped shut as she dipped into her reserves of professionalism so as not to burst out laughing.

"Sure thing, let me just wrap these up for you. Good luck with that, pal."

After she had wrapped the bouquet in paper, Neji left the shop and headed back to the compound. It was still early morning and he was fairly sure that Beki would sleep in after the night she had before. He caught a few curious looks on his way home and he was sure he would get asked about this later, but fortunately after he delivered the flowers Beki wouldn't be seen with them. That was the last thing he needed was for people to think they were an item.

In spite of what he said to Ino, Beki wasn't truly ugly. Physically she was fair of form and face, but her personality left a lot to be desired. She was boisterous and loud at all times and was downright crass and downright unladylike on occasion. In essence she was volatile and the Hyuga were all about stability. As a houseguest she was refreshing but Neji imagined as a partner she would be hard to deal with. He was surprised that the Kazekage had taken an interest in her. Then again, his face was the calm eye of what Neji was sure was a perpetual storm. Neji had seen photographs of tornadoes that had crossed paths with a fire, and the resulting decimation in the wake of the blazing whirlwind was what he imagined their relationship would be like.

This is none of my business, he thought as he passed through the gate. Hinata was home now, so maybe she could talk some sense into Beki. As he approached the front door, he heard an argument going on in Hinata's kitchen.

"I said 'no'!" Beki's voice was accompanied by the scrape of a chair.

"You won't get any of the medicine on you," Hinata's voice was slightly frantic. "It's a poultice. It will reduce some of the swelling and bagginess under your eyes."

"It'll go away on its own," Beki said with more defensive chair scraping.

Neji figured it wouldn't stop any time soon, so he knocked on the door. There was a drawn out silence before he heard Beki walking over to the door. She opened it and almost immediately Hinata sprang up behind her and wrapped a lumpy eye mask over her face.

"MRPH!" Beki struggled but Hinata hit a few points on her back, rendering her arms useless. "This is so not cool Hinata."

Hinata gave Neji a questioning look.

"Who are the flowers for?"

"They're for Beki," Neji took Beki's hand and put the bouquet in it. "It's from your date last night."

"It's okay, Hinata knows I went out with Gaara," Beki tipped her head back until it was almost parallel with the ceiling so she could see the room through a slit in the bottom of the mask. Then she walked over to the kitchen and started fumbling around for a vase. "He's got damn good taste. These roses are gorgeous."

Dammit, Neji thought. I really shouldn't be helping this along so much.

"Is there a card?" Hinata asked as she walked over to the bouquet.

"Yeah," Beki lifted up half of the poultice and opened the card. The pleased look on her face instantly sank. "Too soon, Gaara. Too soon."

"What did he say?" Neji feigned ignorance.

"That I made a 'splash' last night," Beki rolled her eyes and put the poultice back on. "You know, because I fell in the river."

"You're right, that's a little insensitive," Neji offered.

Hinata shook her head gently. "He just doesn't understand social situations that well. It must have been hard growing up without any friends."

"Naruto did and he turned out fairly well," Neji countered. "If not a little, well, too enthusiastic. Then again so is Lee and he doesn't really have an excuse."

Hinata sighed. "Not everyone can be as perfect as Naruto."

Beki and Neji rolled their eyes in unison, even though Beki's was unseen behind the mask.

"Did he say anything to you about me?" Beki asked trying her best not to sound too concerned.

"No, he was in a hurry this morning," Neji took a seat at the kitchen table. "That's why he asked me to bring you the flowers."

Hinata put a kettle on for tea. "You'll just need to be more direct with him."

Beki plopped down at the table across from Neji. He could smell the mix of herbs in the poultice mixing with Beki's tangerine shampoo. It made the whole kitchen smell like potpourri.

"You make it sound so easy Hinata," Beki sighed. "The guy is pretty hard to read, and I've spent a good chunk of my life around unreadable people. It took me about three conversations with him before I figured out when he was making jokes and even so I'm still not one hundred percent sure he isn't serious."

"What has your father said on the matter?" Neji asked as casually as possible.

Beki cringed a little. "I, uh, haven't discussed it with him yet."

She could sense Neji's disapproval without having to see it. If it was anyone else she would have told him to shove off, but he and Hinata had bailed her out of too many situations for her to do that. Instead she felt forced to defend herself.

"My dad doesn't seem like it but he's overprotective enough to put Hiashi to shame," Beki explained. "One of the reasons he's always kept me with him was because he didn't want me getting tricked or forced into being married young or to inadvertently get wrapped up in politics."

"Which is the path you're headed down with the Kazekage," Neji said almost completely under his breath.

"I know," Beki leaned back her in her chair and lolled her head back. "But as hard of a nut as the Kazekage is, it could easily be argued I'm not that easy to deal with myself."

"Nonsense," Hinata cooed as she put the cups of steaming tea on the table. "You're a delight to have."

"Only because we're friends, Hinata, and I try to behave more around you," Beki sighed. "I doubt like 90% of the village shares your opinion about me."

"You aren't so hard to deal with," Neji felt guilt pulling at his chest. As much as he had been trying to keep Beki's best interests in mind it was clear he had missed how lonely she was.

"Which reminds me," Hinata turned her gaze on Neji. "How could you let Beki out of the house in that horrible red dress?!"

"It wasn't that bad!" Beki barked. "The color was just…off."

"As much as everyone seems to forget it, I am a man, Hinata," Neji glowered into his cup. "I will not be held accountable for people's fashion choices."

Hinata shrank a little. "Sorry."

"If I could go back in time, I would have told her to put some damn shorts on underneath it," Neji scoffed.

Beki froze up in her chair and Neji instantly regretted saying anything. She had untied the back of the eye mask, so as she slowly sat up in her chair and turned to face him, it slid down her face and plopped on the table.

"That street was abandoned," Her eyes narrowed. "So either you were there or you were peeping."

"I was not peeping, Beki," Neji leaned away from her only to be met by Hinata's suspicious glare.

"Start talking, pretty boy." Beki snatched up the end of his hair and gave it a yank.

"Ow, leave my hair out of this," Neji snatched back his hair tail and sighed. "The Kazekage asked Team Gai to help him with the date. We were all there."

Beki's eyes widened until they were saucers. "How long? How long were you all there?!"

Neji looked into his cup and mumbled. "Pretty much the whole time."

"It all makes sense now," Beki put her face in her hands. "It was the blind leading the blind."

Neji balked. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"At least 75% of Team Gai is socially inept," Beki grumbled. "And you were advising Gaara."

"Excuse me?!" Neji cried.

Beki rolled her eyes. "Come on, Neji, you dress up as vegetables."

"And he cross dresses sometimes," Hinata added quietly.

"That does not make me socially inept!" Neji slapped the table in desperation.

"No, but you don't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend AND you run around as an eggplant, Neji." Beki glowered at him.

Neji looked down at his hands. "He just wanted some help and you're our friend. We figured we could at least guide him in the right direction."

Beki gave a heavy sigh and got up from the table with her cup. She put it in the sink and said:

"I'm not mad, but seriously. I'm going to go shower so I don't walk around smelling like old person for the rest of the day."

"It doesn't smell that bad!" Hinata called after Beki as she walked up the stairs grumbling about becoming a shrine maiden. A silence fell over the table until the sound of water in the pipes filled the room.

"Did you _really_ try to help him with the date, Neji?" Hinata took a sip of her tea while watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"Of course I did, Hinata," Neji eyed her suspiciously. "What are you insinuating."

"Nothing, just that maybe, you know, without realizing it, you might not have tried that hard to help with the date…" Hinata's voice trailed off.

Neji sighed.

"Look, the Kazekage and Lee are…friends. They were the ones who arranged the date. Tenten and I just kind of supported what they came up with," Neji shook his head. "I was just here to drop off the flowers. I should get going."

"Those are really pretty by the way," Hinata sipped her tea innocently. "The Kazekage has good taste."

"Yes, he does," Neji said uncomfortably as he opened the door. "Good day, Lady Hinata."

Hinata smiles. "See you later, brother."

As Hinata watched Neji's shadow fade from the door she shook her head. Her cousin was a lot of things, and being too stubborn and proud to see what was right in front of him was one of them.


	29. Burying the Hatchet

**Hi everyone! This chapter is on the shorter side because I don't like posting 6000-7000 word chapters. I haven't heard otherwise from all of you, so I just have assumed you prefer the 3-4k chapters. That being said, look forward to another chapter hopefully later this weekend. I look forward to hearing what you all think!**

* * *

Beki woke up the next morning to someone laying down in bed with her.

"Good morning," Hinata said softly.

"Hi Hina chan," Beki grumbled into her pillow.

"Did you miss me when I was away on my mission?" She asked sheepishly.

"Yes, Hina chan, I was empty and incomplete without you," Beki said flatly.

"I suppose things have been pretty exciting around here, outside of your date with the Kazekage" Hinata looked around the room for telltale signs of disaster. "I noticed my sister won't set foot within fifty meters of the house."

"Your sister turned into a flaming hormonal puberty monster because Konohamaru was in love with me," Beki was finally starting to rise from her comatose state.

"Wow," Hinata looked down at the comforter. "I guess it's a good thing I woke you after I made breakfast because it sounds like we have a lot to talk about."

Beki followed Hinata downstairs and took her place at the table. Hinata set down Beki's mug of coffee in front of her and took the seat across from her. In the many months they had spent living together Hinata had figured out how to subtly manipulate Beki. It was much easier to get her to talk about something or to go somewhere when she was promptly fed and caffeinated first thing in the morning. Hinata had also taken to carrying a bag of almonds in her kunai bag to throw at her roommate throughout the day whenever she got testy.

"So let's start with the bad news," Hinata took a bite of her toast, watching Beki expectantly.

"I guess my little secret admirer was Konohamaru, who it turns out Hanabi has developed a colossal crush on, she found out and got me to admit I liked the Kazekage in front of him," Beki explained.

Hinata's eyes grew wide. The bad news was the wrong place to start. She was gone three days and Beki gone on a date with the Kazekage, started a blood feud with her sister, and broken the heart of a young boy. She would have never claimed that their lives were uneventful, but usually that much action would have been spread out over at least two months.

"So then Konohamaru got upset and ran off into the woods. He bumped into some ronin from the Rain village and I got there just in time to scare them off," Beki continued. "Afterwards, I sat him down and had a talk with him about his feelings. I told him he couldn't feel that way about me anymore and I could never like him like that."

"Aw," Hinata pouted sympathetically. "First loves are hard."

"Oh, like you can talk," Beki attacked her toast. "You're still with your first love."

"I got very lucky with Naruto kun," Hinata looked dreamily into her cup of coffee. "What about you Beki? Who was your first love?"

Beki laughed awkwardly.

"My dad. He was the only guy I was ever around and I always thought he was so charming and handsome. He says when I was really young I used to ask him if we could get married. I figured it out as I got older that you don't marry close family."

Hinata gave her an odd look.

"Oh no, we are not having the marrying-your-cousin conversation again," Beki stared her down.

Hinata bit her lip. Beki kept giving her a challenging look then relented and continued her story.

"So anyway, yeah, had to hold the kid in my arms as he bawled his eyes out," Beki took a bite of eggs and sighed. "Was the highlight of my week, right up there with finding a dead baby bird in the woods and my favorite hat blowing away in a freak gust of wind."

Hinata patted her shoulder sympathetically. "Was he okay afterwards?"

"I told him I understood if he didn't want to talk to me anymore. He said he still wanted to be my friend." Beki replied.

"Aw," Hinata pouted again. "So what happened with Hanabi?"

"She went off on me when I got back, said she liked him first and I didn't even notice him and blah blah blah threw my stuff all over the room and ran out in a huff." Beki drummed her fingers on the table.

"My, that's...that's unlike her," Hinata looked worried. "I should talk to her."

"No, I'm going to talk to her," Beki shut her down. "She has a problem with me so she'll talk with me, woman to woman."

…

Hanabi was training. She had felt bad about blowing up on Beki a few nights before but she didn't know what to do about it. Frustration and a nagging sense of rejection hung over her like a wet coat.

"Need a sparring partner?"

Hanabi turned to see Beki in her training clothes. Acid bubbled up in her stomach and she swallowed to keep it down.

"Yeah, I guess."

Beki squared off with her. She had trained with Hinata and Neji enough to know she was going to walk away bruised up from this, but there was no other way to get Hanabi to open up. Beki braced herself to get her ass handed to her on a plate by a thirteen-year-old girl in knee high socks, but she wouldn't go down without a fight.

Hanabi started off easy on her, the same way Beki always did when she was fighting someone she knew was below her level. Quickly she upped the ante and started to strike at her at double the speed and intensity. Beki's previous training with Neji and Hinata had helped her develop something akin to an anti-Gentle Fist strategy. She called it the "Keep the hell away and don't let them touch you" defense.

"So are you going to talk to me about the other day?" Beki narrowly dodged a strike to her solar plexus that would have made her cough up her breakfast. Hanabi's face was pinched up with concentration as she kept fighting.

"I liked Naruto and he liked Hinata. I liked Konohamaru and he likes you." Hanabi began to strike more quickly and more powerfully but her form started to suffer. "What am I doing wrong? Why don't they ever notice me?"

Beki mis-stepped and took a full force hit to the face. It hurt like hell, but Beki rolled with the momentum and tucked into a roll. She landed on her butt and crossed her legs, twisting to face Hanabi.

"Hanabi I am not trying to compete with you," There was a big angry red handprint across her cheek. It was already starting to swell. "I'm not going to be in Konoha forever and I would like to leave here with some good memories. Let's not fight anymore, okay?"

"Okay," Hanabi said and walked over to Beki with her hand out. Beki took her hand and let her pull her to her feet.

"I've got to get an ice pack for this," Beki laughed self-consciously. "You hit really hard, Hanabi. God help anyone who gets on your bad side."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you Beki," Hanabi hung her head in shame.

"I get it Hanabi, I was your age not a too long ago," Beki pat Hanabi's head. "Just talk to me before stuff turns into a problem, okay? I didn't know Konohamaru liked me and had someone told me I would have had that conversation with him a long time ago."

"Okay," Hanabi smiled shyly.

"What happened here?" Neji stepped off of the path and walked towards them with a bag over his shoulder.

"Neji, Hanabi hit me," Beki used her best tattletale voice. Hanabi instantly puffed up and turned to defend herself.

"We were sparring!" Hanabi cried, too distracted to notice the hand looping around her ankle until it was hoisting her in the air. "HEY! PUT ME DOWN!"

Beki smiled down at Hanabi with self-satisfaction. "Don't take your eyes off your opponent, half pint." Hanabi wriggled in frustration. To be honest she kind of deserved it and at the same time it was nice for Beki to be paying attention to her again, so she tolerated it.

"Where you going with the bag?" Beki gestured to Neji's load. "Getting sent off on a mission?"

"No, Team Gai has earned some vacation time so we were planning on heading to a beach in the Land of Wind," Neji explained. "The water there apparently has curative properties and-"

Beki was gone. Hanabi had been unceremoniously dumped on the lawn on her rear.

"Where did she go?" Neji looked around only to have a bag thrown at him.

"I'm ready, let's go!" Beki punched the air.

"Beki, you can't come with us," Neji scoffed. "Tsunade's not just going to let you leave the protection of the Leaf-"

"She will if her chaperone comes with!" Hinata had appeared with a purple duffle bag over her shoulder. "I have some vacation time I would like to take, in fact, all of Team Kurenai does. I'm going to call Shino and Kiba and see if they'll come too!"

Hinata ran off towards the main house and Neji clenched his fists. "You're a terrible influence, Tsukimori."

Beki shrugged. "Why, because I've taught her to be spontaneous and fun?"

"No, you're teaching Lady Hinata to be hare brained and impulsive." Neji sighed. "To be fair, however, I haven't seen her this happy since Naruto left. So, good work. I guess."

Beki beamed. "It's what I do."

Neji had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Before he could put her in her place Hinata's returning footsteps drew their attention. Hinata smiled warmly. "Shino and Kiba said they would both love to go. They'll meet us at the gate in twenty minutes."

"Good," Neji sighed. "That gives us enough time to talk to Gai sensei and Tsunade sama about Beki coming along."

"So I guess I'll see you all later?" Hanabi shuffled as she watched them run for the gate.

"We'll bring you back something nice, promise!" Beki called over her shoulder as the gate closed.

Hanabi sighed as she watched the three people she admired most leave her behind again. Maybe once she was older they would take her seriously and let her hang out with them, but based on her own behavior over the whole Konohamaru thing she knew she had some more growing up to do.

…

Might Gai was going over the itinerary of the vacation with Tsunade when the gaggle of teens spilled in the office, much to the door guardsman's chagrin.

"You kids just can't barge in here-" He barked at them but was waved off by Tsunade.

"Well, what is it?" She eyed the crowd suspiciously.

"Go, Neji," Beki shoved him forward.

"What?!" He hissed over his shoulder.

"You're the oldest!" Beki said in a harsh whisper. Hinata gave him a thumbs up and added "Go, Nii-san!"

Neji sighed and stepped in front of the group. "If it is acceptable, Tsunade sama, Team 8 would like to join us on our trip to the beach in the Land of Wind-"

Tsunade pointed a finger accusingly. "Then what's Tsukimori doing here?" Beki instantly dropped to her knees and bowed deeply. "Please Tsunade sama, I want to go with them! We'll be supervised the whole time and I'll never leave the group! I promise!"

"Beki, you are the daughter of a foreign ambassador on Konoha soil," Tsunade huffed. "Why on God's green earth would I let you leave the Land of Fire and risk something happening to you?"

Beki looked up at her pleadingly. "Tsunade, I will even commit social suicide and wear floaties if you'll let me go."

"I like her spirit, Hokage sama," Gai gave her a thumbs up. "If you'll allow her to go, I'll take full responsibility for her."

Tsunade sighed in the face of so many expectant pouty kids. What could it hurt? Konoha had a good relationship with Suna, Might Gai was more than capable of watching Beki, and she would be constantly surrounded by at least three Konoha ninja. As much as she had promised Seiichiro she would make sure she would keep Beki safe, it was just as important that the girl didn't feel like a prisoner under Tsunade's watch.

"Fine," Tsunade folded her arms. "But you stick to Gai sensei like glue and wear your damn floaties."

"Yes!" Beki punched the air. "To the beach!"


	30. King of the Mountain

**Hi everyone, I'm back with the next chapter. Things are going a little slow for me on the writing side so thank you for your patience. I've liked hearing from everyone about their thoughts on the last few chapters and I look forward to your feedback on this one. I know it takes extra time on your part, but hearing how I do in terms of character development and what you like/don't like helps me grow as a writer. Enjoy the story!**

* * *

"So what are we gonna do when we get to the beach?" Beki looked back and forth from Hinata to Tenten. "Are you guys more 'sit-read-tan' kind of people or is there…rough housing?"

Tenten heaved a sigh as she watched Rock Lee bounce back and forth between Neji, Gai, Shino, and Kiba. He was like a pinball that had broken free of the machine and would just ricochet for all eternity.

"They're definitely the rough housing types," Tenten patted her duffel bag. "I would love to just get a chance to sit, relax, and read all the issues of Weapons Monthly I've fallen behind on."

Beki kept herself from commenting. Tenten was definitely sweet but was undoubtedly a weapon otaku. The way she saw it, a person could sit and read and tan on any old roof or by any community pool. Time spent at the beach was sacred and should be spent in an exhausting whirl of sugary drinks, fattening snacks, swimming, and downright shenanigans. "How about you Hinata?"

"I brought some books I would like to read," She looked away shyly. "I wouldn't mind joining in if we all did something together, however."

"Like, chicken fighting, volleyball, king of the rock?" Beki asked hopefully but all she got were blank stares.

"I've heard of beach volleyball but that all sounds kind of…barbaric," Tenten smiled awkwardly. "I mean, what is king of the rock?"

Beki's eyes grew wide. "You mean you've never…?" She turned her attention to the boys. "HEY MORONS!"

All of the boys stopped dead and turned to look over their shoulders at her. "Yes?" Lee smiled and Neji face palmed. Of course Lee had grown accustomed to responding to "moron".

"Are you telling me none of you has ever played 'king of the rock'?" More blank stares. "King of the Mountain? God of the Sea…the lake…the pool?"

Kiba leaned over and whispered to Shino. "Is she speaking in tongues?" Shino shook his head. "She'll probably explain in a moment."

"So at the beach or the lake or whatever there's usually some type of rock outcropping or sandbar, right?" Beki watched all of their eyes for a spark of recognition only to be disappointed again. "So one person becomes 'King of the Rock', and everyone else tries to steal the title. The point is to get the 'king' into the water and then to secure the throne for yourself."

Lee's eyes grew wide and sparkled. "That sounds AMAZING!"

Gai sensei closed his eyes and nodded with his chin in his hand. "That sounds like an excellent way to combine the youthful joviality of the beach with fantastic unarmed combat training!"

"I refuse." Shino folded his arms.

"Why?" Kiba balked and Akamaru whimpered. He leaned in and said under his breath. "She's a water ninja, Shino. We'll need every man we can get!"

Shino shot him a sharp look. "I am not going to drown any of my bugs for some stupid beach game."

"You heard the man," Beki folded her arms. "He doesn't want to get his hair wet."

Shino started walking again and without looking back said: "You can goad me all you want Tsukimori, I don't care what you think. I've made up my mind."

Beki watched him go and the others soon took up stride after him. "Damn. That guy has some serious resolve."

…

Kiba, Shino, Neji, and Tenten started setting up the tents on the shore. Beki picked up some tent spikes and smiled "So where do I set up?"

"Beki, I mean this with all seriousness and this is in no way our attempt to discredit your ability to pitch a tent," Neji stood up and clapped sand off his hands. "But could you please babysit Lee?"

Beki watched as Lee raced Gai sensei back and forth along the shoreline first on foot, then on their hands, then crawling like crabs. "No, I totally get what you mean. Do you have something shiny I can distract them with if they get bored with racing?"

Tenten shrugged. "Just challenge them to a game of 'Shinobi says' or 'Red light Green light'. That's what we do in a pinch."

"Aight, sounds good," Beki started skipping down to the waterline.

"So do you have a plan to deal with her?" Kiba asked as he tethered a line. "You know she's going to pull another stunt like she did on that capture exercise in the woods."

"We'll just have to work as a team," Neji folded his arms. "That's how she eliminated us all last time. She separated us from the pack and then singled us out one by one. So long as we coordinate and rush her together we're bound to be successful."

"She's going to find a way to cheat, I just know it," Kiba clenched his fist and Akamaru yipped in agreement.

"Look," Tenten pointed. "Gai sensei is motioning us all over."

"Okay everyone, while I run into town and gather us some food and drinks for the campfire tonight, you can train with Beki." He gave them all a very serious face. "Now try your hardest out there and make me proud with the fire of your youth!"

Beki stood smiling innocently behind Gai sensei on the rocky sandbar that stretched out into the crashing waves. To everyone's surprise she kept up the façade until Gai sensei was long gone. The smile slid off her face and an expression disturbingly similar to her terrible father darkened her face.

"Listen up, bitches," Beki planted her feet firmly in the sand and pounded her chest. "I'm King of the Rock. So come at me!"

"Remember, stick together," Neji cautioned. "We outnumber her six to one-"

Neji's sentence was cut off by a wave of water sweeping them off the sandbar into the ocean with such sudden force and intensity they all came up sputtering. Beki watched them all tread water twenty feet from her perch and began to laugh maniacally. Her hair turned black and her skin paled to ash. "The only person to ever dethrone me has been my father. Good luck getting past my water ninjutsu."

"Using ninjutsu is cheating!" Kiba cried out.

Beki shrugged. "The only rule is I have to be unarmed. Do I look armed to you?" She tapped her chin with her finger. "Well, I mean, I do have some EXTRA arms just hanging out."

Tenten shook her head. "What are you talking about?!"

"Oh, just these," Beki formed handsigns and then cried out. "GRASP OF THE WATERY GRAVE!"

Hands made of water formed and erupted from the surface of the water, reaching and grasping at the Konoha ninja.

"Get to the shore!" Neji called out and they all swam against the pull of the ocean and Beki's ninjutsu.

Once they were all safely out of harm's way and far enough away from the shore they gathered to plan. Beki watched them huddle and chuckled softly. They had the numbers on her but Beki had the home court advantage. Her success in the woods had merely been due to the massive amounts of planning and preparation she had before the actual event. Out here, however, she didn't need to try very hard to be top dog. As much as they tried to include her, Beki was always aware that she didn't quite belong and that she was a stranger amongst the Konoha ninja. She normally played nice but every once in a while it was good to remind them all that she was a shinobi in her own right and someone to be taken seriously.

The Leaflings were breaking into groups. Tenten and Kiba/Akamaru rushed her while the others hung back. Beki used the water wave jutsu to knock them off the pathway again. Behind her wall of water and out of her sight, Neji and Hinata both used Rotation to launch Rock Lee in the air towards Beki like a bullet. Beki caught sight of him just as he began his whirlwind. She quickly formed the handsigns and sprayed water out of her mouth at him with the power of a firehose. It knocked him out of his kick and harmlessly back into the water. Lee, Tenten, and Kiba/Akamaru swam back to shore glaring at her. They formed back up and Beki yawned. "Come on, I can do this all day! You have to WANT IT."

The next twenty minutes were spent with the Konoha shinobi launching several attacks and diversion maneuvers against Beki. Few got past the halfway point on the sandbar and their fatigue was beginning to show. She could also sense that their irritation was slowly growing into frustration and anger.

"Guys, this is so easy. All you have to do is dethrone me. Is that so hard?" Beki sighed. "My reign is uncontested, it seems."

"Then I guess this makes me 'King of the Rock'."

Beki's head jerked in the direction of the voice hovering just over her shoulder but the ground beneath her feet started shifting. As she struggled to maintain her footing, the sand beneath her formed into a hand. Before she could react, it launched her through the air like a catapult. She was airborne for a full five seconds before she hit the water with a painful smack. Her skin stung and for a moment she was too shocked to move, but soon she regained her faculties and started to swim for the sandbar. Beki climbed back up and stared the Kazekage down.

"Gaara, what are you doing here?!"

The Kazekage looked over at the beach. "Notice that you all have the place to yourselves?"

Beki looked over her shoulder at the abandoned shoreline. "It was moderately busy when we got here."

"We received reports that there was some sort of sea monster terrorizing the shore," Gaara looked Beki over in her Drowned Maiden form. "I can only assume they were referring to you."

Beki brushed some of her hair out of her face. "I mean, I can see how a layperson would think that, but we were just playing a game. No harm done."

"Especially now that the game is over," Gaara nodded at the Konoha shinobi, who began dispersing to set up the bonfire. Beki put her hands on her hips.

"No, it's not over. You just knocked me down once. I have a right to reclaim my throne."

Sand began to spill out of Gaara's gourd. "Do you really believe it's a good idea to challenge me on the _beach._ "

Beki puffed up her chest. "I've got just as much advantage out her as you, and frankly-"

Sand hands grabbed her around the ankles and yanked her off of the sandbar into the water. Instantly she was scrambling back up the sandbar.

"Okay, that's it, you and me, one on one," Beki spat out sea water and shook the hair out of her face. "No jutsu, just hand to hand. First one in the water loses."

"Beki, I'm not going to wrestle you-"

Beki had launched herself at Gaara full force. He kept himself from reacting with the sand and instead put up his hands to catch hers. Beki was pushing him towards the edge of the sandbar with all her strength to little avail. She looked down to see if he was cheating with the sand but much to her surprise he was holding her back with his personal strength.

"How are you this strong?!" Beki cried in disbelief.

Gaara gave an exasperated sigh. "You thought I was a wimp, didn't you? That the only reason I'm the Kazekage is because I have the sand?" He leaned in closer. "How much do you think this gourd weighs?"

It was at least a hundred pounds and some change, Beki realized, and it made her falter just long enough for Gaara to push her back into the water. This time she surfaced much more slowly, with only her eyes breaking above the waterline. The pure rage in her eyes was like that of a toddler. It was pure emotion but held no threat. Gaara crouched down and held out a hand to her. "Are you ready to come out now?"

Beki tipped her chin up just enough to spit a steady stream of water into his face. Gaara formed a sand hand and blocked her onslaught with a sigh. "Alright then. I gave you plenty of chances."

A sand hand bodily ripped her out of the water and coiled around her until she was bound in a cocoon of sand. She hovered along beside Gaara as he walked to the beach from the sandbar. "This is excessive," Beki squirmed and swore she felt the sand coil tighter.

"I tried bringing you back civilly," Gaara said with the sort of cool confidence that only a winner dared to carry. "You can sit here in timeout until you calm down."

The sand cocoon planted itself in the beach and held its shape as Gaara walked towards the Leaf shinobi. Beki struggled against her restraints. "Keep that up and I'll make it worse for you," there was a hint of danger in his voice that Beki instantly recognized as a threat.

Is he playing with me or is he serious? Beki wondered. In spite of his warning, it was impossible for her to just sit still. Ever since she was a child Beki had been claustrophobic and had been absolutely terrified whenever her movement was restricted. Late at night, just after she had drifted off to sleep, sometimes she would jerk awake and find herself unable to move. Her mind and heart would race. She would lay there and wait for Orochimaru or some other terrifying boogeyman to appear and reveal that they had paralyzed her and were going to spirit her away.

She tried to keep calm and pay attention to how the sand was responding to her. It had molded to the shape of her body, but the sand was more loosely packed around her chest and stomach to allow for the expansion of her diaphragm as she breathed. If she could worm her arms and hands up into that cavity, she could form hand signs and cast ninjutsu. Gaara was now talking with the Leaf shinobi. Hopefully his attention was diverted enough for her to be successful.

…

"This was all Tsukimori's idea," Gaara phrased his question as a statement.

Lee saluted. "This was actually a training exercise!"

"That Tsukimori took too far." Without turning his head Gaara's gaze shifted in her direction.

"She was maybe a little over enthusiastic," Hinata offered. "But Beki didn't mean to do any harm or scare anyone."

"I believe that as well," Gaara nodded slightly. "Once again, she got carried away and used frightening ninjutsu around civilians."

Neji was getting uncomfortable. It seemed like the Kazekage intended to exact justice on Beki. The fact that he had already placed her in a sand coffin made him very nervous about what justice he intended to dispense on her.

"So will she get a stern talking to, or…?" Neji knew he was speaking out of turn by questioning the Kazekage in his own jurisdiction. However, he couldn't just stand by if Beki was in some sort of danger. Since Gai sensei was still not back to the beach, it was Neji's job as both the oldest and the highest ranked shinobi there to take responsibility for them all.

Gaara shook his head. "Tsukimori is a passionate person and is therefore prone to being emotional. However, after she cools off I'm certain she'll come to appreciate the situation she created and refrain from repeating the offense."

Neji almost heaved a sigh of relief on the spot. He didn't plan on squishing Beki in a sand coffin. "Speaking of which," Gaara turned and started to walk over to her without finishing his thought. The anxiety crept back into Neji's chest. He found himself stealing glances over to them as he helped assemble the bonfire.

…

Beki had wiggled her hands up in front of her chest. Now all she had to do was have her hands find each other in the sand sifting all around her. Just before her fingers touched she felt some of the sand solidifying and brushing against her neck and her back. The sensation tickled and she tried to shrink away. To her horror she felt the top of her bikini being slid off. Her movement had become completely constricted as she felt the strings grazing her skin as they moved away from her.

Gaara had begun walking back towards her. Once he was out of earshot of the Konoha ninja, he said in a low voice: "You do understand that I can feel you moving in the sand?"

Beki said nothing in response and just watched him. All she could do was pray that the Kazekage was just playing with her.

"Do you think I wouldn't notice you trying to get your hands close enough to cast ninjutsu?" He sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

A wad of sand broke away from the coiled sand around her and she just knew it was a capsule containing her bikini top. It deposited itself in the gourd. He knew that she knew. The tiniest smug smile was tugging at the corner of his mouth and in spite of Beki's embarrassment, in spite of how utterly helpless she knew she was in this situation she couldn't help but react.

"The jokes on you if you think that the idea of running around topless would stop me from trying to escape," She said in the best "I'm not afraid of you" voice she could muster. Gaara blinked.

"Well, if that's the case," He looked her dead in the eye and she suddenly felt the same tickling sensation on her hips. The sudden shock overrode her desire to seem composed as her bikini bottoms slid away from her. Another capsule of sand popped out of the coil and landed inside the gourd. As much as she wanted to say something she was rendered speechless. She had been beaten. Gaara stood there expectantly. Once he realized she was out of things to say he began to walk away.

"I'll hold on to these for you. Just sit there and reflect on your behavior today."

…

Hinata had no idea what the Kazekage had said or done but she had watched Beki's entire demeanor change during the course of their interaction. They had been too far away to hear them. Based on Beki's body language initially, she had been either yelling or saying generally unpleasant things to Gaara. By the end of the conversation, however, she had turned beet red and Hinata hadn't seen her speak since. She was just sitting there in that sand pile, silently staring into the ground. Gai sensei had returned at last with all the food and drinks they could ever want. After they had explained the situation to Gai sensei, he merely nodded. "We have to watch that the blaze of our passion doesn't turn into a wildfire."

Beki was forced to sit and watch as they broke open the watermelon together and started up the fire. She was downwind of the smoke and couldn't even turn her head. It stung at her eyes. Normally she would have tried another scheme to get herself out of her situation but she had learned to never engage the Kazekage on the beach. Beki had always been supreme on battlefields with any sort of water. Out here, however, she might as well have been a ragdoll.

This was the second time she'd been put in her place when trying to stir up a little fun with the Leaflings. No one would say anything tonight but Beki knew she'd be hearing about this for months. It was almost enough to turn her off from shenanigans indefinitely.

Gaara had walked off towards the businesses on the far end of the beach, probably to reassure them that there was in fact no sea monster. Beki sighed. They probably wouldn't let her come to the beach after this. She still wasn't allowed to buy flour, now they could add that to the list of privileges she had lost.

"Hi Beki," Hinata's soft voice broke through Beki's mire of grouchy thoughts.

"Oh, hey Hinata," Beki sighed and rested her chin on the bottom of the opening in the sand for her head. "What's up?"

"I thought I'd come over and keep you company for a minute," Hinata used the Byakugan and seemed to look through Beki. "The Kazekage is deep in conversation with some people, so I figure I have a few minutes before we're noticed. Oh, speaking of which,"

Hinata held up a water bottle. "I figured you would be thirsty."

Beki hadn't even realized how thirsty she was until she saw that glistening cold bottle of water. "Please and thank you!"

Hinata poured the water into Beki's mouth in small spurts so she could swallow. After about three gulps Beki shook her head. "That's enough. Thanks."

"I brought this too," Hinata held up a smore so perfect it should have been used for advertising. It felt awkward for Beki to be hand fed by Hinata like a dog, but then again she imagined it was probably something all the Leaf ninja had dealt with working with Akamaru and Kiba.

"Thank you, Hinata," Beki said. "Seriously, thank you. And tell everyone I'm sorry. I made this awkward and uncomfortable for everyone and probably ruined their vacation."

Hinata shook her head. "No one's mad at you, Beki. That would be like getting mad at Lee for being, well, Lee. You just got a little competitive is all. That's something most of us have gotten in trouble for."

"But not you," Beki chuffed. "I don't think you have a competitive bone in your body."

Hinata shook her head. "No, I save my fighting for the important things. Oh, the Kazekage is starting to leave the shops. I should go."

"Thank you, Hinata," Beki called after her as she ran back to the campfire. She licked her lips self-consciously. Hinata's kindness would be betrayed if Beki had chocolate or marshmallow all over her face. She hoped the graham cracker crumbs would just blend in with the sand. She knew that Gaara was getting closer because the sand's structure was stabilizing. It had in no way been weak while he was away but his sand control was like other ninjutsu in that proximity to the source of chakra made it stronger.

"Look, I'm sorry for upsetting everyone," Beki said even though she couldn't see him. "It won't happen again."

"I'm not mad at you, Beki," Gaara stepped out in front of her. "I am the last person who should ever judge someone for getting a little out of hand. My goal was to get you calmed down. Based on what I've seen you begin to…change whenever you're in distress. What I saw out there was, what, your full form?"

"Ish," Beki tried to shrug but couldn't. "I think so."

"In any case, you were acting very aggressively," Gaara explained. "It was frightening people and it might have ended up getting someone hurt. That's why I intervened. I figured giving you some time to cool off was the best option."

"So you put me in time out?" Beki gave him a suspicious look.

"It was for your own good," Gaara folded his arms.

Beki rolled her eyes. "Thanks, _Dad_."

Gaara leaned in a little closer and stared her down. "How did you expect me to react to your escalating aggression? I may seem passive but I will not tolerate a challenge to my authority. I am the Kazekage before I am anything else and I represent my village. If I look weak, my village looks weak. You of all people should understand that."

"I guess it's a little harder for you to separate yourself from your job," Beki offered. "I'll just have to remember to behave myself in the future."

"Just while you're in the Land of Wind," Gaara missed the sharp tone in her voice completely. "It would make it less complicated for me."

A large wad of sand floated out of the gourd and joined with the sand coffin. Beki felt the sand pulling away from her until it had become a sort of narrow hut around her. The sand blob plopped in her hands and deposited her swimsuit. She immediately began to dress as he talked to her from the outside, clearly now having shifted from his role as the Kazekage to her friend.

"I wasn't expecting to run into you so soon," Gaara had turned away from the sand hut even though it was completely enclosed. "Did you get the flowers?"

"Yes, they were lovely," Beki tried to keep the hurt feelings out of her voice. She knew that he was in a difficult position as both the Kazekage and a teenage boy. "That was very sweet of you."

"I was thinking that after how our first dinner date went," Gaara explained. "The next time we go out you could pick where we go and what we do. You have been in Konoha for a while and would undoubtedly make better informed decisions than I would."

"Do I just walk out of here?" Beki waved her hand at him from the air hole.

"Oh," He said and the sand hut instantly collapse and receded into his gourd in a flurry. They were left facing each other on equal ground for the first time since the sandbar.

Beki knew she must have been a mess. Getting tossed in the water repeatedly and manhandled by the sand had unraveled large portions of her braid and messed up the hair around her face. When she had been in a rough housing mood earlier, she hadn't really noticed how exposed being a swimsuit left her. The same as with the difference in power on the beach, Beki's comparative lack of clothing made her feel unprotected. Then again, it could have just been the fact that being immobilized for that long would leave anyone feeling vulnerable. She subconsciously folded her arms over her chest and looked at her feet. The Kazekage picked up on the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them and took a step back to give her more space.

"I should return to Suna," He gave her a slight bow. "Until the next time we meet, Miss Tsukimori."

"Goodbye, Kazekage sama," Beki bowed in return and watched him take off. She heaved a sigh and wondered how she thought that getting involved with a kage would be any less complicated than being an ambassador's daughter.

Gaara knew something had gone wrong. In the beginning of their interaction, his main focus had been getting the situation under control. Beki had been challenging him, which he believed had been playful in nature, however he had found himself unable to ignore it. He had been trying to be playful in return, but now he realized there was a chance that instead it had come off as oppressive. If it had been anyone else, Gaara wouldn't have given a second thought to his actions. When he was with Beki, he realized that he had to exist as himself and not as the Kazekage. Here he had another opportunity to spend some time with Beki. Instead of taking advantage of that, he had found himself unable to separate himself from his job responsibilities and ruined their time together. Gaara cursed himself. He should have been helping her build sand castles or taking the time to have a good conversation with her instead of suppressing her like a threat. As he flew home, he wondered how many chances he had left with Beki before she agreed with the rest of the world that Gaara was unlovable.


	31. Long Live the King

**Hi everyone! I'm really pleased I was able to get another chapter up quickly. I've had a lot of fun writing this arc and based on your feedback, you all seem to enjoy it. Win win! As I've said before, I love hearing from you guys especially when you give me specifics on what you like/don't like, etc. It helps me grow as a writer and let's me know that the time I spend neglecting Tallman to write are worth it. Just kidding. I am more likely to neglect him for Neko Atsume. So anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter, please let me know what you think, and feel free to check out my deviantart (same tag ponchoninajx3). I'm open to taking commission requests of Naruto characters and scenes from the story. Til next time!**

* * *

Beki walked toward the campfire and took a seat between the Hyugas.

"You okay, Beki?" Hinata put a gentle hand on her shoulder, which Beki immediately shrugged off.

"Let's not make this any weirder than it already is," Beki tugged on Neji's collar. "Hand it over."

He blinked at her in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"Your shirt. I'm commandeering it," Neji folded his arms and grunted at her. "You said that you're responsible for me, right? So I'm cold. Unless you want me to ask Gai sensei for his tights, you'll cough up the shirt."

Neji was immediately pulled back to the day Beki had come home wearing a pair of the tights and how they had left nothing to the imagination. The idea of her being out in public in such a thing made his skin crawl. With a frustrated sigh Neji unbuttoned his shirt and handed it to her. Beki pulled it on and reached for one of the kebabs they had set aside to cool. No one spoke and Beki rolled her eyes. "Well don't all start talking at once!"

Tenten took the hint and resumed her lecture of Gai sensei and Lee for considering a contest to see how many locals they could bench press. Shino and Kiba started talking to Hinata about a mission they had recently gone on. Neji wracked his brain for something to talk about with Beki. He knew her well enough to know she was embarrassed out of her mind and was doing her best to pretend nothing bothered her. Before he could start talking, Lee had grabbed ahold of his arm and was dragging him away from the fire.

"Lee, what are you doing?!" Neji barked.

"Trying to prove a point, Neji!" Lee wrapped a hand around his neck and another under Neji's knee and then hoisted him up over his head.

"Lee, put me down dammit!" Neji squirmed.

"Watch how many times I can throw him and catch him!" Lee spun wildly and released Neji. Neji flailed wildly as he soared through the air.

"A beautiful throw," Gai sensei wiped a tear from his eye. "BUT YOU CAN DO BETTER, LEE! GIVE IT YOUR ALL!"

"YES GAI SENSEI!" Lee screamed as he caught Neji and threw him again, this time twice as hard and twice as high.

"We have to stop him!" Tenten got up and chased after them. "LEE STOP IT!"

"So I guess we all go, or…?" Kiba gestured after them with his hands.

"Gai sensei, did Lee have any alcohol?" Shino's sunglasses glimmered in the light of the campfire.

"Well, he only had some of this juice-" A shadow fell over Gai's face. "This is a wine cooler."

All at once Kiba, Shino, and Gai were chasing after the group with all speed.

"What's all that about?" Beki watched them running off into the distance.

"Lee is, well, dangerous when he's drunk," Hinata explained. "You know how he regularly is. Just imagine all the discipline and focus removed."

"Oh. Runaway train, basically." Beki took a sip of her water.

"Worse." Hinata sighed. "But this might be a good opportunity for us to talk. Come on," Hinata rose to her feet and took Beki's hand.

"No, really, I'm alright. Let's just stay here-" Beki struggled but Hinata kept pulling her arm, albeit gently.

"Come on Beki." Hinata urged her softly.

Soon the two were back on the sandbar overlooking the ocean.

"Just start talking whenever you're comfortable," Hinata folded her hands and stared off into the sunset.

Beki bit her lip and looked at the ground. Where did she start? With all the struggles growing up of not being able to be herself, or the complications of trying to date someone who was her complete opposite, not just in personality but in ability? She took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh.

"People always teased my father because of me. I was never very good at behaving like an ambassador's daughter should."

"What do you mean?" Hinata looked at her out of the corner of her eye.

Beki rolled her eyes. "They're supposed to act like you. They speak when spoken to, are shy and feminine and tame."

"You don't think you're any of those things?" Hinata prodded.

"Now that I'm almost an adult I understand, you know, how to pretend to be those things. To act appropriately for periods of time," Beki explained. "Like the night my dad and I had dinner with your family for the first time. I know all my manners and I used them. But that's not how I really am. Not at all."

"So how does that relate to what happened today?" Hinata asked gently, expertly guiding Beki forward.

"Dating Gaara is apparently like being an ambassador's daughter on steroids," Beki sighed. "I had considered the lack of privacy and behaving myself when I'm with him, but I was here on vacation. I was just horsing around with my friends," Beki shrugged. "Yeah, I got a little carried away, but him showing up and responding to everything how he did made me think. I really like him and he's a really good person, but it is so hard for me to keep the filter on and behave myself. Is he dating me for who I am but will expect me to change and become something I'm not to suit his image? I can't do that, Hinata. I can't be a perfect little porcelain doll all the time."

"I think this is just a misunderstanding," Hinata offered. "The Kazekage has never had a date before you, let alone a girlfriend. I'm sure if you take the time and you help him understand and teach him how to communicate with you-"

"It always sounds so easy when people put things like that. Explain this, help them that. Do you know what they called me, Hinata?" Beki interrupted her, a dark note tugging at her voice. "All the officials and ambassadors called me Oni-ni-kanabo. In part to mock my father, and the rest was because I was an unstoppable force. I was a brutish baby ogre that beat up the officials' sons and scared their daughters. How could I ever help someone communicate? I'm lucky if _I_ remember to use my words and not my fists."

Hinata put an arm around Beki's waist. "Liking someone is scary. Actually starting a relationship with them is even scarier. The one piece of advice I can give you is that the more patient you are with him, the more patient he'll be with you and the more you try, the more he'll try. So just remember to be patient and keep trying."

"So what's my next step here?" Beki leaned into her friend, allowing her to both emotionally and physically support her.

"The Kazekage doesn't seem like it, but he is very sensitive. For him to put himself out there so much for you means he must really like you. If he's anything like me, which I'll assume since he doesn't have many friends and is about as socially awkward as I am, he's going to be hung up about this for weeks," Hinata thought aloud. "When we get home send him a letter so he knows you don't hate him and never want to talk to him again."

Beki gave her an incredulous look. "Why would he think that?"

Hinata shrugged. "All I can tell you is that is what I would be thinking in the same situation."

"Fair enough," Beki shrugged. "Thanks Hinata. I feel better."

Hinata patted her back and then paused. "Hey, can I see Neji's shirt for a second?"

Beki blinked. "Oh, yeah, sure." She unbuttoned it and handed it over. "What's up?"

Hinata looked around uncomfortably and motioned for Beki to lean in closer. Beki tilted her head and waited.

"Long live the King," Hinata said in a harsh whisper, and before Beki could react Hinata shoved her off the sandbar into the ocean.

Beki surfaced with the greatest look of shock and awe Hinata had ever seen. She burst out laughing, unable to help herself. She held out a hand for Beki to climb out, braced for possible retaliation. Beki didn't bother, instead she snatched back Neji's shirt and stalked off towards camp grumbling something about how you always had to watch the quiet ones.

...

"All the girls in this tent, Shino, Kiba, you're in this tent, and Lee and Neji will be out here with me," Gai sensei declared after nightfall.

"Why are none of us using the tent?" Neji rubbed his sore shoulder where Lee had socked him. He had dislocated it with the blow and Hinata had to pop it back into place.

"We're taking watch," Lee gave him a groggy thumbs up. "I'll go first…" Lee collapsed from his sitting position into a tiny ball on the ground and began snoring loudly.

"I'll take first watch!" Gai sensei plopped himself on the ground and looked around vigilantly. "Sleep well everyone. We leave at first light!"

The group collectively groaned and filed into their respective sleeping spots.

"Beki, can I have my shirt back?" Neji called after her as she walked into the girls' tent.

Beki gave him an aloof look and shrugged. "You have the fire to keep you warm."

"I'd be warmer if I had my shirt!" He considered chasing after her but the ruffling sounds from within the girls' tent indicated they could be changing. There was no way he would ever risk seeing Lady Hinata or Tenten in partial undress. He would rather weather the cold.

…

"Why won't you give Neji his shirt back?" Tenten gave her a strange look as she unrolled her sleeping bag. "It's going to be cold out there."

"I'll give it back after I've changed," Beki said as she ruffled through her bag. "I don't think you appreciate how much fun it is to mess with him."

"That's not nice, Beki," Hinata frowned. "You're taking advantage of his good nature."

Beki gave them both a suspicious look. "Who was it that told me he used to be kind of an asshole?"

"He's not like that now," Hinata hugged her knees. "He changed after he fought with Naruto."

"I'm not doing anything that Lee wouldn't do," Beki pulled out her pjs and changed out of her swimsuit. "Everyone's just all weird about it because I'm a girl."

"You make it awkward for him," Teten lectured. "He's a gentleman, Beki."

Beki just sighed and focused on changing. Having grown up with a single father, Beki knew she played rough. She spent most of her time with Team 8 and Team Gai and she was pretty sure that Shino and Kiba borderline hated her. Lee was fun but he took everything too literally, so that left Neji for her to poke fun of and tease. Everyone else was just too damn sensitive, apparently.

"So, um, how did the conversation with the Kazekage go?" Tenten was hopeful a change of subject would get the scary look off of Beki's face.

"Well," Beki finished putting on her fleece pullover. "Let's see, are you talking about before or after I was put in time out? Overall I'd say in the history of our conversations, it was a strong two out of ten."

Beki looked at the uncomfortable faces the girls were making and sighed heavily. "Goodnight, ladies," Beki grabbed Neji's shirt and unzipped the tent. She felt so silly storming out of the tent; it wasn't half as gratifying zipping the flap back up as it would have been to slam a door. Lee was out cold near the boy's tent and Gai sensei was staring off into the ocean. Beki figured he was probably meditating or something. Neji was asleep near the fire so Beki walked over and draped his shirt over him. The last thing she wanted to do was to go back into the girl's tent and she was too restless to sleep, so Beki walked off towards the water.

It was a nice night. The sand was warm and the breeze was cool. As Beki grew closer to the water, the salty sea mist kissed her face and her hair. She unbraided the sloppy mess of her braid and let her tresses dance freely in the breeze. Although her village had been up in the mountains back home, a good portion of Getsu was long stretches of beautiful tropical beaches. The water was the color of jade, the sand was powdery soft, and the water was as warm as a bath. Here in the Land of Wind, the water looked like black glass, the sand was course and full of jagged crushed seashells. Even so, Beki welcomed the familiar sound of waves lapping against the shore and the comfort of soft moonlight reflected on the water. When she closed her eyes pretended that Lee's snoring was actually her father napping on the beach and that she was a little girl again with no cares or worries. A sudden gust of wind showered her with salt water. Beki wiped her face on her sleeve and headed back towards the fire. It was too cold for her here. Lately, everywhere seemed too cold.

The moon had risen higher in the sky and Neji had taken up the watch. He had put his shirt back on and was staring blankly into the blaze. "Trouble sleeping?" Neji's voice was heavy. He had probably just woken up for his shift.

Beki shrugged. "I never sleep well in new places." She took a seat next to him on his sleeping bag and stared at the fire. "Does it bother you when I mess with you?"

Neji thought for a moment before responding. "In the heat of the moment, yes, I get irritated. Admittedly, that might be why you keep doing it: because I react. At the same time, Lee messes with me just as much and I know you aren't doing it to be malicious."

Beki squinted as the breeze blew smoke in her eyes and folded her arms against the cold. "So was that a yes, or a no?"

"No Beki, it doesn't bother me that you mess with me." Neji looked at her. "You look cold. Why don't you go inside and get some sleep?"

Beki shook her head. "I'm not ready yet. I think I'll sit out here until my eyes wear out."

Neji nodded and went back to looking in the fire. "This is the first time I've seen you with your hair down."

Beki threw some of it over her shoulder. "Yeah, I don't like it getting in my face."

Neji nodded. He understood the annoyance of loose hair in a fight. "So, Beki. Do you get homesick?"

Beki yawned. "I've never really lived in one place for long. I lived in Getsu until I was about seven, and then my dad started traveling as an ambassador. If I was going to say I missed anything it would be the freedom of getting to move around so much," Beki explained. "I got to see new places, try new things, and if I made mistakes, whatever, I wasn't going to be around long."

Neji adjusted on the lumpy sleeping bag. "Do you feel like you've had trouble with that in Konoha?"

"Yeah. It's like I live in a fishbowl there." Beki said. "What about you? Haven't you ever wished you could get the hell out of dodge?"

"I did when I was younger," Neji sighed. "I used to think I was better than everyone else and they were all holding me back. As I got older I came to appreciate my friends and family more. I learned to be happy where I was and with what I had."

"Maybe there's hope then," Beki stood and headed for the tent. "Maybe I'll sort things out in the next year."

"You'll be just fine," Neji called softly after her.

Beki curled up in her sleeping bag with her head stuffed up with smoke and her hair still damp from the sea water. She was hot and cold and miserable. She couldn't wait to just get back to Konoha. Then again, there was nothing waiting for her there but more sitting around and training with a teacher she couldn't stand. She would get shoehorned in on other people's plans out of pity while she waited for the day for the talks to end so she could go home. Or at least travel with her dad again. Beki was tired of being herself and being rejected or pretending to be something she wasn't. Her mind kept spiraling into unpleasant thoughts when an arm looped around her.

In her sleep, Hinata had slid over her sleeping bag so she was spooning Beki and threw an arm over her. Even in her sleep she could sense Beki's distress and was attempting to comfort her. Beki sighed. If nothing else could be said for this uncomfortable situation she had found herself in, she had met and befriended Hinata. Even after Beki left Konoha for good, she knew she would always have Hinata's love to fall back on. Beki relaxed into Hinata's hold and put her arm over Hinata's. Sleep came suddenly and it finally brought Beki some peace.

…

Lee had finally sobered up and woken up. He waved at Neji to indicate he was ready to take up watch. Neji nodded, pulled his sleeping bag a little further away from the fire, and climbed in. Taking up middle watch was always the hardest. You missed out on critical sleep in the middle of the night in the best of situations, but if you were a worrier like Neji it was twice as hard. For him it was difficult to fall asleep at the beginning of the night and then again after his watch. Come morning, he was sure he would have had only a total of four hours of sleep.

He did his best to empty his mind. Neji listened to the soothing sound of the waves on the shore and breathed slow and deep. Now that he had moved away from the fire, he noticed a scent that had before been overpowered by the smell of smoke. It was warm and comforting mix of vanilla and sea salt. He found himself drifting off much faster than usual which he could only attribute to that pleasant smell. Was it from his sleeping bag? No, he realized just as sleep took hold of him. It was his shirt.

…

In the morning, everyone groggily pitched in to break down the camp, bury the campfire, and clean up the trash. They bought breakfast at one of the restaurants on the beach and started the long trek back to Konoha. There was a small town they stopped at on the Land of Wind side of the border to rest. They had all sat down at tables in a small café when Beki's attention turned to the street.

"Hey, I'm going to run across the street to the post office really fast."

"Why, you forget to pay a bill or something?" Kiba chuckled as he handled his menu.

"No, I just wanted to send someone a postcard." Beki stood and pushed in her chair.

"Um, aren't you not supposed to be leaving Konoha?" Tenten asked cautiously. "Wouldn't sending a postcard kind of blow your cover?"

"I'm not sending it to my dad or the King or anything," Beki sighed. "Just one of my teammates back home. She'd never tell."

The members of the group started to grumble in dissent when Hinata spoke up. "It's okay, Beki. Go on. I'll order for you."

Hinata's disarming smile set everyone else at ease. "Alright," Gai sensei gave her an affirmative thumbs up. "But come straight back, okay?"

"Got it," Beki returned the gesture and walked out the door. Hinata had told her to send word to Gaara as soon as possible and now seemed like a great opportunity. Luckily, the post office had some generic greeting cards in stock. She grabbed a blank and then went over to a side table to write. Before she even thought of what to write she realized she didn't know his address.

"Shit," Beki said under her breath as she scanned the walls for something official looking. There was a wanted poster of a grizzly looking humpbacked man posted on the wall. Beneath all the fine print, it said that any and all sightings should be reported to the Kazekage's office.

Score, Beki thought. Thank you "Sasori" for being so nefarious they keep your poster up in public.

Beki wrote the Kazekage's office's address on the outside. Now for the big challenge, she thought. What to write on the inside?

After a few moments of debate and the realization that other people would probably screen the card before it ever got to him, she decided on something generic. "Thank you for taking the time to come out and see me. I look forward to discussing the challenges of inter-village politics with you again soon. Next time we'll meet at a less chaotic venue. Regards, Tsukimori Beki."

Beki looked at her work and sighed in frustration. It was dry and didn't say a damn thing she wanted to say, but she couldn't risk her true thoughts and feelings being read by the wrong person. Hopefully Gaara would get the point that she still wanted to talk to him and that she wasn't angry. She paid exact postage at the counter and sent it off. The attendant rolled their eyes when they saw a teenage girl was sending a card to the Kazekage but Beki didn't care that she looked like a fangirl. She just prayed they didn't just toss them into the incinerator in the back.

She walked back across the street to find a bowl of soba waiting for her. "Hinata you're a mind reader," Beki said as she took her seat and picked up her chopsticks.

"I have lived with you for several months, now," Hinata sipped her tea. "At least give me credit for knowing what you'd eat by now."

Beki smiled at her. Hinata knew exactly what she was doing and that's why she'd backed her up earlier. Oh, if only the rest of the team knew the kind of shenanigans they were up to behind the scenes.

…

"Here it is," Kankuro dropped an overflowing mail crate next to Gaara's desk. "The latest batch of fan mail we've cleared as not dangerous or offensive."

"I honestly doubt that anything you've read in the 'offensive' ones would even phase me, Kankuro," Gaara reached down and grabbed a stack.

Kankuro laughed. "They bring me the really bad ones, you know. I can tell you, some of the graphic ones have made me blush."

"I understand I'm a public figure but all this just seems…unnecessary." Gaara sighed. "The ones where they thank me for my work and tell me I inspire them are nice, but these romantic ones…they're all strangers to me."

"That's what you get for running around in a leather trench coat and wearing your hear like a rock star," Kankuro picked up a pile and rifled through them for any good ones. "A young, not totally butt ugly looking Kage? Have you seen your competition around here? Most of the eligible bachelors in Suna are either missing eyes or limbs or look like they goat herd in their spare time."

"Or they wear more make up than the women do," Gaara grabbed another stack and used the sand to deflect the card Kankuro chucked at him like a shuriken. The card landed flat on his desk face down. A crescent moon had been drawn on the flap. Gaara picked it up and opened it.

Kankuro watched as his brother read the fan mail and smiled. "You've always been a softie for the ones from the kids in grade school."

Gaara shook his head. "No, that's not it. This one's from Beki."

Kankuro gave his brother a suspicious look. "I thought you said she was all upset over what happened at the beach?"

"Blessedly it doesn't look like that's the case," Gaara sighed. "I suppose I did run off rather quickly when I realized things had gone poorly. She must have wanted to let me know everything was alright."

"What did she say? Anything juicy?" Kankuro leaned over his brother's desk and Gaara swatted him away with the sand.

"No, she's too clever for that. She knew people would screen these before I got them," Gaara took an envelope and a letter out of his desk and began writing quickly.

"Here," He held out the sealed letter once he'd finished. "Have this sent to Konoha for me."

Kankuro reached for the letter and Gaara pulled it away just before he snatched it. "And I swear to God, Kankuro, if you read this-"

"Yeah yeah yeah, you'll flay me alive and wrap the gourd in my skin. You've threatened me with much worse." Kankuro snatched the letter and headed out the door.

"I was just going to say I would hide the remote at the house," Gaara frowned. "Why would I want my gourd to smell like you? I carry this around with me everywhere."

Kankuro stared at him wide eyed. "Damn. That was…that was good."

Gaara watched his brother leave and heaved a sigh of relief. Ever since he had come home from the beach he had thrown himself into his work. He hadn't gone home all night. He had just pushed through paperwork and caught up on reading mission reports. Now that he knew Beki wasn't furious he could take the time to notice the antsy feeling in his legs from sitting too long and the dull ache of his empty belly. After Kankuro got back, he would take his brother to dinner. In part to thank him and in part to pay for his silence.


	32. Festival Blues

**Hi everyone, back again with another chapter. Hope everyone's had a good weekend. It's very late and I'm still emotionally processing the season finale of Game of Thrones, so I won't get a lot into the commentary tonight. Just know that I deeply appreciate any and all feedback I get from you all about the story. It helps me develop as a writer and kind of helps guide me. It truly brings joy into my day when I get that little notification someone has left me a review. It also motivates me to get back to writing, which in turn makes me guilt Tallman0029 into writing. Its a win win situation, really. Enough extortion. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

On the remaining stretch of the journey back to Konoha, Lee and Gai sensei led the group, the rest of the boys followed behind, and trailing in the back were the three girls. Tenten and Hinata had been talking about their teammates' recent exploits, a conversation that although Beki could have participated she opted not to.

"Oh crap, I nearly forgot that the harvest festival is next week," Tenten clapped a hand against her forehead. "I've got to fish all my stuff out of storage."

"Wait a second," Beki's sudden intrusion into the conversation made the other two jump. They must've forgotten I was here, Beki thought. "So there's a festival next week? No one's said anything about a festival before."

"It's one we hold in Konoha every year," Hinata explained. "Its sort of a harvest festival but over the years it's become more of a cultural festival. It should be really informative for you."

"The Senju and the Uchiha founded Konoha, brotherhood, unity, solidarity, yada yada yada," Beki cracked her knuckles. "Or are we talking the good stuff, like tea, textiles, and traditional cakes?"

"Do you like taiyaki?" Tenten asked. "Because they have maple and adzuki taiyaki that are so good you'll cry."

"Oooh," Beki grinned. "I guess I'll go if there's taiyaki."

Hinata shook her head. "Well we know how to lure you somewhere."

"Or bribe me," Beki corrected. "I might never betray my village but I would be tempted if there was enough taiyaki involved."

"Get her hungry enough and she'd do it for a bowl of noodles," Hinata sighed.

Tenten was feeling slightly uncomfortable. Hinata had always been so quiet. When Beki was around, however, Hinata not only talked a lot but the things she said were hard to determine if they were a joke or serious. Almost as soon as Tenten stopped talking, however, Hinata brought her back into the conversation with a gentle smile.

"So what are you planning on wearing to the festival, Tenten?"

"Oh, um, I don't know," Tenten shuffled. "What are you guys wearing?"

"I was just going to wear a yukata," Hinata turned her attention to Beki. "Are you going to wear that kimono you wore to dinner when you first came to stay with us?"

"Pff, no," Beki laughed. "I hate that thing."

"But it's so pretty!" Hinata protested. "It's from your village. You should wear it and show it off."

"Look, that thing is probably a hundred and fifty years old and you saw what happened the last time I wore it," Beki kicked a rock. "My dad said if I did anything else to that kimono I'd be buried in it."

"So do you have something to wear?" Hinata asked.

Beki thought about it. The last couple times her father had come out to Konoha he had brought a bag of her possessions. He had remembered to pack her swimsuit but Beki couldn't remember if he'd packed her yukata and all its fixings.

"I'll have to check when we get home," Beki shrugged. "If I have something it's in the closet."

"Sounds good," Hinata nodded and turned back to Tenten. "So are we all going to the festival together again this year?"

"As far as I know that's the plan," Tenten cupped her hands over her mouth. "We're all going to the festival together next week, right?"

"Sure, I guess," Kiba called over his shoulder.

"I didn't have any plans," Shino nodded.

"Yes!" Lee punched the air. "I plan on winning at 20 games this year!"

"I hope there's a shooting gallery," Beki grinned. "I slay with pop cap rifles."

The conversation in the group dissolved into groups discussing their mutual interests and plans for the festival. It helped pass the time and soon they found themselves walking back through the gates of Konoha.

"You kids head on home," Gai waved. "I'll let Tsunade know we all made it back okay."

Good, Beki thought. I have a lot of planning to do.

…

"It was just here!" Beki pulled her hair in frustration and dropped down to the floor to look under her bed. "Hinata, did you see where I put my yukata? I swear I laid it out on the bed!"

"It's hanging over the bannister," Hinata called from her bedroom. "Are you okay, honey? You seem really stressed about the festival."

Beki let out a groan and trudged out of her room. She had on an antique silk slip she had inherited from her mother to keep the yukata from getting sweaty. It was still warm for fall and the last thing she wanted to do was bring the Hyuga laundry experts a yukata that reeked of pit funk.

"Do you know how to tie an obi?" Hinata stepped out of her room in her yukata. It was a pretty plum color that brought out the color of her eyes. She was holding up the obi in question, which was patterned in gold and a rich cream.

"Yeah," Beki held out her hands and opened and closed her fingers in a "gimme gimme" gesture. Hinata handed it over and Beki started wrapping her in the fabric. After two minutes she had it tied in an almost pristine bow.

"Okay, your turn," Hinata picked up the bubblegum pink obi Beki had laid out on the bannister. It complimented the pink peonies on Beki's turquoise yukata. Beki held still with her arms slightly away from her body as Hinata tied her bow.

"So, I was thinking it might be fun if we did each other's hair," Hinata suggested. "I never wear my hair in a braid, and I could put your hair up for you."

"Fair enough," Beki shrugged. "Doing my hair will take a lot longer than yours. I'll be able to braid your hair in thirty seconds. Let me do your makeup, too."

Hinata took a deep breath to bolster her courage. "Naruto told me I need to try to be more adventurous. If you do my hair and makeup for the festival, I think that's a good first step."

"Agreed," Beki smiled.

Hinata finished tying the bow and crouched a little so Beki could start braiding her hair. Beki decided that with Hinata's bangs a French braid would be prettiest. She started at her crown and braided Hinata's long flowing locks into a perfect black rope. Hinata walked into the bathroom and smiled. "This is really pretty. Thank you, Beki."

Beki sat down on the edge of the tub and patted the spot next to her for Hinata to sit. Beki only put a little mascara and some lip gloss on Hinata. She was pretty enough she just needed a little polish and nothing more. "So what are you planning for me?"

"Shh, you can see when it's done." Hinata smiled as she started separating Beki's hair into sections.

When Hinata was putting in the last few bobby pins, Hanabi came storming up the stairs.

"Oh my god, are you two ready yet?!" Hanabi was in a powder pink yukata with dainty white flowers that in no way matched her attitude. "Why do you even bother, she'll look like an ogre anyway, Hinata."

Beki rolled her eyes and sighed. Monster tween was back.

"Hanabi that is so rude and inconsiderate," Hinata poked Beki with the bobby pin. "Oh Beki! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?!"

"Yeah yeah, let's go," Beki waved her away and stood up. As they walked out the bathroom Beki grabbed a quick peek of herself in the mirror. Hinata had put Beki's hair up in a tasteful and artful bun. It made Beki look much more sophisticated than she felt.

Hanabi went bursting through the front door. "There, I got them for you. Happy?!"

Neji shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't tell you to chase them out of the house, Hanabi. I just asked you to find out when they would be ready-"

He stopped abruptly when he caught sight of Hinata and Beki. He gave them a gentle smile. "You both look lovely. I almost didn't recognize you, Beki."

Beki looked down at her sleeves. "I know, right? It's like they dressed a manatee like a mermaid."

"Or an ogre like a lady," Hanabi shot out of the corner of her mouth. Hinata very gently bopped her on the head. Instantly she began to rub the spot with a look of concern on her face and whispered apologies.

"Well, the rest of our teams are waiting for us," Neji looked at Hanabi. "Are you coming along, or are you meeting your friends?"

Hanabi gave an angry sigh. "Dad says I have to with him."

Hinata patted her head. "You'll have fun."

"As if," Hanabi stalked off towards the main house.

"God help the boy who develops a crush on her," Neji said under his breath.

"She'll eat his heart out while he's still attached to it," Beki murmured back. Hinata shot them a look indicating she knew they were saying something impolite but she herself was too polite to say anything. Beki smiled. "Let's get this show on the road then."

…

Beki had seen the preparations around town leading up to the festival: half constructed stalls, piles of timber and canvas, and strings of lanterns snaking along the streets a little further every day. Now that the festival had officially started, however, she got to see all those parts come together and become magic. The normally sleepy town was bustling with locals and visitors alike. The air was filled with delicious and exotic smells and the voices of stall keepers trying to bring in customers.

Everything seemed brighter and more colorful. People sounded happier. There was laughing, singing, and everyone looked so nice in their festival best. Beki was no stranger to festivals but something about coziness of the Konoha festival was charming. She was so caught up in taking it all in she fell behind Hinata and Neji. They caught sight of their teammates and waved. Kiba, Shino, Lee, and Tenten met them halfway and began exchanging pleasantries. Beki was so distracted she walked right into Neji and almost knocked him over.

"Oh sorry," She said as she steadied him and looked up. "Hi guys."

The four of the teammates looked at her in confusion.

"Sorry, but who are you?" Kiba asked.

"Very funny," Beki laughed but her grin faded when she saw they were still confused.

"It's Beki," Hinata hissed under her breath.

Kiba shook his head. "No way this is Beki. She's too clean."

Beki folded her arms. "That's really funny coming from a guy that urinates publicly."

Shino shook his head. "No, that's her."

Beki blinked in confusion. "Wait, you guys seriously didn't recognize me?"

Tenten smiled awkwardly. "Well, you kind of look the same way all the time. You don't have your braid, or your clothes…"

"Or your usual stink." Kiba added and Tenten elbowed him.

"No, it's cool, I get it." Beki feigned composure. "I look completely different all dressed up."

"Well, if you think it's just us, why don't you conduct an experiment?" Shino adjusted his glasses. "Approach people you know and see if they recognize you without talking."

Beki waved a hand dismissively. "That's not necessary, I mean, it was an honest mistake."

"So are we doing the usual? Walking the length of the festival to scope it out and then doubling back to shop and snack?" Kiba asked.

There were mumbles of agreement and the herd began to move along the street slowly. Beki was aware the rest of the group were making comments about their surroundings but she stewed on her own thoughts. Was it really just the group? She noticed Konohamaru with his teammates hovering over a stall. He glanced up and caught her eye so she waved at him. Konohamaru returned her gesture with a confused look. My god, she realized. He didn't recognize her either.

By the time they had walked to the end of the festival grounds Beki had waved to at least ten people she would have sworn could have recognized her. When she called out or waved to them, they all had ignored her or given her the same confused "Who is this bitch?" look.

At the end of the festival grounds was where they were holding traditional dances. Back in Getsu, Beki's favorite part of the festival had been jumping in and dancing along even if she didn't know what she was doing. The group had dissolved and everyone was starting to shop at the stalls so Beki grabbed Hinata's arm and tugged.

"Hey Hina chan, let's go dance!"

Hinata flushed and shook her head violently. "No, Beki. I don't dance in public."

Beki tugged her harder. "Come on, it doesn't matter if you don't know the dances. We'll just hang toward the back and follow."

"Beki, no!" Hinata pleaded as Beki wrapped her arms around her waist and started to drag her to the dance circle.

Neji watched the struggle and shook his head. A soft chorus of chuckles caught his attention. A group of boys around Neji's age were pointing at Hinata and Beki and cracking jokes. He recognized Shikamaru and Chouji and approached them. "What's the joke?"

"Just how the cute blonde girl is manhandling your cousin, is all," Shikamaru leaned against the wall of a nearby shop. "We were betting its Naruto in disguise. He's the only person who could get away with that."

Neji shook his head. "Don't you recognize her? That's Beki."

Chouji balked and squinted. "But she's so clean!"

Neji sighed. "Of course it's her. You see her face almost every day. A change of dress and hairstyle shouldn't make her that unrecognizable."

Shikamaru gave him a skeptical look. "That's big talk coming from someone who saw her walk out of her house before and after. I want you to look at her right now and tell me to my face that if you hadn't seen her leave the house and had just bumped into her in the street that you would still recognize her."

Neji watched Beki adapting to the festival dance and then executing the steps with uncharacteristic grace. The illusion of her dance and dainty dress was only interrupted by the violent way she would reach out and yank Hinata back into the circle whenever she tried to slip away. Truth be told, everything about her was different. The restrictive movement of the kimono forced her to abandon her usual swagger and carry herself like a lady. Everything about her today was neat and polished; even the raucous quality of her voice was softened under the music and bustle of the festival. Shikamaru was right. If Neji didn't know it was her from the get go he would have never guessed it was Beki.

"You're right," He admitted. "She is awfully clean today."

Their attention was pulled back to the circle with the pterodactyl cry of Hinata completely losing her cool. Beki's raw physical power was unable to contain Hinata after her limit broke for social contact for the day. She scrambled back down the street with unnatural speed while crying "I'M SORRY" over her shoulder as she ran.

"DAMMIT HINATA!" Beki stomped her foot like a frustrated child and stalked out of the dance circle after her with a murderous look.

"Wait, no, I see it now," Chouji nodded his head. "That's definitely Beki."

Neji sighed. "I'm going to go after her. You know, before she decides to take out all of the bridges in town just to spite us."

…

Beki tailed Hinata through the festival. After five minutes, however, she realized she must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. The usually familiar streets had become an unnavigable sea of people. Her hip kept getting jabbed into the sharp corners of stalls and her tabi socks were gray from all of the people who had accidentally backed up and stepped on her feet. Someone's shoulder caught her right in the solar plexus and knocked the air out of her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," A familiar voice said as a hand wrapped around her arm. "Are you alright."

"Yeah, Sakura, I'm okay," Beki wheezed. Have you seen Hinata?"

Sakura gave her a perplexed look. "Um, no…?"

Beki sighed as she realized Sakura didn't recognize her either. A spiteful bubble began swelling up in Beki. She had been in Konoha for months, had dinner with these people, and been on missions with them. A little make up, a different hair do, and a different outfit apparently were enough to completely erase her identity. It was ruining Beki's day, so she decided to ruin their day, too.

"You look sad. Is it about your haircut?" Beki said in a sympathetic tone as she let herself get carried off by the crowd. She heard Sakura yell angrily after her, something along the lines of "What are you saying about my hair?!"

That made Beki feel a little bit better in a vindictive sort of way, but it in no way fixed her frustration over Hinata bailing on her or for realizing she was so damn forgettable. Well, at least she hadn't said anything really mean to Sakura. She would figure out who Beki was, after all and at least this way she might pull her punches when she came for payback. There was an ebb in the tide of people so Beki dipped off to the side of the throng in an opening between shops. The other people milling about looked like they were waiting for people they knew. This is a perfect spot to mellow out for a bit, Beki thought. She watched the whirr of people going by. What had seemed so bright and lively before was overstimulating and was making Beki motion sick. The swirl of colors was nauseating and the nose was starting a pounding in her head. Beki closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. It was slow and steady, in through the nose and out through the mouth. She would breathe in for four counts, hold her breath for four, and then exhale for four counts. The anxiety finally began to dissolve.

"There you are," The sound of Neji's voice made Beki's eyes snap open. He was standing in front of her with a shimmering goldfish swimming in a cellophane bag.

"Neji, did you win me a fish? You're so sweet." Beki held out her hand and he gave her a strange look.

"I won this for Lady Hinata. She could use a pet." He corrected.

Beki dropped her hand but kept the smile. "Neji, did you win Hinata a fish? You're so sweet."

Neji sighed. "What are you doing here by yourself?"

"I was looking for Hinata and I lost track of her. Have you seen her?" Beki asked.

"No, but my money is on 'she ran home as fast as she could and is hiding in a closet'," Neji patted her shoulder. "Do you want to stay here while I go get her or do you want to come with?"

Beki wanted to just go home, and she didn't mean to Hinata's house. When she thought about it, though, her anxiety was stemming mostly from the expectations she had put on people. She had expected her "friends" to make the festival fun the way her dad and her friends back home used to. These clowns couldn't even manage to recognize her when she did something different with her hair. Even Hinata had let her down. Beki was uncomfortable and feeling alone and Hinata bolted on her. The last thing Beki wanted to do was to tail around with Hinata and Neji for the rest of the festival.

"I think I'm going to find the others," She lied. "We'll all probably run into each other later."

Neji watched her for a moment as though he were trying to determine if she was lying. He shook his head. "Alright. Once you find them, try to stick with the group. Not that it's dangerous. It's just easy to get lost in these crowds."

"Sounds good. See you later, Neji," Beki waved as he dissolved back into the crowd.

I need some air, she thought.


	33. The Outsider

**Hi Everyone! Okay, just so you know its like 2 AM and I'm at that delirious point where I start giggling about things no one should laugh at. That being said, I should really come up with my titles ahead of time when I do late night writing sessions, because at this stage of exhaustion these were some of the other titles I considered for this chapter: Rejected by a pig, Of Combs and Fish (Which Tallman vetoed as it was far to majestic), and A Fish By Any Other Name (Which I realized I had already used that for a previous chapter). Thank you for all your feedback thus far, and please know I really appreciate the extra time you take to write me a little something. It helps me improve as a writer and brings some joy into my day. So please, if there's anything you especially like about a chapter let me know in the reviews. Also, feel free to PM me with any questions you may have. Thank you and goodnight.**

* * *

Beki inched her way along the festival crowds toward the end of the side street. After the line of stalls ended, the crowd formed small pools of people she had to push her way past to get to freedom. After that though, she was free. Immediately it the air was cooler and it became easier to breathe. As she approached the bridge over the canal the smells of rich food and body odor gave way to leaves and water.

Normally she would have hoisted herself up on the side of the bridge and enjoyed the scenery. Today her movement was limited by her yukata and her geta so all she could do was lean against the railing. As she let the anxiety brought on by the festival melt away Beki began to people watch the fringe festival goers. Families who had been at the festival too long were taking this route to take their crying children home to rest. Beki saw a lone father carrying his daughter up on his shoulders and Beki was reminded of Seiichiro. As recently as two years ago he had carried her on his shoulder like a parakeet in spite of the fact she was practically a grown woman because her feet had been sore. Anyone else would have made her walk but Seiichiro had a tendency of spoiling her like that. When she was around him, Beki felt like she could be irresponsible and reckless in the way that only a young child under the protective watch of their parent could be. She didn't think about being careful how she walked or how she dressed. If it was too cold, he gave her his coat. If she was tired, he carried her.

Konoha was in no way dangerous but in moments like this Beki began to feel homesick. Not so much for her village, but for her father. He was her safety and security; he was home. As nice as they were and as much as they said they cared, no one here would ever love her the way her father did. She went through life day by day like she was balancing on top of a glass ball. If she planted herself too hard in any direction it would shatter or toss her into the abyss.

The patter of little feet caught her attention. Tonton was heading toward the festival in the company of two strange dogs. One of them was wearing sunglasses and the other was wearing a little coat. Beki smiled at the pig.

"Tonton, I'm so happy to see you right now. I could really use a cuddle."

Beki reached out and went to scoop up Tonton the way she always did, but the pig squealed in surprise and chomped down on her arm hard. She dropped him and watched as he ran away, looking over his shoulder and shooting Beki dirty looks like he had narrowly avoided being abducted by a butcher. Not even the pig recognizes me, Beki thought. He doesn't even recognize my smell.

All of the hurt she had been repressing all day bubbled to the surface. She was lonely, homesick, and felt unloved. The tears welled up in her eyes and she tried to hold them back. She bit her lip and looked up at the sky while taking deep breaths. It was no use. The tears spilled forth and with them came the first sob. Once she had started it was impossible to stop. It didn't make a difference who saw. No one recognized her anyway so it wasn't like people would make a big deal about Beki crying. She was just some random girl who probably dropped her cotton candy or something.

"Are you alright, miss?" A gentle voice caught her attention.

Beki looked up and blinked away the tears. She gave a little smile.

"I never thought I would be saying this but I'm really happy to see you, Ebisu sensei."

He blinked at her in confusion.

"I'm sorry, have we met?"

Beki's eyes grew wide and instantly the joy was replaced with bone shattering rage. She picked him up by his shirt and threw him bodily over the railing of the bridge into the water below.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She screamed after him. He surfaced and fixed his sunglasses.

"Beki? Beki, is that you? No. It can't be."

Her lower eyelid began to twitch and she shook her head. Not today.

…

"Are you sure it was around here?" Hinata bobbed her head as she searched the crowd. "I don't see her anywhere."

Neji sighed. "And the rest of the team hasn't seen her either. Lady Hinata, why don't you go rejoin the others? I'll find Beki and then we'll all meet up at the theater."

Hinata frowned. "I hope you find her soon. The play is supposed to be really good this year. Are you sure you don't want my help?"

"No, you've missed enough of the festival,' Neji gave her a gentle push. "Go have fun with the others."

Hinata walked back towards the main thoroughfare but kept stealing worried glances back at Neji. Once she was out of sight he turned his attention back to the side street and sighed. Beki had been acting peculiarly. She put on a good show but he was fairly certain nobody recognizing her in her festival outfit upset her. Some of it may have been due to Hanabi's incessant remarks about how brutish and ugly Beki was. Then again, the fact that she was at a festival in another town without any family to enjoy it with could also be contributing to her melancholy. Regardless of the cause of her behavior, Neji's priority was to find her and then not let her out of his sight. He couldn't guarantee she would have a good time but at least he could ensure she wouldn't spend the day alone.

He walked over to the stall Beki had been standing beside before she disappeared. There was no trace of her or any indication of where she may have headed. At this rate they would miss the play altogether so he may as well take his time tracking her down. As he scanned his surroundings the goods at a nearby stall caught his eye. There was an array of trinkets but their best items were a collection of decorative hair combs. Neji remembered how excited Beki had looked when she thought the goldfish he had caught was for her. Girls liked presents; maybe if he bought one for her it would cheer her up.

One of the combs had a little starfish and some seashells on it. It looked exactly like the sort of thing Beki would wear. Neji paid way too much for the comb but something told him it was worth it.

After another five minutes of searching he lost his patience and activated the Byakugan. He caught sight of Beki camped out by a taiyaki stall trying to be as small as possible. By the time he reached her Beki was halfway through her third fish shaped pastry. She looked at him with the shame of a child who had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"Hi Neji."

He sighed and crouched down in front of her.

"What's wrong?"

His tone was concerned but also exasperated, the way a parent or a sibling would talk to a child they found crying. Beki didn't want to go into how ugly and forgettable she felt, so she stuck to the guns she knew no one would roll their eyes at.

"I just really miss my dad," Beki wiped her nose with a hanky. "I used to always go to festivals with him. I guess I never realized how lonely you could feel in such a big group of people."

"You fit in so well around here I guess we all forget the situation you're in," Neji said. "Look, if there's ever something we're all doing as a group and you get uncomfortable, let Hinata or I know. We'll think of a way to get you out without causing you any embarrassment."

Beki finished swallowing a bite of taiyaki. "Thanks, Neji."

He eyed the remnants of her snack. "Have you had any actual food today?"

"Not since we left the house," Beki gathered her wrappers and put them in the trash.

"Come on, let's get you some food," Neji helped her to her feet. "You can eat it on the way to the theater."

…

"When I said 'let's get some food' I was no referring to buns," Neji gave her a frustrated side glance any parent would be proud of.

"Oh, come on. These at least have meat in them." Beki took a huge bite out of the fist sized bun.

Neji shook his head. "Could you take smaller bites? You're going to choke."

Beki's eyes narrowed and she looked around like someone had called her name.

"Dad? Wait…no, sorry Neji. Sometimes you talk and I swear I hear my father coming out of your mouth."

Neji sighed and watched Beki stuff the rest of the bun in her mouth. She may have been dressed up like a lady but Beki couldn't help but act like herself. Before he had found that an irritating quality but now Neji had come to appreciate the honesty of her behavior. He could always feel assured that whatever she said or did was genuine. It was also a relief to see her happy, even if her cheeks were stuffed like a squirrel's while she chewed the gargantuan wad of bun she had shoved in her face. Anything was better than seeing her how he had found her. Beki's cheeks had still been streaked by the tears and her cheeks had been red and puffy from crying. Her eyes were the worst part. They had reminded him of a sad and vulnerable child.

That train of thought had reminded him about the weight in his pocket. He pulled out the paper wrapped parcel and held it out to her. She had just finished wiping her greasy mouth with a handkerchief and took it from him with a look of confusion.

"What's this?" Beki asked.

"I won that earlier," Neji lied. "It's not something I would ever use and I think it would seem strange if I gave everything I won to Lady Hinata."

"What about Tenten?" Beki asked as she unwrapped it.

Neji shook his head. "This isn't her type of thing."

Beki beamed at the sight of the hair comb.

"It looks like something a mermaid would wear!"

Neji couldn't help but feel a swell of self-satisfaction at her reaction. He watched as she rushed over to a shop window so she could use its reflection while she put in the comb. Once she was happy with its placement, she faced him and smiled.

"Thank you, Neji. I love it."

He had seen Beki smile a hundred times but this smile was special. She wasn't just smiling at him, she was smiling because of him. Neji felt a strange mixture of emotions: joy for making her so happy and anxiety because her attention was completely on him. Her gaze was suddenly too much to bear. Neji looked away and felt the color rising in his cheeks.

"It was nothing, Beki. Really."

"Hey, aren't we going to miss that play?" Beki turned her attention to the road ahead and the tension in Neji's chest relaxed.

"You're right. We had better hurry."

…

They reached the doors just as they were closing them to the public. The attendants let Beki and Neji sneak in and closed the doors behind them.

"Crap, where are they?" Beki squinted in the darkness.

Neji activated the Byakugan. "They're over there."

He guided her down the steps and supported her as they crept past the already seated guests to their group. Hinata's face lit up at the sight of them.

"You found her!"

Beki smiled. "Let it be known if I'm ever missing, I'll be by a taiyaki stand."

The rest of the group waved at her in turn and then went back to watching the stage. Beki took the empty seat next to Hinata and Neji took the only other available seat beside her.

"So what's this about?" Beki whispered to Hinata, who promptly shushed her.

The lights came on and the curtain raised. Tsunade, Shizune, and several other high ranked shinobi Beki recognized were on the stage in strange costumes. Shizune was the narrator and began describing a story from the local folklore.

"I am so lost right now," Beki said under her breath. "Hinata-"

Hinata gave her a conflicted look. She wanted to help her but it went against Hinata's programming to break social conventions like not talking in the theater. Neji watched the dilemma unfold and sighed. He tapped Beki on the shoulder and motioned for her to lean towards him. He spent the rest of the show explaining a story every child in Konoha had learned before they were out of diapers.

After the show had ended, the group filed out of the theater at a snail's pace behind the crowd.

"So, how did that hold up against Getsu folklore?" Kiba grinned smugly. "Exciting enough for you?"

"No one was burned alive or came back from the dead hell bent on revenge," Beki mused. "I'd give it a solid 6 out of 10 on the exciting scale."

"What kind of children's stories do they tell you in Getsu?" Shino asked with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"The cautionary kind, I guess." Beki folded her arms. "I guess I've never really thought about it."

Hinata yawned. "I think that's enough festival for me."

"The lanterns have just come on though," Tenten put her hands on her hips. "You aren't married yet, Hinata. You can't act like some old matron just yet."

Beki elbowed her. "Tenten's got a point. We gotta tear the town up."

Hinata eyed Beki knowingly. "Really? So you're okay with wearing that get up for another couple of hours?"

Beki thought about it then sided with Hinata. "We're game to stay out if we can change."

"Forget it," Kiba shook his head. "By the time you two go, change, and get back everything will be all closed up."

"I guess we'll see you guys later then," Beki waved. "Light a trashcan fire for me, okay?"

Kiba and Tenten rolled their eyes and the group started heading for the festival. Neji stayed behind.

"I'll walk you two home."

"No," Hinata and Beki said in unison.

"You spent enough time today missing out on the action because of us," Beki explained.

"Please stay and have some fun, Neji," Hinata pleaded. "We'll be alright. We won't be alone."

Neji sighed. "Fine. Be careful."

The girls started walking towards the road to that would lead them home.

"Sure thing!" Beki called over her shoulder. "Bye, Dad!"

Neji grunted with frustration and watched them go. They had draped an arm around each other for support and looked like they were having a great conversation. He turned and began jogging to catch up to the group. It was hard for him to let the girls go alone but he knew they could handle themselves.

…

"So did you have a good time?" Hinata asked.

Beki thought about it. "Yeah, I'd say I had a pretty good day overall. Even though you _abandoned me._ "

Hinata shrank and flushed. "I told you I was sorry. I can't…I can't do the social interaction thing, Beki."

Beki sighed and gave Hinata a reassuring squeeze. "You've got your own demons to deal with, I can't always expect you to be supporting me. Sometimes I need to support you."

Hinata smiled up at her friend. The moonlight caught the hair comb and its glint caught Hinata's attention.

"That's pretty. Where did you get it?"

Beki blinked and touched the hair comb. "Oh, this? I totally forgot I was wearing it. Neji won it and gave it to me."

Hinata smiled. "That was very nice of him. He won me a goldfish."

"I saw. What are we going to name it?" Beki asked.

"How about Naruko?" Hinata asked. "It's a girl goldfish."

Beki rolled her eyes. "Really? That's the best you can come up with? What are you going to name your kids?"

Hinata blinked at her innocently. "Naruko is a great name."

"I get that you're obsessed with the guy, Hinata, but there had to be something you liked before you met Naruto."

The blank look Hinata gave her was all Beki needed. She sighed and shook her head.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot you came out of the womb a stalker."

Hinata flushed and shrank away in embarrassment.

"I'm just giving you a hard time," Beki sighed. "You're lucky and so is Naruto. You both have such a sure thing. You know he loves you and he knows you love him. Everyone else is running around going 'what if he doesn't like me like, LIKE me like me' and/or 'what if she only sees me as a friend?'"

Hinata thought about it. "I guess we are pretty lucky. I hope you end up with a sure thing, too, Beki."

Beki smiled at Hinata. "I hope so too."

The girls got home, undid their hair, washed off their makeup, got into their pajamas, and promptly passed out with a baby name book between them. Before sleep claimed them, they held a coin toss on whether they should name the fish Naruko or Tomoe. In a moment of great triumph for Beki, Tomoe won. Hinata pretended to accept defeat but silently resolved to call the fish Naruko whenever Beki wasn't around.


	34. The Grim Good News

**Hi everyone. Before I start this next chapter I just wanted to answer a question I periodically get about this story. Naruto is going to be in ToTM. I was trying to time his arrival in my story to his return in Tallman's, but when I hit my predetermined stopping point (Ch 18) Tallman was nowhere near finishing his next chapter. Rather than go on hiatus myself I decided to keep putting out content and developing this story. I thank you for your patience. I don't want to spoil anything but know that Naruto will be making his return in my story soon. That being said, please enjoy this next chapter and know that I really appreciate your feedback. Hearing from you all makes me very happy and helps me guide the development of both my story and my writing overall.**

* * *

"Congratulations," Tsunade's tone was measured. The mix of confusion and shock on Beki's face forced Tsunade to keep her own emotions about the situation in check. "I was under the impression you didn't have a lot field experience."

Beki shook her head. "When I said that, I was talking about 'real' missions. You know, not helping with harvests and basically being an underage moving service."

Tsunade folded her hands on her desk. "It's an honor to be nominated to enter in the chunin exams."

"Thank you," Beki bowed. "I'm grateful you passed on this information."

"I also wanted to let you know a few of our genin have met the qualifications for this year's exam," Tsunade explained. "Just between us, the journey to the Cloud Village is long and at times dangerous. When the time comes, we'll be sending a few teams along to protect the genin on their way."

"You'll be sending me along with them?" Beki asked.

"Yes," Tsunade nodded. "I'm not sure if your father has heard the news. He sent word two days ago that he was on his way to Konoha. You have two months until the exams. Perhaps your father will be able to join you?"

Beki smiled. "I hope so. Thanks for the heads up, Tsunade sama."

…

"Well that's exciting," Hinata smiled as she sprinkled food into the fishbowl. "Are you going to head back to Getsu to train with your team?"

Beki shook her head. "There's only two months until the exams. By the time I got home we'd have about four weeks to train. It would be more effective for us to train independently and then meet up at the exams."

Hinata gave a slight frown of concern. "You have been away from your teammates for over a year now, Beki. How is that going to work?"

"We were each highly specialized. Daiske was set up and defense, Ren is a sniper, and I'm the bruiser. If we just train in our specialties the teamwork should come back like riding a bike." Beki explained.

Hinata nodded but in her head she was worried. The chunin exams were testing even for the most skilled of shinobi and the most coordinated of teams. Hinata would usually just cheer Beki on but with the chunin exams, death was on the table. This would be no exercise where they would call it if someone got hurt. Beki was taking far too casual of an attitude about the situation at hand.

"Have you ever seen chunin exams, Beki?" Hinata asked, keeping her tone measured.

"No," Beki shook her head. "But I know what the stakes are. If this were a year ago, I'd be worried. Now that I can become the Drowned Maiden, I have a bit of an ace up my sleeve."

"So where is it this year, the Cloud Village?" Hinata put a kettle on for tea.

Beki rapped her knuckles on the table. "Yes. The Cloud Village in the dead of winter. It gets awful snowy up there."

"It almost seems like they're trying to scare people off," Hinata commented as she took out some mugs.

"The Cloud shinobi are hardasses in the classic sense. They won't pull any punches for the sake of taking it easy on outsiders or attracting tourists. For them, the chunin exams are in their purest form; a true test of shinobi prowess in the harshest conditions."

"It doesn't sound like anyone would want to go watch," Hinata said.

Beki leaned forward on the table and smiled. "Not necessarily. See, the other villages know how the Cloud Village treats the exams, so there's a lot less of the babies competing. They aren't sending the 11 year olds who just barely qualify. Chunin exams are held bi-annually, so they send the genin who didn't quite or would have just barely made the cut the year before."

"So they have extra time to train," Hinata nodded. "Makes sense."

"They also send less candidates. Instead of the starting count being in the 80s to 90s, it'll be in the 40s."

Hinata shook her head. "If you've never seen chunin exams, how do you know all this?"

Beki smiled. "I spent a couple of months in the Cloud when I was younger. They were planning for the following year and Dad had to explain it all to me."

"How are you going to prepare then?" Hinata poured the hot water over the teabags.

Beki smiled at her sheepishly. "Train like hell and pack a sweater."

…

It had rained hard for the last few days. The storms had been cold and bitter and had made the already dark forests near unnavigable. Seiichiro had trekked through worse but the wet sucking noise his boots made each time he picked up his feet in the ankle deep mud was driving him crazy. The incessant chatter of the birds had been cheerful once the rain had stopped, however after a full day of high pitched chirping Seiichiro decided he wasn't so crazy about birdsong. The weather had slowed his movement, adding to his irritation.

The King had sent word to Seiichiro about Beki's nomination as the boat was pulling away from the harbor. One of his messengers called out the news to him from the shore. Although Beki had qualified for the exams a year before, the news that she would be attending the chunin exams when stationed in another ninja village was suspicious to say the least. There was discord aplenty in the capital. It was clear from the whisperings in the alleyways and shared in hushed tones behind the hands of noblemen that great machinations were underway. It had been many years since the last ninja war and many seemed to think that these incidents would be the tipping point. Voices were already being raised in favor of increasing the presence of standing troops in the capital and pulling in high value assets to garrison in the capital. Seiichiro had advised the king against that as it would create the wrong impression amidst the talks with other villages. He proposed a subtler approach: an increase in reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It was clear someone wasn't a fan and was trying to send Seiichiro a message. He had gone out of his way to have Beki stationed in Konoha instead of the capital while he worked on the deal with Tsunade. Obviously this "someone" hadn't missed Seiichiro's intent to keep Beki out of the politics. They wanted him to know that they had the ability to pluck her from the nest and send her right into the trenches.

Chunin exams in the Cloud Village were intense and would be full of threats to Beki's life but Seiichiro was confident she would survive. His greatest concerns were the exposure she would receive as the last known Drowned Maiden. Potential clients and representatives of every village attended the exams to support their candidates and scope out the competition. It would be very easy for Orochimaru or anyone with equal evil intent to slip in with the masses and do some damage. The second threat Seiichiro had nagging at him was the identity or identities of his enemies back home. If Beki survived the chunin exam, or worse, won, his unknown opponents could have her sent on high risk assignments alone. As much as he wanted to see his daughter kick the asses of a bunch of puffed up teenagers and make Getsu look good, Seiichiro needed to get back to Getsu as soon as possible. He had some rats to snuff out.

Fifteen years ago, while Yuki was still around, that would have meant killing them. Setting up a situation where they attacked and then taking them down in self-defense. Seiichiro was older now, smarter, and more cautious. He would just need to gather evidence of something salacious, like an affair with another nobleman's wife, embezzlement, or blackmail. He would then hand the information over to the most responsible party and let the system work for him.

Seiichiro sighed and smiled to himself in spite of the strands of hair plastered to his face and the mud seeping into his boots. Yukihana. He had attended the chunin exams with her in the Cloud Village many years ago. If she knew how closely Beki was following in their footsteps she would have laughed. "Fate follows our families," she would have said with a smile. The smile faded from Seiichiro's lips. True as those words were, Fate was cruel. It had claimed his wife and with news of Beki's recommendation to attend the exams Seiichiro felt the fingers of Fate reaching out for his daughter. Thin, wispy little tendrils of Death grasping for her tender little throat. Seiichiro clenched his fists. Not again. Never again.

…

Seiichiro hadn't had the chance to put down his bag in his room at the inn when he heard a knock on the door. Before he could answer it, Beki popped her head in.

"Hey pops," she smiled. God, how much she had grown. She was looking more and more like her mother every day, especially when she smiled. It was the same lopsided grin with the matching mischief in the eyes.

"How did you find out I was here?" Seiichiro tossed his bag on the floor. "I don't think the Hokage even knows yet."

Beki shrugged. "I may know like, 80% of the kindergarteners in this town. They're a loyal bunch."

Seiichiro shook his head and chuckled. "Do you buy their loyalty with candy?"

"And ninja info cards," she smiled. "Good to see you, Dad. Could we maybe do dinner tonight after you get settled in?"

He eyed her suspiciously. "I'm happy to see you, too, but you're acting like you're trying to avoid something. Hyugas not treating you well?"

Beki shook her head and sighed. "Excessively well. They have me join them for family game night every Saturday."

"That doesn't sound so bad to me," Seiichiro ran the sink for the water to get warm. "I wish we could have done such a thing in my family."

"Yeah, it's all well and good, but you don't know what kind of games they play-" Beki protested but Seiichiro held up a hand.

"Beki, I have to immediately go and see the Hokage. I'll come by the Hyuga compound to pick you up when we're finished. Deal?"

Beki sighed. "Deal."

…

"Alright, Beki, I think they should be all set up by now," Hinata smiled warmly. "Are you ready for family game night?"

Beki had to pinch herself to keep herself from smiling. "No, Hinata, I'm so sorry but my dad just got into town and we're going to do dinner."

The smile fell off of Hinata's face so hard Beki almost heard it splatter on the floor. "B-but it's family game night, Beki. We always do family game night."

It was almost unbearable for Beki not to smile now. "I know, it's such a shame, but what can I do?"

Hinata looked sadly at the floor and then lit up like the morning sun. "You could have your dad come to game night!" Beki gave her a crestfallen look. "I know it's totally unheard of for not just one, but TWO outsiders to be joining us, but I'm sure my father will understand."

"No, Hinata, that's just not going to work-" Beki tried to explain.

"She doesn't want to go to game night," Neji had slipped in the door so quietly neither girl had noticed. "She's trying to be polite."

Hinata looked from Neji to Beki with a look of shock. "Beki, is this true?"

Beki sighed at the tiny note of pain in Hinata's voice. "Look, Hina chan, it's not the family game night I don't like. It's the games."

"What's wrong with the games we play?" Hinata was almost pouting. To Beki she looked like a child who had been told their drawing did not even remotely resemble what they intended.

"Think of it this way: why might I not enjoy playing hide and seek and I spy with your family?" Beki thought maybe if Hinata thought of the problem herself it would be easier to understand Beki's point of view.

Hinata considered a moment and her eyes clung to the floor. "I suppose because you don't have ocular jutsu you might feel…disadvantaged."

"I spy something…green!" Beki pantomimed. "Oh, I've got it, it's a caterpillar on a maple tree five hundred meters to the southwest. That's right! Good job!"

"Ocular jutsu aside, there's still the hula hooping competition," Neji countered, to which Beki just narrowed her eyes.

"Neji, who won the hula hooping competition last week?"

Neji looked away and flushed. "I did."

Beki leaned in and narrowed her eyes further. "How long were you hula hooping?"

"Ten minutes straight," Neji's eyes traveled up to the ceiling and stayed there.

"How many hula hoops were you using at once?" Beki folded her arms triumphantly, knowing her point was made before he even spoke."

"Seven," Neji sighed. "Alright, we understand that family game night may not be as much fun for you as it is for us."

"I love spending time with your family and the food is amazing," Beki explained. "I just need a night off every once in a while. You know, to give me some healthy perspective."

"On what?" Hinata asked.

"Just that I'm not a loser for not being able to keep up with you guys in children's games," Beki smiled. "That's all."

Hinata sighed and picked up the lime jello bundt cake she had made for game night. "Let's go, Neji. I hope you have a nice dinner with your father."

"Thanks guys! See you later!" Beki waved at them, finally able to express the joy she felt on dodging the family night bullet. Just as they opened the door to leave, one of the gate keepers had been preparing to knock. "Miss Tsukimori's father is here for her."

"Perfect timing!" Beki leapt out of her seat. "See you all later!"

…

Seiichiro slapped Beki's hand away from his plate. "When the man asked if you wanted fries, you said 'no'."

"I know, but then you got some and I can smell them." Beki held eye contact with her father for a long moment before attempting another theft. Seiichiro threw a fry at her face.

"That's all you're getting, unless you order your own," Her father gave her a challenging look, daring her to try to steal more of his food.

"So, uh, you and mom went to the chunin exams in the Cloud Village," Beki nibbled on her one allotted fry. "What advice can you give me?"

Seiichiro leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Pack a sweater."

Beki rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know it's cold there in winter. I mean in terms of what should I be focusing on in my training?"

"All the work you've been doing with the kanabo will be virtually useless," Seiichiro explained. "You'd be better off training exclusively with your mother's gauntlets. Cloud shinobi are really into close quarters combat. I wouldn't be surprised if they set things up in such a way as to force it."

Beki laughed. "You know what's so strange to me? When I was in the academy, all my teachers said that the moment two shinobi had to engage one on one, the mission was failed."

Seiichiro nodded. "The theory is that a good shinobi should conduct their mission undetected. Having to engage with enemy shinobi means that even if the mission is a success, you were flushed out. They know who you are and they'll be looking for you next time."

"So it may not have any immediate consequences but in the long run it'll affect your chances of being successful?" Beki asked.

"That's exactly it," Seiichiro explained. "The Cloud shinobi, however, specialize in hand to hand combat. That means if they're the ones to catch you on a mission you are going to have a very bad time."

"They celebrate shinobi who can keep up with them," Beki traced the grain of the wood on the table. "Do you think I'll have trouble?"

Seiichiro shook his head without hesitation. "Your squad is a hit squad and you're the bruiser. Compared to other teams from Getsu that they might have sent, yours is in a unique position in that there's a fair balance of ranged and close quarters combat."

"Could you maybe help me train?" Beki gave her father a pleading look. "I don't want to advertise it, but I'm kind of freaked out. I remember Uncle Aye and his shinobi. They were tougher than anyone else I've ever met."

Seiichiro chuckled softly to himself. "I've met a few Mist ninja who could've held their own in that regard." Seiichiro stared at his plate for a moment and then sighed. "Yes, I'll train you. If nothing else I'll give you some guidance on how to carry on your training after I leave. I can't give you too much of an advantage."

Beki smiled. "I understand. Thanks, Dad."

Seiichiro took a moment just to enjoy his wife's smile on his daughter's face. It made him feel warm inside and full of hope. He loved his daughter, so much so in fact that when Beki's hand slid across the table he didn't slap it away when she stole a small fistful of fries.


	35. Just a Spark

**Hi everyone! So Tallman0029 finally got that chapter posted he's been poking at since like, April, and introduced some of you to my story. Just so you know this fanfiction takes place during the time skip Tallman mentions in his post script. When he posts the next chapter, it will be post time skip but the events of this story will be considered canon and may be called upon in his story. I plan on continuing my story in tandem with his. Think of this as the Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth to Tallman's Love, Hinata. I have really appreciated all of the reviews you have been sending my way. This is my first story and so it is really encouraging and helpful to hear from you. That being said, please enjoy this next chapter and if you have the time, let me know what you think! It makes my day, really. And also, Tallman. It makes him happy, too.**

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"Your biggest problem," Seiichiro clapped the dust off of his hands. "Is that you've become a one trick pony."

Beki had been knocked flat on her back by her father's open handed strike. Spindly tree roots jabbed at her back through her shirt and tore at the flesh of her arms. Beki dug her hands into the topsoil and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Frankly, she was surprised her father hadn't kicked her while she was down. He was off on a tangent now, something about ponies. She couldn't really hear him over the ringing in her ears.

"I give you the gauntlets and all you practice is the gauntlets," Her father paced. "I give you the kanabo and you forget about the gauntlets and just use the kanabo. Do you know what that's doing?"

"Letting me focus?" Beki shrugged.

Her father shook his head. "No. You act like you're studying to pass a test. You cram on one skill until the next one comes along, then you abandon it. You never achieve mastery."

Beki spread her arms wide in a gesture of "what are you going to do?" and instantly felt a stab between her shoulder blades. There was a warm wet feeling trickling down her back. Dammit, she thought. I get to soak blood out of my shirt again. "Dad, I only have two months until the chunin exams. There's no way in hell I'm going to master anything in that amount of time."

"I know," Her father began rolling up his sleeves and Beki swallowed nervously. Her father only rolled up his sleeves when he was going to seriously beat someone, like physically in a bar fight or verbally in a negotiation. "So we're forced to follow your half assed methodology all the way."

Beki blinked in confusion. "So what does that mean we're going to be working on?"

Her father formed hand signs and parted his palms to reveal his familiar flickering blue flame. "You're going to be learning fire jutsu."

"How does that make any sense?!" Beki shook her gauntlets at him. "Instead of polishing up something I can do, let's get me passable at something I can't?"

"Look at it this way, Beki, by now word has spread across the whole damned continent that you are the Drowned Maiden. That will have people on their guard; they will be well prepared to go against water jutsu," He smiled. "But fire," he chuckled. "Fire they won't see coming from you."

Beki stalked off toward the other end of the clearing in frustration and turned on her heel with a huff. "Dad, you KNOW I can't use fire jutsu. You have been trying to teach me that stupid little…flame poof no jutsu crap since I was like, seven."

"And you couldn't use your kekke genkai then," Her father's eyes bored deep inside Beki, beyond her young adult façade right down to the frightened little girl hidden inside her bedroom closet. His voice dropped low and he spoke gently to her to lure her out of her mental closet of safety. "You are developing as a shinobi, Beki. You have been faced with life or death situations that forced you to change and adapt on the spot. Compared to rising from the dead, learning a few fire jutsu should be a child's play."

Beki watched him long and hard while she weighed his words. She began to unstrap the gauntlets from her forearms. Her father looked at her with a hint of concern. "Here's the deal," She shook a gauntlet at him. "If I don't even have a spark by dinner time, we're done."

Seiichiro nodded. "Fair enough."

Beki knew her father desperately wanted her to learn fire jutsu. As firm and intimidating Seiichiro had always been as an ambassador, he had been equally as soft spoken and easy going as a parent. He had constantly encouraged her to keep trying what she failed at and reminded her she had all the time in the world. It had been one of the things that made Beki feel so safe; her father never yanked the training wheels out from under her too soon. But when he tried to teach her fire jutsu, there was always this small sparkle of desperation in his eyes as if he was trying to find some sign of something great in her. Perhaps it was the same need every parent had to see their child share a talent or an interest with them. In her heart, though, Beki was fairly certain it had something to do with the Burned Maiden.

The truth was, although the Asou line had died with her mother, every child born into the Asou family had either been a Drowned Maiden or had carried the gene for it. The same was true for the Tsukiyama clan. They almost exclusively produced girls and every single one of them was a Hanged Maiden. The Tsukimori clan, however, had been dwindling for generations. The last confirmed Burned Maiden was her father's grandmother. After that the only person who had been even able to use fire jutsu was her father. Usually that would be a pretty good indicator that Beki should carry the gene as well but she felt nothing. The Drowned Maiden had been lurking in Beki's subconscious for as long as she could remember. It was that thing you imagined lurking in the darkness of your room, skulking in the closet or waiting for you under the bed. It was a passive ability she never really had to think about.

Beki had always had an easy time with water jutsu for that reason. Water was usually passive but when it hit an obstacle it changed. Taking on the form of the Drowned Maiden was the same way. It made Beki in no way more powerful, it just opened options to her. Fire is an active force; it consumes, it rages, it devours. It was direct like her father. It was angry like him too. Beki was not an angry person. Life had taught her to be patient and forgiving, which meant this was never going to work. It just wasn't her nature.

"When can I go home?" Beki asked, her eyes still closed in concentration.

"When we're done here." Seiichiro didn't skip a beat. He kept his eyes fixed on her hands for any signs of a spark.

"I don't mean the Hyugas, I mean Getsu," Beki corrected. "When are these talks going to be over with?"

Seiichiro sighed. "You know I hate talking about work."

Beki rolled her eyes behind her lids. "Too bad. I'm doing this for you, you do that for me."

"There have been some complications due to…recent events." The pause told Beki all she needed to know. If it had been anything stupid or insignificant, like some smalltime land baron refusing to cooperate with terms or a tariff loophole, he would have told her. Keeping it to himself meant that something big was in the works.

"Okay, but if there's any danger I'll come home, right?" Beki opened her eyes, unable to maintain her focus on the jutsu. "You wouldn't leave me across the world if there was going to be like, a coup d'état or something, right?"

Seiichiro huffed dismissively. "Listen to you, sixteen years old, acting like coups are things you can just casually discuss out in the open."

"It was an example!" Beki shouted in frustration. "Look, Dad, everyone is super nice to me and everything but I am a shinobi of Getsugakure and I want to serve my village, with my teammates, you know, actually doing something with my life!"

"Look, honey," Her father never called her "honey". It pissed her off but she held her tongue. "You are going to be participating in the chunin exams, in the Cloud Village, with your teammates. You are going to do a great job and make Getsu look good in front of the Big Five. You will show them that coming from one of the small villages doesn't make a shinobi any less powerful or capable than a ninja from the Cloud, the Stone, the Leaf, the Mist, or the Sand. That's more than anyone can hope to do for their village. Make us proud."

Beki bottled up her frustration. Her dad was right, if she did a good job at the chunin exams that would make Getsu pretty popular with clients and would bring some well-needed business to the island. Then again it felt like just another cop out. Her whole life Seiichiro had chocked all the struggles they had to go through as a family as a necessity for King and Country. Beki was sick of King and Country. She would never be respected by her peers, they would never thing she earned it when she took her father's place; hell, she could never even make it into the Bingo Book at this rate. And that was if she did well in the chunin exams. If she sucked…they would all hate her more.

A knot formed in her chest and she felt the heat of tears welling in her eyes. She pinched her eyelids shut and bit her lips to keep the tears at bay. Then, so quickly and so suddenly it was over before she even registered what had happened, there was a small pulse. It felt like her heart had throbbed but somehow it felt like it had come from somewhere deeper down inside and she heard a small pop. Her father let out a cry of what she thought was joy and she opened her eyes. His gaze was fixed on her hands and his mouth was twisted in a grin comprised of pride and relief. She turned her attention down to her hands just as there was another tiny pop. This time it took, and with a steady hiss, a tiny blue flame no bigger than a baby's fist burned in her palms.

"You did it, Beki," Her father smiled. "You did it."

…

"Okay, let's go over some ground rules," Tsunade assumed her best Hokage pose, which looked suspiciously to the teens like a "mom" pose. "You will all stay together as much as possible. That includes you, Miss Tsukimori. I'm sending you to the chunin exams so Konoha is responsible for you."

Beki bowed. "Thank you Tsunade sama. I'll be on my best behavior."

Tsunade looked at the two teams she was sending to compete in the chunin exams and their senseis. "Best of luck to you all. I'm certain you will perform with dignity and honor in accordance with your representation of our village."

They all nodded and bowed and agreed.

"Team Gai, you will be responsible for protecting the group as a whole," Tsunade explained. "And Team 8 will be in charge of protecting Tsukimori Beki, but will also support Team Gai in protecting the group as a whole."

After a few more minutes of Tsunade going back and forth between threatening them and encouraging them, she sent the large group on their way. The two teams would represent the Leaf in the exams were made up of capable looking kids, Beki thought. They were still a little green and smelled of the Academy, but they didn't have that haphazard attitude new genin sometimes had. They all looked serious and ready, however their nerves showed in how they clung to their senseis. Team Gai led the expedition, something Beki thought was foolish. Letting Gai and Lee pace the group meant they would all show up in the Cloud achy and tired. Team 8 covered the group's six on their journey. Beki let the Konoha representatives have their space. She would have to cream them in the exam, after all. No use letting them get all cozy with her.

"So how long has it been since you've seen your teammates, Beki?" Kiba stretched atop his mount. Akamaru looked happy to be out and exploring. Beki found herself wishing she had a giant pet to ride on. She supposed if she did get a pet, it would have to be water based. Like a manatee. A majestic oversized manatee.

She shook her head and thought about the matter at hand. "Well, I've been in Konoha for a little over a year. I didn't see them for about a month before that, so maybe thirteen to fourteen months."

Kiba laughed. "How the hell do you think that your team is going to stand a chance if you haven't worked together for more than a year?"

Beki shrugged and smiled mysteriously. "You'll see."

Kiba glared at her. "You're gonna cheat, aren't you? Like in the forest that one time."

Beki rolled her eyes. "Do you think that the Cloud ninja are just going to let me sabotage the test? I get that you guys grew up in Konoha where the guards are pretty chill, but in the Cloud Village they don't mess around."

"You said that you were there when you were younger," Hinata finally spoke. "How long were you there?"

"Almost six months, when I was about seven. Back then my dad was pretty new to the ambassador digs so they kept him closer to home." Beki stretched. "The Raikage is hard as nails but he liked my dad. He knew he was raising me on his own, so the Raikage would let me play in the office while they talked or send me along with one of his assistants to run errands and stuff."

"What kage haven't you met?" Kiba scoffed. "You talk like you collect them or something."

Beki thought about it. "I've been in the Mist and I've seen the Mizukage up close, but I've never talked to her. I've never met the Tsuchikage, either."

Lee and Gai had gotten too overzealous with trying to beat the usual travel time between Konoha and Kumogakure and were now out of sight. Over their conversation, Team 8 and Beki could overhear Neji and Tenten desperately yelling "RED LIGHT" at the top of their lungs. "God, what was Tsunade thinking sending them along?" Kiba shook his head. "They're going to make idiots out of all of us."

Beki shrugged. "They're not so bad. At least you don't have to watch your back around them."

"Did you not get along with the other kids your age back home?" Hinata asked. Beki had always been dodgy about talking about her peers. Maybe if there was more of an audience she wouldn't want to seem evasive.

"Well, let's see," Beki fidgeted. "Oh, well, I mean, there's this one girl that's our age that's REALLY into dolls."

"I don't understand how that quantifies your previous statement," Beki had almost forgotten about Shino until he spoke.

"Okay, no, you know how the Kazekage's brother is a puppeteer? He uses them in battle and everything, right? She uses dolls." Beki explained. "The creepy kind. What's even worse, when we were in the academy, there were these kids that went missing. The last person they were seen with was the doll girl. Their bodies were never found, and then a few months later she debuted these two new dolls that looked just like the missing kids."

Team 8 gave off a collective groan. "So you're telling me that this girl murdered two of her classmates and made them into dolls and no one did anything about it?" Kiba asked in disbelief. "You're always shit talking us for how we take care of ronin, tell me how she didn't end up in a psych ward?"

Beki sighed in frustration. "No, she didn't murder them. Monsoon season is really bad where I live. Kids get washed off of mountain paths and caught in dry riverbeds and get swept off to god knows where. The thing that made this girl creepy is that she WANTS people to think she murdered them."

"That makes more sense," Shino nodded.

Team 8 dissolved into their own conversation and Beki occupied herself with watching the scenery. They had days of woods to cross through before they reached the border of the Land of Fire. Part of her was excited to finally be getting some action but at the same time that was exactly what concerned her. Like Kiba said, she hadn't trained with her teammates in months. They were close, but could they adapt to the Drowned Maiden quickly enough for the team to survive? What other teams had Getsu sent, or were they the only ones? She would have felt a lot better about everything if her dad were going to be there, but he said there was too much going on at work. That meant that in addition to representing Getsugakure, Beki would be representing Konoha while she ran around Kumogakure with no safety net in place. This was her first solo ambassador mission in addition to her first chunin exams. These thoughts kept Beki occupied for most of the journey.

When they reached the Cloud at last, Beki had almost worked herself up to a peptic ulcer. Even the thought of seeing her friends made her nervous. I've stayed in one place way too long, Beki thought. I got too comfortable.

Word was sent to the Raikage's office that the Konoha group had arrived. After waiting around the entrance of the village for a while, they were greeted by one of the Raikage's attendants.

"I am C," The young man said. "On behalf of the Raikage, welcome to Kumogakure. I will take you on a tour of the village and then bring you to your hotel."

Beki's heart started to race. From here on in, she had to be on her best ambassador's daughter behavior. As C led them through the town that hadn't really changed much since Beki's last visit. Beki weighed her options. She tried her best to pay attention as C told them where to go and what to do but she found herself fixated on what her dad would do in this situation.

"The Hokage sent word ahead and informed us of the situation with your ward," C explained when they reached the hotel. "We have arranged for the Getsugakure ninja to be accommodated at the same hotel."

As the group took turns thanking C, Beki stepped forward and bowed. "Sorry to inconvenience you, but would it be possible for me to thank the Raikage in person? I understand that my situation has complicated things."

C looked over at her as if noticing her for the first time. "I'm afraid the Raikage is a very busy person."

"It will only take a moment of his time," Beki kept herself in a bow. "My father is the ambassador for Getsugakure and he would skin me if he knew how much the Raikage went out of his way for me and I didn't thank him for it."

C nodded. "Alright then. You can accompany me back to his office. If he has a moment you can speak with him."

"Should I come with?" Hinata grabbed Beki's sleeve. Beki shook her head. "No, it's okay. I know my way around fairly well."

"But you stayed here when you were 8," Hinata furrowed her brow. "Are you sure?"

Beki smiled at her reassuringly. "Positive. Don't worry about it."

As Beki followed C through the streets of Kumogakure, she prayed that she had made the right choice, and that maybe by some chance the Raikage would remember her and not flay her for interrupting his business.


	36. Enter Team Honey

**Hi everyone! I'm on a roll this week! Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support. I appreciate the time you take to let me know how you feel about my story. It makes me very happy to hear from you all. That being said, please enjoy this next chapter courtesy of a ginger ale and cheesecake infused sugar high.**

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When they reached the Raikage's office, C told Beki to wait outside. After he had disappeared inside the doors Beki finally remembered to breathe. Calm down, Beki, she told herself. The Raikage only looked like a giant because you were 8. Now that you're an adult, he's going to be just a normal old man. She was waved inside and her resolve instantly melted. The Raikage was exactly as she remembered him: a titan. He still towered over everyone and was built as solidly as a refrigerator. The look he was giving her could have melted glass.

"Well, I don't have all day," He growled.

Beki took a deep breath and dropped into a bow. "I don't know if you remember me, Raikage sama, but I'm Tsukimori Seiichiro's daughter, Haruka. I would like to personally thank you for how accommodating you have been of my situation and for allowing me the opportunity to participate in the chunin exams."

The Raikage gave a snort. "Yeah, I remember Seiichiro's daughter, but she called herself 'Beki', and she sure as hell didn't call me 'Raikage sama.'" Beki heard the pitch of his voice dip dangerously low. "Is that all I am to you, girl?"

She was instantly transported back to the time when she was eight years old and had hid under a table in the Raikage's office. She had thought that it was her father standing in front of it, so she had pounced out and tried to drop kick out his knees. It was like hitting a brick wall and as she laid on the floor, the wind knocked out of her, the Raikage had asked her in the same voice what exactly she thought she was doing.

"I'm sorry, Uncle A," Beki looked up with a panicked expression. "It's just I haven't been here for eight years and I don't know what protocol is so I'm just trying not to embarrass my father."

A gave her another hard look, "Beki, I know your father, and I know you. It would take a lot to do something more embarrassing than what you've already done scampering around town in your bloomers all those years ago."

Beki's eyes flashed to the assistants in his office snickering behind their hands. "Those were not bloomers and you know it!"

"All I know is your father had a hard time keeping you in pants." A folded his arms. "So much so that we would have to stop meetings and allocate my assistants to help you find where you had 'lost' them."

Beki felt her face getting hot. Here she was, just trying to be a grown up, and getting reamed the same as if her dad were doing it. The worst part was not that it was the Raikage ripping her a new one, but that it was in front of all his assistants. If they had been old people she wouldn't have cared, but they were all within ten years of her age wise. She would probably have to work with these people in a couple years.

"Since you have nothing to say, I have to ask," A gave her a challenging look. "You still wear bloomers with bears on them?"

"Oh my god, you know what? Where's Uncle B? He'll back me up," Beki looked around. "Where is Uncle B?"

"I sent for him as soon as I heard you were at the gates," A nodded toward the door. "He'll be here any second. Maybe he can help me remember. We had a nickname we used to call you. I can't remember what it was."

Beki swallowed hard. She couldn't remember what that nickname was but based on how this "meeting" had gone so far it wasn't going to be good. Fortunately, she only had to put up with two more minutes of C and the other assistants sobering up only to break into shielded laughter again as soon as someone said "bears" or "bloomers." B finally sauntered through the door and struck a pose. "Yo."

"Thank god you're here, Uncle B," Beki sighed and held out her fist for a bump. "Uncle A is tearing me a new one."

B bypassed her fist and bonked her on the head. "Fool! Ya Fool! You didn't come and visit your uncles for eight years and you show up all grown, Moonshine."

A snorted. "Moonshine. That was it."

Beki rubbed the top of her head and gave him a perplexed look. "Why did you call me 'Moonshine'?"

"Because you were always running around in your teddy bear skivvies, bending over with your little plumber crack hanging out." A looked like he was enjoying her embarrassment a little too much. Beki was aware her mouth had fallen open in horror. It seemed like she was fated to have legendary humiliating experiences in every village she visited. In Konoha, and probably Suna, it was incapping the Kazekage with a bag of flour. Now everyone in Kumo would know Beki had made a habit of mooning the Raikage as a child.

"Hey A," B cocked his head. "You up for a little catch."

The Raikage smiled knowingly. "I could use some air."

…

"What's taking her so long," Neji rapped his fingers on the glass.

"I'm sure Beki is fine," Lee smiled. "She is very capable."

Tenten nodded. "Lee's right. Didn't Beki mention she's been here before and knows the Raikage? She's pretty talkative. Probably just caught up in a conversation."

"No, something isn't right." Neji activated his Byakugan and took a closer look at the Raikage's office. Nothing seemed suspicious but as he increased his magnification he noticed that neither Beki or the Raikage were present. "They aren't in his office," In fact, the office was all but deserted. Neji instantly went into panic mode and began to scan the surrounding area. He detected movement up on a ridge nearby the office. There were two huge men standing across from each other on neighboring mountain peaks tossing something large back and forth. When Neji zoomed in further, he saw that the "something" was Beki.

"They're playing catch with her!" Neji cried out.

"What?!" Tenten shouted. "What do you mean?!"

"I mean the Raikage and some other large man are throwing Beki back and forth over a damned ravine." Neji slammed his fist into the wall and started heading for the door.

"That sounds like a great idea for training!" Lee looked at Tenten. "Can we try?"

"No, Lee." Tenten closed her eyes and sighed. "Neji, wait."

Neji balled his fists and stood by the door. "What is it, Tenten?"

"Did Beki look like she was in danger?" Tenten asked.

Neji sighed. "No. It looked like they were being careful with her."

"Then maybe they're just playing? You know, like how we play with Lee sometimes?" Tenten offered. "Why don't you keep an eye on it. You can't just go and bum rush the Raikage without a reason."

Neji looked at the door as if considering doing just that. After a moment, though, his better judgement won over and he took up watch by the window. Just give me an excuse, he thought bitterly.

…

"Don't flail around or we'll drop you, fool," B caught Beki and tossed her back bodily through the air. Beki was trying her best to keep her cool, but getting tossed around like a human ragdoll takes its toll. Her heart was racing and a cold feeling was creeping down her neck. The wisps of hair that tickled her face as they came loose from her braid were getting darker by the minute. After about two more tosses, A held her by the ankle and dangled her upside down. "What's the deal with your hair? It's gone black."

"I have a condition," Beki said and A dropped her instantly. "OW."

"What kind of condition?" He said as he wiped his hand on his pants.

"It's not contagious," Beki sat up and the world whirled painfully. She laid back down flat on the ground and closed her eyes. "Its my mom's kekke. It kicks in when I get nervous."

"We weren't going to drop you, ya fool." B folded his arms.

A looked down at Beki. "How does that work? I saw your mom fight in the chunin exams years ago. Her hair turned white when she went full…monster."

"Her hair was dark, right? So it went white. My hair is light, so it goes dark, I guess." Beki focused on her breathing to keep herself from upchucking on A's shoes. "You know, it's been…it's been just _swell_ seeing you guys again, but I have to get back to…to my peeps."

"Aight, yo. You'd better come and see us while you're here. Otherwise Uncle B is gonna have to come and find you, ya fool." B pulled her to her feet and gave her a gentle shove towards the path. "I'm inclined to remind Moonshine she be lookin like a landmine."

Beki waved as she walked away. "Can't you see I'm happy to be back with Uncle A and Uncle B?"

"Not bad," B nodded his head. "Needs work on her delivery."

A shook his head. "This is going to be a long chunin exam with you two running around causing problems. At least I'll have two heads to knock together."

…

Beki staggered back towards the hotel. She hoped she would have a little time before her uncle and her teammates arrived to recover from being used as a human volleyball. Before she even made it across the street to the hotel, Neji came bursting out of the doors looking angrier than she had ever seen him.

"Aren't we supposed to stick together?!" He yelled. "Don't go anywhere alone again."

Beki threw up her hands defensively. "I knew where I was going and I was coming right back, I figured it was no big deal."

"You may know where you're going around here but _we_ don't," Neji fumed. "If something had happened, how would we have found you? Or what if something happened here and we needed your help?!"

Beki stared at him wide eyed and looked at Hinata and Tenten, who had followed him to the doors of the hotel. They both shrugged and shook their heads.

"Sorry?" Beki shrank away from his angry stare. He took a deep breath. "I'm going to get some air," He said. "Stay close to the others."

Hinata and Tenten walked out of the doors to stand beside Beki she watched him stalk off. "What's his deal?" Beki asked them. "I've never seen him angry. Like, actually angry."

Hinata shook her head with a worried look. "I don't have the slightest idea."

"He saw the Raikage tossing you around," Tenten offered. "That seemed to upset him. Maybe he's stressed out we're stationed in another village. We had a lot of crazy stuff happen in Konoha the last time we held chunin exams."

Hinata nodded. "Neji is the worrying type. That's probably what it is."

Beki sighed. "He doesn't know Kumogakure. I'm going to go follow him and lead him back."

Tenten nodded. "Alright. We'll let the others know."

Beki jogged off after Neji. She caught up to him and right away he shot her a dirty look. "I told you to stay with the others."

"Yeah that idea doesn't sit so well with me," She shrugged. "I know my way around and you don't. It's a big village, and some of the neighborhoods are on the rougher side. I don't want you getting jumped."

That statement twisted his face even more. Neji clenched his fists and clammed up. Neji looked almost violent in his rage. Beki sighed. "Hey, come on. I know a place. You don't want to look so pissed right after you get here. People will take offense."

"I don't care if they take offense," Neji mumbled but relaxed his face somewhat.

"Okay," Beki took his arm and led him through a turn. "Something big is going on here. You're going to tell me what's going on."

"It's personal," Neji said through clenched teeth. "I thought I'd be dealing with it a lot better, but…"

"We're here," Beki motioned to a ledge that had a great view of the mountains. The benches there had been nice at some point but over the years they'd worn away to rough boards and metal so rusty it was a tetanus shot waiting to happen. Beki motioned for Neji to sit down on the dirt with her. He resisted but she plopped down and tugged on his arm until he gave up. Neji sat down on the dirt beside her with his arms folded. Beki sat quietly with him for a while to let him calm down.

"So are you going to tell me why you're so put off?" Beki picked at a dandelion.

"Let's just say I'm not happy about being in the Cloud Village," Neji said evasively.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Beki put a hand on his arm. "I'll keep it between us. Cross my heart."

"When I was four and Hinata was three, the head ninja of Kumogakure tried to kidnap Hinata," Neji explained. "Hiashi caught him and killed him. Kumogakure demanded Hiashi's body be turned over to them. They did all this because they wanted the Byakugan. Rather than give them Hiashi's body and essentially what they wanted, access to the Byakugan, Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, allowed himself to be killed and sent over instead."

"That's…that's harsh," Beki stared at the ground. "Like, holy crap."

"Hizashi…He was my father," Neji clenched his fists. "Konoha and Kumogakure were at war at the time. The head ninja was supposedly there for a peace treaty but it was just a farce."

"So you feel like your dad died for nothing?" Beki asked.

"No," Neji shook his head. "My father died for his brother and for the clan. He did it willingly. He did all of it for the right reasons." Neji closed his eyes. "But what led to his death, the Kumogakure ninja's treachery, the fact that they tried to kidnap a three year old girl and then got all offended and demanded a pound of flesh-"

"You're upset," Beki hugged her knees. "And completely understandably so. Now we're here, in the village that was behind the reason your dad died when you were so young, and it's forcing all this to the surface."

Neji shook his head and shuffled uncomfortably on the dirt. "You boil it all down to sound so simple."

"I get it, Neji," Beki looked over at him. "Orochimaru killed my mom because of our kekke genkai. He was trying to kidnap me. I grew up afraid for most of my life that one day I would walk into my room and he would be there, hiding in my closet or under my bed to snatch me up and take me away like he did my mom."

"I'm not afraid, Beki, not for myself anyway. Do you know why they sent Hizashi instead of Hiashi?" Neji lifted up his headband so she could see his seal. "You've been with our family long enough I can let you in on a secret. The branch family members are sealed. When we die, the Byakugan is destroyed." He let his headband drop again. "If I get taken, it is no matter. I will gladly die for my village and for my clan. But Hinata's here…"

"Let me take a guess: she doesn't know anything about this whole cover-up?" Beki asked.

Neji shook his head. "No. The Hyuga Affair is only known to high ranking officials in Konoha and the members of the family that were old enough to have been involved when it happened. I myself didn't find out about it until I was fourteen."

"Well," Beki put an arm around him. "Between you and me, any asshole who thinks he can mess with Hinata is gonna have a bad day. Kenji Hidiki tried to hurt Hinata on my watch and look what happened to him."

Neji sighed and leaned into her a little. "I suppose if I can trust her safety to anyone else, it's you."

"Speaking of which, we should get back," Beki clapped his back and stood. "Can't leave the Hyuga Princess unattended if we're her sentinels."

Neji sighed. "Thank you Beki. Can we keep all this between us? All of it?"

Beki blinked at him and then smiled. "Duh, dude. You've got enough blackmail on me at this point I pretty much have to just do what you say. On that note, let's get going."

As they walked back to the hotel, Neji felt strangely relieved. All he had done was talk to Beki. She had given him no precious wisdom, no poetic words of consolation; she had just listened. He had been able to share with her his most painful secret and she had accepted it all unquestioningly. Now that she was aware of what was going on it made Neji feel less alone. If he was having a rough time, or if he thought Hinata was in danger, all he would have to do was let her know and she would support him. Out of nowhere, Beki looped an arm of his shoulder and pulled, almost knocking him off balance.

"Get out of your head, worrywart," Beki grinned. "You're gonna have wrinkles at twenty at the rate you're going."

She kept her arm around him the rest of the way back, occasionally throwing her weight or pulling on him to try to set off his balance. She almost succeeded in a few of her attempts, forcing Neji to put an arm over her shoulder to stabilize himself. Admittedly, it successfully kept Neji from stewing on the whole situation. As the approached the entrance, they saw A small group standing outside the hotel. One of them, a shinobi about their age, spotted them first and his face instantly twisted into one of anger. He was average height, medium build, wearing a uniform similar to the one Beki's father had given her but in dark blue and with no crest on the back. He had brown hair and brown eyes under eyebrows thick enough to give Lee a run for his money.

"Hey asshole, what do you think you're doing?" The young man stalked over to them.

Beki rolled her eyes. "Daiske, this is my friend, Neji. Neji, meet Daiske."

Neji looked at Beki. "Is he one of your teammates?"

"The Getsu headband didn't give it away?" Beki knocked on her own forehead. Neji realized it was strange seeing Beki in full shinobi gear. She was usually in clothes that could just have easily been used as sleepwear. Here she was, with a headband, a kunai bag, and garments that might actually provide some protection in a fight. As he took his arm off her shoulder he noticed she was even wearing some padding.

"Are you wearing _decorative shoulder pads_?" Neji asked, and with the look of embarrassment that flew across her face he burst out laughing.

"They make me look tougher!" Beki socked him in the arm. "I don't make fun of your mermaid tail!"

"My what?" Neji blinked in confusion as she pointed at his hair.

"Any siren would kill for locks like this!" Beki grabbed a hunk and shook it. "It's f*cking beautiful!"

"Did…did you two just forget I was here?" Daiske grumbled. "Hey. HELLO. Sasaki Daiske. Team Honey." He held out his hand.

"Hyuga Neji," Neji shook his hand.

"Sorry about Daiske," Beki sighed. "He can't decide if he's our big brother or if he's in love with us."

"Us?" Neji looked over at the group as Beki waved one of them over. A child skipped over from the group and jumped up to hug Beki.

"Beki! I missed you so much!" The girl nuzzled into her neck. Neji knew Beki was an only child and the girl didn't look like she was related to Daiske. She had short cropped black hair and skin paler than Beki's. When the girl finally let go of Beki she turned her attention on Neji and he realized she was their age. The girl's eyes grew wide and she backhanded Beki's stomach. "Beks, is this your boyfriend?"

"No, Ren, this is one of my friends, Neji. I live with his cousin, Hinata."

Ren punched Neji's chest with the force of a toddler. "Good job keeping her out of trouble. I know what a fulltime job that can be."

"So where the hell is Kobayashi sensei?" Beki looked at her teammates.

"His wife just had a baby," Daiske folded his arms. "He's on paternity leave."

"Your uncle came along with us in his place. He's at the hotel bar or something." Ren waved dismissively.

"I'll go find him. You all get friendly," Beki gestured to the whole group. "We're gonna be together for a couple of months, so…yeah."

"Beki, wait up," Daiske chased after her as she walked in the hotel doors. "I haven't seen you for a year!"

Ren watched them go and turned her attention on Neji. "So _why_ aren't you her boyfriend?"

Neji gave her an odd look. "Excuse me?"

Ren rolled her eyes. "I saw how you were looking at her," Ren scooched up close. "And she's single. _PAINFULLY_ single. I tell you what, you're a hell of a lot better looking than a lot of the boys in Getsu, and based on the fact that of the girls you all brought with you from Konoha, your cousin is the hottest, I'd have to say you two are pretty evenly matched in that regard. You're taller than her, stronger than her, which," Ren laughed. "I can tell you she's beat up about seventy-five percent of the boys we grew up with, so that puts you in her league,"

Neji had started moving slowly towards the rest of the group. He was completely blindsided with the forwardness of this strange woman-child. While she was distracted with her tangent, Neji planted himself behind his teammates. When Tenten shot him a questioning look, he whispered "Hide me." Ren finally stopped talking after another minute and noticed he had snuck off. She searched until she made eye contact and then gestured "I'm watching you" and quietly joined the rest of the group.

As they finished making introductions, Beki and Daiske came running back out of the hotel. Beki unceremoniously pushed herself into the center of the group and popped a squat.

"Bek," Hinata blinked. "Beki, what are you doing?"

Daiske had put his arm around Lee and his other arm around Shino, bringing them together to block the door's view of Beki.

"When they said that they stationed the Getsu ninja here with the Konoha ninja, they didn't mention that they put ALL the Getsu ninja here," Beki hissed. "Team Hunter is here!"

"Team Hunter?!" Ren froze. "Shit. Shit shit shit!" She crawled into the huddle with Beki.

"Who's Team Hunter?" Kiba asked.

"That would be us," A female voice purred.


	37. Tsukimori Family Reunion

**Hi everyone! I'm excited to bring you the building action to the Kumogakure chunin exams where we will meet all the key players for this arc. I'm interested to hear your thoughts/reactions. I would also like to thank everyone who has been sending reviews and feedback my way. This is what happens when someone reviews/pms me:** **し(*・∀・)／ ＼(・∀・*) /. You are high fiving me virtually, and I think high fives are totally righteous and they make my day. When you're done reading this chapter, go high five someone. Pets are allowed. It is way too damn early in the morning for me to form coherent thoughts anymore, so enjoy the chapter. Ilu.**

* * *

A tall slender young woman stood before them, her skin so flawless and fair it could have been made of porcelain. Her hair was as white as fresh fallen snow and her vulpine jet black eyes pierced everyone with a knowing gaze. She was beautiful but unsettling, like a predator in a playroom. The girl offered them a friendly smile but it just as easily could have been mocking. The young man that was with her was so nondescript he made Shino look flamboyant. He wore a black beanie pulled low over his eyes, which wisps of black hair further obscured from view. His skin had a grayish, sickly hue. The rest of his clothes were black as well: a turtleneck, cargo pants, and a black jacket with the metal plate from his Getsu headband sewn into the left sleeve. He stood there as motionless and silent as a statue.

Daiske smiled at the girl. "Hey Yuu, how's it going?" Yuu's smile grew but it almost looked like she was baring her teeth at Daiske. "Daiske, honey. Where's the rest of the team?"

"They're, uh, they're around," Daiske tried to keep his face neutral.

"That's funny, because I swear I just heard Ren…" Yuu looked sideways at the center of the group where Beki and Ren were hiding. "I'm sure Haruka isn't far, either." Yuu looked up at the sky and sighed. "Shinichi isn't here, Haruka. He's having words with your uncle."

Beki sighed and pat Ren on the shoulder. "The jig is up." They stood and worked their way to the edge of the group.

"Yuu, Bo," Beki nodded at them and then folded her arms. "How are things?"

Yuu rolled her eyes. "You're going to have to do better than that. Introduce us to your friends."

"I don't see why she needs to. It's not like you're going to have anything to do with them," Ren folded her arms and leered at Yuu.

Yuu made a point of looking next to Beki then down at Ren. "Oh, Ren, I didn't even see you down there."

"Har har har, I'm short, yeah, we got it," Ren cocked her head. "Go ahead. Give me a reason. I've been wanting to exorcise your spooky ass for years."

"Calm down, Ren," Daiske gripped her shoulder. "We're all in the same hotel. We should just make nice."

"I don't have to make nice with anyone!" Ren stamped her foot. "I come from a long line of grouchy priestesses and I'll be damned if I have to play nice with someone who still plays with dolls!"

Daiske sighed and picked Ren up, tossing her over his shoulder fireman style. "Go ahead Beki. I'll go take her over there to calm down."

"NO ONE PUTS ME IN A CORNER!" Ren pounded on his back as Daiske led her away.

Beki cleared her throat, faced the Konoha ninja, and then pointed to the girl and the boy. "This is Yuu and Borei." She then began pointing to each of the Konoha shinobi in turn. "So this is Shino, Kiba, Akamaru, Hinata, Neji, Gai sensei, Tenten, and Lee."

Yuu's eyes lit up at the sight of Rock Lee. "You are just absolutely adorable." She reached over and cupped his chin in her hand. "That hair makes you look just like one of my dolls…"

"Oookay and that's enough touching," Beki took Yuu's hand off of Lee's face. "So now that the introductions are done I have to get going before Shinichi shows up."

"Don't be such a baby about it, Haruka." Yuu pat Beki's face. "Shinichi's just trying to do right by his family."

"Can we not air my dirty laundry in front of my friends, please?" Beki swatted her hand away. "And stop calling me Haruka."

"You mean to tell me you've been with these people for a year but you haven't told them anything about us?" Yuu shook her head. "You surprise me, Haruka. One would almost think you were embarrassed," Yuu tipped her head back and smiled at Beki down her nose. "Or guilty."

A tense silence fell between Beki and Yuu. The intensity mounted as each moment passed. Yuu leaned in closer to Beki, challenging her, and Beki responded by clenching her fists. Bo moved for the first time since his arrival by unfolding his arms. The Konoha shinobi watched intently and wondered if and when they should step in. Might Gai opened his mouth to call them out when a hand appeared on Yuu's shoulder.

"Alright then, I think that's enough posturing for today," the man said. "Shinichi is waiting for you two in your room." Yuu took a look at the man and sighed.

As she walked for the door with Bo, she patted Lee's face. Once they were out of earshot, Kiba shuddered. "She was one tall glass of creep." Lee was holding his face with an uncomfortable pout. "No one calls Rock Lee adorable."

The man gave Lee a warm smile. "Rub some salt on it. It'll feel better."

"Finally a face I want to see," Beki turned to the group. "This is my uncle, Tsukimori Yasahiro."

"I'm her dad's older brother. I'll be responsible for her and the rest of Team Honey and Team Hunter during this competition."

Yasahiro was tall but almost a full head shorter than Seiichiro. He was slimmer overall in his face and body and was clearly more of a scholar type. He had kind silver eyes and the same dirty blonde hair as Seiichiro but worn in a much tidier and more modern haircut.

"By the way, what's with those names? Hunter? Honey?" Neji asked.

"Each month has a special name for its full moon," Yasahiro explained. "Honey moon, Hunter's moon, Strawberry moon, Harvest moon, Crow moon, Winter moon, and so on."

"Team Blood is an all medic squad," Daiske said as he returned with a less inflated looking Ren.

"So now it's time for the next round of introductions," Yasahiro smiled at Beki. "Go ahead, Beks."

As Beki went around the group introducing everyone to her uncle, he smiled warmly and made a point of memorizing their names. He made a point of being especially polite and thankful to Hinata and Neji for watching over her.

"I can't tell you enough how grateful we are for you taking in our ragamuffin," Yasahiro smiled at them. "I know she's a handful but you all do so well with her. So are you two, what, twins?"

Neji shook his head. "No, Lady Hinata is my cousin."

"So Beks, their clan is old and convoluted like ours with an internal hierarchy, then?" Yasahiro nudged her.

"Yeah, but they aren't as backwards as we are." Beki sighed.

"That's good to hear." Yasahiro sighed. "So we're going to have to find a place big enough for all of us to eat in at once."

"We'll be okay," Beki took a step toward the Konoha shinobi. "If you keep Team Hunter off us we're happy to just hang out with the Konoha shinobi."

"We are?" Daiske blurted and Ren elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"You want to sit next to Bo while we eat? Or what about Yuu?" Ren hissed.

"Good point. Yeah, I'm good with the kid with the bowl cut." Daiske yanked Lee over to him.

"Does this mean we're friends?" Lee smiled at him.

"Uh, sure?" Daiske shrugged and Neji shook his head. Maybe this meant that Lee wouldn't spontaneously toss Neji around for once.

Yasahiro sighed. "Alright Beki, if you say so. I'll see you first thing in the morning. Try not to get into any trouble tonight. Your dad will skin me if you cause an incident here."

"I think the Raikage will skin me first," Beki smiled to her uncle's confusion.

…

"So what's your specialty?" Tenten asked Ren as spooned up some ramen broth.

"I am a sniper, through and through," Ren smiled and pulled out an arrowhead from her kunai bag. "This puppy is an explosive tip. If you connect on center body or one of the limbs, it's guaranteed to take them out of commission. You go for the head and they won't have much to send home to mom."

"Ren!" Daiske called from the table behind them. "We're eating!"

"STOP LISTENING THEN!" Ren turned her attention back to Tenten. "Egghead back there is our set up. He uses earth based ninjutsu to create protective barriers, control enemy movement, and create diversions and escape opportunities."

Beki's head sprang up from her bowl. "Daiske, did you remember your retainer?"

Daiske turned beet red as Kiba laughed at him. "Yes," He hissed.

"Because your mom will kill you if you lose it. You should probably just keep it in the room," Beki suggested as she picked up some noodles with her chopsticks.

This is absolute chaos, Neji thought as he watched all the tables sinking into disarray. Lee was trying to talk Daiske into a headbutt contest, Ren was telling some ghoulish story to Tenten, Gai sensei was trying to give life advice to Kiba and Shino, and the owner kept shooting them all dirty looks. The owner especially didn't seem to like Beki. The encounter with Team Hunter had put Beki in a bad mood and her hair had turned black. Twenty minutes later it had barely lightened at all.

"Beki, are you alright?" Hinata asked for the thirtieth time.

Beki sighed. "Yes, Hinata. I'm perfectly alright." She paused for a moment as she caught the disapproving gaze of the shop owner. "Is it just me or does that guy look at me like I burned his house down."

"Maybe you remind him of someone he doesn't like," Neji took a bite of his food. "Beki, I hate to pry, but why are you so desperate to avoid this Shinichi person?"

Beki gave him a look like she was about to tell him to mind his own business but then realization flashed over her eyes. Neji had just shared a deeply painful personal secret with her just an hour before. She sighed and looked at him and Hinata.

"Keep this between us. Ren and Daiske know but you two are the only other people in this crowd that could understand the situation," Beki pleaded. "His full name is Tsukimori Shinichi. His father is my dad's oldest brother and the head of the Tsukimori clan. Shinichi's dad was supposed to marry my mother, but she met my dad and fell in love with him and then they eloped. That caused a huge rift in the family and they would've disowned my dad if he hadn't landed a job for the King shortly after."

"So there's some bad blood between you?" Neji asked.

Beki shrugged. "It's complicated. He's a year younger than me and I've only ever been around him in the academy. He always lorded over me, saying he was the heir to the clan and I needed to do as he said. After we graduated he went on this big kick that we needed to get married to set a right the wrongs my parents committed."

"How would that fix things?" Hinata asked.

"He thinks that by marrying me it's the same as my mom having kept her promise and marrying his dad," Beki explained. "What I think is that arrangement was a bloodline thing. The Asou family kekke genkai was more consistently passed on and it maintained its strength through the generations. The Tsukimori, not so much."

"That's excessively complicated," Neji sighed.

"Tell me about it," Beki said through her noodles and Neji shot her a dirty look. She swallowed guiltily and continued. "The long and the short of it is my dad emasculated his dad and he wants payback. He's poisoned his son into thinking we have a superior attitude and that we're better than the clan. In a weird way, Yuu is right, Shinichi is just trying to fix his clan. And the only idea his deluded 15-year-old brain can come up with is to marry me."

"So what does Shinichi look like?" Hinata asked. "You know, so we can warn you if we see him coming."

Beki looked up from her bowl and her smile dropped off her face. She immediately turned her head away from the door and looked at the far wall. "The kid that just walked through the door. That's Shinichi."

Shinichi was fifteen but he was already as tall as his uncle Yasahiro. Just based on appearance he was strong and growing into his broad shoulders. His hair was darker than the other Tsukimori but his eyes were the same silver. He was handsome but his features were cold and cruel. His eyes immediately fell on Beki and his expression darkened.

"Are you going to keep avoiding me or are you going to come outside and talk like adults?" His voice was dangerously low and cut under the chatter in the restaurant.

Hinata put a hand on Beki's arm and Neji looked at her to see how she wanted to respond. Beki took a deep sigh, picked up her bowl of ramen and chugged down the broth. "Alright, Shinichi. Let's talk."

As she walked toward the door, Hinata gave her one more questioning look and Beki shook her head. I can't run forever, Beki thought. As soon as they were outside Hinata and Neji exchanged a look and both activated their Byakugans. Beki wasn't afraid of anyone and this guy had all but hunted her down.

…

The last time Beki had been alone with her cousin he had dislocated her arm. He had been off on one of his tangents, lecturing her, and she had tried to leave. He had grabbed her arm and yanked her back toward him. She still remembered the waves of electric pain that had exploded in her socket. He hadn't meant to do it, that's what she had told her dad over and over when he had threatened to go break his arms in retribution. He never apologized. It was like Shinichi thought that Beki was inferior to him and he had a right to injure her. Looking at him now made her shoulder throb. She put a hand over the joint and rotated it in its cuff.

"What do you want, Shinichi?" Beki tried to keep her tone measured but it still came out sharp.

"You never really were very good at small talk, Haruka." Shinichi cocked his head. "We'll work on that. It's a shame your time with your father hasn't prepared you for being a good matriarch."

"You're one to talk about small talk," Beki scoffed. "Right out of the gate you're starting off with that marriage bullshit."

"It isn't bullshit, it's your duty," Shinichi's tone was threatening. "Your father has shirked his duties to his clan and you've followed his example."

"Our duty is to our village first and then to our families," Beki corrected. "I guess someone who's never gone farther than their own backyard would have trouble with that kind of perspective."

Shinichi watched her silently as if considering striking her. "These exams serve as a proving grounds of not just skill but philosophies. We'll see if progressivism wins over tradition."

"Even if you win, I'm not going to marry you," Beki folded her arms. "So go ahead and get that idea out of your head before I knock it out."

Shinichi turned and began walking back to the hotel. About ten feet away he stopped and turned around, surveying her appearance. "Based on your black hair, I guess the rumors were true. I heard that you were able to unlock the secrets of your mother's kekke genkai," He said casually. "Do you know why the Asou went extinct, Haruka? Because they were overconfident and they didn't know how to be team players. Remember that on the battlefield."

…

When Beki came back inside she sat down at the table silently. Daiske and Ren exchanged looks with each other and then with Neji and Hinata.

"Beki-" Hinata put her hand on her arm and Beki shook it off.

"Not now," She said under her breath. Her hair was blacker than it was when she went outside and her skin had taken on a cold clammy appearance. Hinata knew that meant Beki was moments from going full Maiden. Beki's mood hung like a cloud over the room, hushing the conversations and killing the atmosphere. The shop owner looked downright uncomfortable now and kept looking at Beki like he was considering throwing her out.

"Beki you have to calm down," Hinata held her hand under the table. "Just take a couple breaths."

"You're right, some air sounds like a good idea," Beki stood up. "I'll meet you guys back at the hotel."

Hinata rose from her seat to follow her. "Wait, I'm coming, too."

"I don't need a damned entourage, Hinata," Beki snapped and then instantly regretted it. She looked around at the shocked and uncomfortable expressions of everyone around her and let out a groan of frustration. Embarrassed and angry with herself, Beki stalked out of the restaurant. Hinata went to follow her anyway but Neji grabbed her hand. "Let her have some space, Hinata."

It was hard to let her go but Neji was right. It had been over a year since Beki had seen these people. Issues she had never had a chance to resolve were all bubbling to the surface. When she came to Konoha, Beki had to adjust to the culture there, and here in Kumogakure she was rapidly having to readjust to her old culture. Hinata just wanted to comfort her and tell her she would be okay. Maybe on the way back to the hotel she could find a treat for Beki, Hinata thought. Something that would make her smile. Maybe Ren could help her.

…

Beki clenched her fists and bit her lip. If she cried in the middle of the street in Kumogakure she would never hear the end of it. How was she supposed to know this was the year her cousin would be here? That any of these people would be here? She knew that she had overreacted on Hinata but having to deal with Yuu and Shinichi on the same day made Beki feel like a sad little kid again. She remembered how Hinata had just been trying to help and how hurt she had looked when Beki barked at her. It was stupid and selfish and she had embarrassed herself in front of not only all the Konoha ninja but her teammates as well. That was a fine how do you do. Hey Daiske, hey Ren, I know I haven't seen you in a year but I'm just as emotionally unstable and immature as you remember!

Her uncle was outside the hotel smoking when he noticed her approach. Instantly he dropped the butt and put it out with the sole of his shoe. "What's wrong, Beks?" She tried to push past him but he caught her sleeve. "You ran into Shinichi, didn't you?"

Beki looked him in the eye and his look of concern was too much for her. The first wave of tears spilled over her lids and she sniffed hard. "Oh Beks, no. Don't cry." Yasahiro looked around and put an arm around her. "Come on."

He led her to his room and sat her down on one of the futons. "Just sit her a minute. I'll get us some tea."

After he was gone, Beki let out a few good sobs. She had gotten pretty good and getting it all out quickly. She just needed a few minutes of a solid cry and she could get over it. By the time her uncle came in with the tea she was drying her eyes on the hem of her shirt and deep breathing through the last of the sobs. He handed her the tea and she gave him a nod of thanks. She took a swig and the hot bitter liquid choked down the last of the lump in her throat.

"So let's talk strategy here," Yasahiro sat down on the futon next to her. "Shinichi's got in his head you're going to marry him."

"Yes," Beki took another sip. "And like hell that's ever going to happen."

"Right," Yasahiro sighed and thought for a moment. "So I'm guessing your dad hasn't told you a whole hell of a lot about how the band broke up, huh?"

"The band?" Beki gave him a strange look. "Do you mean the fight between him and uncle Daichiro?"

"Yeah, about that," Yasahiro inhaled sharply. "Your mom and dad didn't just elope, sweetheart. Your dad set out to break up the betrothal because Daichiro pissed him off. It just so happened your mother was a spiteful person and was totally game. So Daichiro challenges your dad to a duel for her hand, right? So your dad breaks back into the main house and steals the family armor from our dad's armor cabinet and shows up to the fight in it. Daichiro had been training with a kanabo since he was like, 3, so he thought he had it in the bag. Nope. Your dad disarmed him and beat him with his own weapon. He left Daichiro bleeding there and marched off into the sunset with his woman, his armor, and his kanabo."

Beki stared at him wide eyed. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not Beks," Yasahiro looked at her earnestly. "Your father should have been disowned a thousand times over. The shame of it almost killed our dad. Do you know why no one did anything about it, though? Because no one could stop him. Your father was the strongest, so by family law what he took became his."

Beki stared at her half full cup and watched the rippling in the liquid as the heater blew air across the surface in silence. Her dad hadn't told her any of that. She supposed everyone grew up thinking their parents were perfect. It was hard to accept that her father had been young once, and frankly it sounded like he was kind of a jerk.

"I know what you're thinking," Yasahiro chuckled. "But I'll tell you what, Daichiro had an it a long time coming. He was pompous, self-righteous, and he acted like your father and I were his minions because we were second and third born. Your dad quietly rebelled for years and probably would have kept undermining Daichiro in the little things if he hadn't met Yukihana."

"Was mom really that pretty?" Beki had seen pictures of her mom, and she was plenty pretty, but for them to fight over her like that she had to be something special.

Yasahiro looked away and started to say something then stopped. After a moment of reconsidering, he said. "Yes, she was very pretty. I'm starting to think maybe your father hasn't told you a lot about her either, but that's a story for another day." He tapped Beki on the nose and smiled. "The moral of this story is that if you want Shinichi to back down and stop bothering you, you're going to have to beat the shit out of him. Publicly. Wipe the damned arena with him. I hate to say it, but the one thing this family responds to is force."

Beki blinked. "This is not the advice I was expecting from you."

"What did you expect me to say?" Yasahiro laughed. "Make peace with him because you're his cousin? No, he's an asshole and he needs to go down."

Beki smiled. "That sounds like something I can do."


	38. Yukionna

**Hi Everyone! I'm really excited about this arc and I hope you enjoy some of the mythos I'm building about the Maidens. I promise there's more to come throughout this arc. That being said, thank you all so much for the feedback you have been sending my way. It's very encouraging, and I especially appreciate those of you who take the time to let me know what arcs, character and plot developments, etc you like the most. I take this stuff into consideration when I'm planning and it helps to know where I'm strong. One more note before I let you loose: I'll be on hiatus until sometime late next week. You can still contact me via PM and I'll still check my emails, but I'll be out of town and unable to access a real computer. Till next time and hope to hear from you all soon!**

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Beads of sweat trickled down Beki's spine as she watched the rise and fall of Hinata and Ren's chests as they breathed peacefully in their sleep. The room was stifling, or at least it was for Beki. The heater vent was pointed directly at her no matter how she adjusted in her futon. She was afraid if she got up and dragged the mat around it would wake up the other girls. They had stayed up so late talking with her. Beki had apologized to Hinata and told her and Ren about the plan she had come up with Yasahiro.

She was fairly sure she had dozed off for a little bit at some point, because she was wide awake. Her body was so alert it was like she had ice cold water dumped on her. Beki wished someone had doused her with cold water because then at least she wouldn't be sweating like a sinner in church. The night sky was brightening. It was near dawn. Giving up on getting any more rest that night, Beki rolled out of her futon and dressed herself with the silence and swiftness befitting a kunoichi. She tiptoed out the door and down the hallway. The hotel staff were all sleepily milling about but seemed to take no notice of her as she walked out into the chilly morning air.

The briskness that greeted her outside was refreshing and brought a sense of freedom at escaping the claustrophobic muggy hotel room. Beki opened her mouth wide and breathed like she was fogging up a window. Her breath steamed the air and she smiled. Beki loved the winter.

From all the years rolling into towns in the wee hours of the day with her dad over the years, Beki knew that there was always a place or two that catered to the early risers or the really late night owls. She stood in the middle of the abandoned street and took a deep whiff of the morning air. She smelled fresh bread baking and smiled. Beki followed her nose two streets over and found a bakery that locals were already trickling in and out of. There was a line of three people, all too sleepy to pay her much mind. When she reached the counter, however, the baker's smile melted into a poker face.

"Can I help you?"

There was not a touch of courtesy in his tone. Beki figured it was because she was a foreigner and they knew she would be competing in the exams. She ignored his tone and ordered herself a cup of coffee and a Danish. The baker made a point of setting it on the counter for her to pick up and not handing it to her the way he had with his other customers. Beki thanked him and walked out with a sigh. Only a month of this, Beki, and you can go home.

She went back to her favorite spot overlooking the mountain range. It was serenely quiet in that part of town, and the clouds were hanging low on the mountains so Beki was looking down on them from her perch. A small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. Today she was on top of the world. She ate her cheese Danish and sipped on her coffee while saying a silent thank you for not being able to sleep. Watching the sun crest the mountain peaks and light up the sea of clouds was surreal. Beki knew that moments like this were the ones that clung to you like lint on a sweater. Once you had them no one could take those kind of memories away.

She heard the kick coming and moved out of the way long before it had a chance to connect. Beki was up on her feet and faced her assailants with a kunai in hand. Three teenage boys, a little older than her, with their faces concealed behind masks stood before her.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Moonie," They spat. "You ask me, showing your face around here is cause enough to earn you a beating."

"I'm a competitor in the chunin exams," Beki said as calmly as she could manage given she had instantly gone from a pleasant morning to impending danger. "You guys are obviously Kumo shinobi. You start something with me, it'll make a lot of problems for your kage."

"Who gives a shit?" The shortest boy stepped forward. "If we toss your ass over the cliff people will just think it's an accident."

"I'm not going over that cliff," The cold familiar chill of her skin clamming up crept down her spine. She watched in cautious relief as the boys' faces changed from violent confidence to uncertainty. Maybe going Drowned Maiden would be enough to scare them off. Crying out for help was no good; it was obvious that she was unpopular in this neighborhood and anyone who showed up was just as likely to help her attackers as they were to rescue her.

Instead of getting scared off, they all lunged at once. They were angry so their strikes weren't very precise. It was short work for Beki to deflect them, however their rage gave them a ferocious strength and persistence she had trouble matching with so little sleep to support her. In moments they had her surrounded and were closing in. Her best bet was to take one of them down and make a break for it. The tall one was the least skilled of the three, so Beki lunged and took his knees out. Before he had even hit the ground she was running as fast as she could and the other two were after her.

They must be really angry, Beki thought. The two boys didn't even stop to check on their fallen comrade. She ran into a fork and headed left, figuring that the two would split up at the junction and give her a chance to blitz the one that was on her tail. The sun was barely up and Beki had already found herself in trouble. In a strange way, the adrenaline was giving her a clarity of thought she rarely experienced. Her mind was cold and detached from the danger she was in. Instead of panicking or thinking of solutions, she was already considering what precautions she would have to take the next time she went out.

There was a wagon up ahead. Beki dove behind one of the wheels so someone passing by could easily miss her. Her instincts had been correct. A few moments later, heavy footfalls approached her and immediately passed her, revealing one of her attacker's backs as he headed off down the street to look for her. Beki chuckled softly to herself once he was out of sight and stepped out of her hiding place. She sighed and shook her head as she turned to head back to the hotel.

The third boy was there. Beki had no idea how he could have found her or how he could have possibly snuck up on her undetected. He grabbed her shoulder in her moment of shock and pulled her toward the knife he held at his side. She subconsciously tensed in preparation of the blade parting flesh. Time slowed as her body followed the trajectory of the pull and beneath the throb of her blood rushing in her ears she heard a series of thwacks, like a hammer hitting meat. The thug instantly went slack and collapsed on the ground. Beki found herself stumbling over his collapsed form into Neji. He caught her arm and helped her regain her balance.

"Shit, Neji," Beki looked down at the thug, foam creeping out of his slack jaw. "Thank god you showed up. I don't know how he got the drop on me-"

The look he gave her instantly shut her up. Beki had seen the same face on her father before. It was a mix of anger, disappointment, and worry, wherein the danger had passed so the anger/disappointment combo outweighed the "I'm so glad you're okay" part.

"What were you thinking," Neji shook her by her arm and then released her. "Going off by yourself, not telling anyone where you were going, and wandering around an isolated location?! You're lucky I'm an early riser, Beki."

"Look, everything was fine till those jerks showed up," Beki motioned for him to start walking with her. They wouldn't want anyone seeing them with a KO'd Kumo shinobi. "I just got put between a rock and a hard place because I seem to be really unpopular around here and I was worried if I yelled for help it would make a bigger problem."

"First of all," Neji poked her in the sternum. "You aren't going anywhere alone again. Second of all, we can come up with some kind of signal. That way only our allies will know to respond."

"Like what, a bird call?" Beki furrowed her brow. "I can do a mourning dove, but that could just as easily be a real bird and not a distress call."

Neji thought for a moment. "Can you whistle?"

Beki gave a weak little whistle. Her dad could do entire operas whistling but the gene had somehow obviously missed her.

"That was pathetic." Neji gave her the side eye.

"Whistling is not an essential shinobi skill," She folded her arms defensively. "Isn't the point to be silent?"

"Here," Neji held up his fingers. "Do this."

Beki followed his lead in making an oval with her thumb and forefinger.

"Now put your fingers right underneath the tip of your tongue," Neji watched her. "No, all the way to the first knuckle. There you go."

"Wow whuh?" Beki hoped there were no more finger yoga moves.

"Just blow," Neji sighed.

Beki let out one shrill piercing note. Neji cringed initially but then sighed. "Good. That can be our signal. If you're ever in trouble, just whistle and I'll come running."

"You're a good teacher," Beki smiled. "My dad's been trying to teach me how to whistle worth a damn for years."

"I'm sure out of everything you've learned in Konoha, that will be your shining moment," Neji said with the straightest face he could muster.

…

The town was starting to get busier. The slow trickle of competitors and their chaperones over the last few days gave way to the influx of tourists eager to see the Kumogakure chunin exams. The hotels were practically spilling over and the first portion of the exam wouldn't even begin for another few days. Beki, the other Getsu nin, and the Konoha shinobi all had decided to camp out in their hotel and make as few trips into town as possible. Daiske had been picking up food for them and had creepy old women rubbing on him for luck. When the girls tried to make the food runs, they were met with similar unsettling encounters with the tourists.

Their hotel had a rooftop garden complete with comfortable chairs and warm blankets laid out for guests. The plants were all dormant and their skeletal fingers reached out toward the silvery sky, as pleading for warmth as the guests trapped under the hotel's roof. When they first checked in, the teams allowed each other into their space. They even gave in to mingling with one another. The young Konoha teams would hover around Team 8 and Team Gai to glean wisdom about the exams. Yuu would wander away from Bo and Shinichi to chat with the Konoha crew and Team Honey as well, however, the closer the date grew towards the first exam, the more space the teams tried to give one another. It was on the morning three days until the first test when Beki found herself completely ignored by the hotel staff after they had literally served everyone else on the deck.

At first she had just believed the strange and unwelcoming treatment she received from the locals was because she was an outsider. This theory was refuted time and time again at the hotel when staff would simply ignore her in favor of her peers. She was stewing on what reason they all could possibly have for despising her when Yasahiro walked up with two cups of coffee.

"Yasahiro," Beki gave him a quizzical look. "Why does everyone around here seem to want me dead?"

Yasahiro sighed, handed her the spare cup of coffee, and sat down on the chair next to her.

"I guess it's time we had that talk about your mom."

Beki sipped on the coffee and rotated in her seat so she was supporting herself on the arm closest to her uncle. She had a feeling this would be a long story.

"So your mom was a rising star on the shinobi scene in Getsu. She was raised at the shrine and had been trained with the intention of making her head priestess when she came of age," Yasahiro began.

"Then how did she become a kunoichi?" Beki asked. "You're supposed to start at the academy at five, so if she was a young woman then how-"

Yasahiro held up his hand. "Do you want me to tell you the story or not?"

Beki sighed. "Go on,"

Yasahiro cleared his throat and continued: "During the last shinobi war, many of Getsu's able bodied shinobi were on the mainland participating in the conflict. That unfortunately left us open to raiding parties from the coast. Ships were raiding the coastal towns from the mainland because they believed we had great treasure amassed in the capital."

"Which is not true," Beki adjusted in her seat.

"They didn't know that, though," Yasahiro nodded. "So they had cleaned out most of the coastal towns and were on their way toward the capital. They had to go through the mountain pass near the Village of Gods and Demons, and in doing so, they had to go by the shrine. All the priests and priestesses wanted to do was pray. Your mother apparently decided it was her job to stop the raiders."

Beki shook her head. "Wait. She was a priestess in training. How was she going to do that?"

"Your mother had been born completely attuned with and in control of her kekke genkai," Yasahiro explained. "Not only that, she demonstrated an evolved form of the Drowned Maiden never before seen: she didn't just manipulate water, she controlled ice and snow."

Beki sat expectantly for him continue. She knew her mother had been an ice user but she hadn't thought to connect it to their kekke genkai. It was interesting that her mother had an evolved form of the Drowned Maiden but that gene hadn't passed on to her. Maybe it was because Beki's father was firey in nature, so fire plus ice equaled water.

"The confirmed kill count was 52," Yasahiro whirled the coffee in his mug. "They only found one of the raiders alive, huddled in a cave. He talked about a sudden snowstorm overtaking the men, and a beautiful maiden dancing and singing in the snow. When they approached her, her hair turned white and she turned them all to solid ice with a touch."

Beki stared into her cup. "What did they do with the ice men?"

Yasahiro sighed. "Nothing. Your mom smashed them with a ceremonial naginata and danced on them. That's how the cavalry found her: a beautiful shrine maiden singing and dancing among the frozen remains of a small army."

Beki stared at him wide eyed. He couldn't be talking about her mom. Beki remembered Yukihana; she had kind eyes and a sweet singing voice. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful and danced like flowers on the wind. She had rocked Beki to sleep and always held her hand like she was afraid Beki would fall through the earth without it. Yasahiro took her silence as an invitation to keep talking.

"The priests and priestesses were horrified and frightened by her power, so she was cast out of the shrine," Yasahiro said. "Fortunately, the king was very impressed by her prowess and instated her as a shinobi on the spot. Your father had volunteered to be her mentor, to teach her about the ways of a Getsu shinobi-"

"And to keep an eye on her?" Beki asked.

Yasahiro nodded. "That especially."

"So how does that relate to how people treat me in Kumogakure?" Beki pressed.

"Well," Yasahiro sighed. "Your mother and father participated in the chunin exams here…" His voice trailed off and Beki's eyes grew wide with realization.

"Please don't tell me my mother was dancing on frozen corpses during the chunin exams?"

Yasahiro looked off to the side. "She was juggling their heads."

Beki's jaw dropped and she shook her head. "No. You're messing with me. My mom would never-"

Yasahiro put a hand on her shoulder. "I know this all comes as a shock to you, especially because this is the first you've heard of it."

"My father would have told me if my mother was a homicidal sociopath-" Beki realized she had raised her voice. She was catching unwanted attention from the other guests on the roof, so she dropped her voice low before she continued: "I know my mom broke up the family or whatever but she wasn't a bad person. It was love-"

Yasahiro held up a hand for her to wait. "Beki, you asked me why the people in Kumogakure treated you the way they did. That's the answer. Your mother fought in the chunin exams here and slaughtered their sons and daughters and shamed their village during their own exams. Not a single one of their competitors made it to the third portion. Hardly _anyone_ made it to the third portion."

"Did she win then?" Beki asked. "If she was so devastating, she won, right?"

Yasahiro shook his head. "No. Your father shut her down. He was probably the only person who ever lived who could have stopped your mother on a rampage."

"Except Orochimaru," Beki kicked at the deck.

Yasahiro chuckled. "We never did find the body."

Beki shot him a look and he shut up. He had said too much. He sighed and tried to redirect the conversation.

"Look, think of it this way: Your mother was the absolute best. Orochimaru didn't go after stray sheep, he went after the most promising shinobi. Your mother earned herself a few titles at those exams, some of which you'll still get a shudder out of the locals if they hear them: Snow Witch, Yukionna, Bloody Priestess-"

Beki waved her hand. "I get it. I get it. Thank you for enlightening me as to why everyone in Kumogakure wants to toss me in a wood chipper. My mom was a murderess."

"That's a matter of perspective, really," Yasahiro leaned back in his chair. "Your mother's performance was like nothing Getsu had ever put out before. As shameful as it was for a militaristic village like Kumogakure to be beaten in their own games, it brought a ton of clients to Getsugakure. She was in the Bingo Book for a while, you know."

Beki stared into the dregs of her lukewarm coffee. She took one last swig, swallowing the bitterness with a grimace. "So what do I do?"

Yasahiro gave her a sly smile. "There's more than one way to glory, you know. Your mother recognized that. Remember our plan to help you get Shinichi off your back once and for all? You could do well to take a page out of your mother's book."

Beki shook her head and gave him an irritated look. "Can you stop talking in riddles? This conversation has worn through my patience."

"Your cousin is the noble heir of the Tsukimori clan, the undisputed firstborn son of the patriarch," Yasahiro smiled. "Why try to out Tsukimori him when you can make a name for yourself where you would be uncontested?"

Beki was having trouble seeing his point. She rolled her wrists to let him know to get to the point.

"Go full Asou," Yasahiro explained. "Your mom, people were terrified of her. She would walk down the street and smile at someone and they would run home. Bars would clear out when she sat at the counter. People have a sick fascination with things they're afraid of, look at those creeps who study serial killers. No one has seen an Asou fight for more than ten years. They may not be rooting for you but people will come to see you fight, and if you win you can hop on that infamy train your mother rode to success."

"So be an asshole and kill as many people as possible," Beki gave him the side eye. "Pass, thanks."

Yasahiro shook his head. "Your mother was mean, spiteful, bitter, and cruel. You are not any of those things. But the psychological warfare she played, you are capable of that. On the full moon, she would go out and dance where everyone could see her for luck. They thought she was invoking dark spirits or something. Go Drowned Maiden as much as possible. Be a scary little baby priestess."

Beki sighed. "I don't know how to do that," Beki sighed. Yasahiro squeezed her shoulder.

"Could you try?"

Beki looked into her uncle's eyes. They were like her father's but they lacked the dark circles and the general exhaustion that robbed them of their sparkle.

"Okay. I'll try."

He smiled. "Alright, sport. I'll do what I can to help you along. This old man might have a few good tricks left up his sleeve."

Beki cocked her head. "Why are you helping me and not Shinichi? He's the clan heir, right?"

Yasahiro sighed. "Because deep down you are a good person. You're stronger than people give you credit and you have your priorities straight. Shinichi is the prince of his own little delusions and wouldn't know common sense if it slapped him across the face."

Beki smiled. "Thanks, Yasahiro. So what should I do when the staff ignore me around here?"

"Smile at them, as big as you can," Yasahiro's eyes sparkled mischievously. "That always worked for Yukihana."


	39. Chunin Exams pt 1

**Hi everyone! I am back from my week-long hiatus! Tallman tells me I can't really call that a hiatus, but it is what it is. For those of you who messaged me/reviewed for me while I was gone, thank you, and I tried to get back to you all once I regained access to a computer. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I look forward to hearing what you all think!**

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The genin huddled around the entrance to the mine doing their best not to look as cold and miserable as they felt. It had been raining earlier, the crosswind making the drops feel like tiny icy daggers. The temperature had dropped low enough now that the rain had become a flurry of snowflakes, so the soaked genin were now starting to freeze over in their damp clothes.

Beki stared into the gaping maw of the mine entrance. It was wide enough for two grown men to walk in side by side, but only tall enough for children to walk in without crouching. The group of competitors had been separated into sets of four and led to their own mine entrance. Even though they were a good fifty feet from the entrance, Beki caught herself longing for that temperature controlled darkness. There would be no wind in the caves, so even though the temperature would be cool, it would be much warmer by comparison. Ren's hair flapped around her face viciously in the wind. She was doing her best to keep on her war face but she had to spit out her hair four times already. After another gust whipped her with her own hair, she swore violently and rammed wads of her hair on either side of her ears on top of her head and gracelessly pinned it down with a barrette. She looked like an angry toddler who had tried to do their own hair. In spite of the solemnity of the task ahead Beki caught herself chuckling.

One of the Konoha teams was going to be heading in with them. They were shaking in the cold but kept up impressive game faces. In any other situation Beki would have comforted them or tried to help them out, but during the chunin exams it was best to act like you were out in the field for real. She didn't want them to grow up thinking every Getsu shinobi they ever met would be so accommodating.

Another group that was heading in with them were Iwagakure shinobi. Beki had heard plenty eavesdropping on conversations in Konoha to know that they were fairly ruthless and there was lots of bad blood between them and the Leaflings. The way they looked at the kids made her nervous, but once again it was not her battle to fight. One of the Iwa shinobi turned and sized up Team Honey. He turned to his comrades and said something that made them laugh. Daiske shuffled uncomfortably. He caught Beki's concerned look and shook his head.

"It's got to be what it always is," He smiled uncomfortably. "Look, there's a team with two girls and a boy, so the boy has to be the girl. You two are more man than me, blah blah blah."

"Keep your game face up, Daiske," Beki slapped him on the back. "They talk shit because they've never seen us fight."

He gave her another melancholic look. "You know they put us all together because I have three sisters and I'm used to henpecking."

Ren shot him a dirty look and pinched him. "No, stupid, they put us together because you are the glue that holds the team together. Without your setup, Beki wouldn't get the openings she needs and without your protection I could never successfully snipe."

Before he could reply, the Cloud ninja proctoring their group shouted for their attention. "Alright, listen up. The first portion of the exam is going to take place here in the mine. I'll lead you in to the area where the shafts split and set you all loose. Your objective is to locate a scroll left somewhere in your shaft and then bring it to the Cloud ninja on the other side," He explained. "This test is to measure your perseverance and wherewithal in sensory deprived environments."

"This sounds too easy," Ren whispered as she shook her head. "It's giving me a weird feeling."

"What should we do, then?" Daiske asked.

"We'll be in those shafts, so you're probably best to take the lead," Beki said. "Be ready to put up a wall at any moment. Ren will stay in the middle and I'll cover our six in case we're blitzed."

Daiske sighed and then centered himself. "Got it."

The proctor led them in. Beki made a point of squeezing Team Honey between the Iwa shinobi and the Leaflings. The fourth team were Cloud shinobi that hung to the back. Of course they would, Beki thought. They've got the home court advantage. After the initial drop from the small entrance, they found themselves in a mine shaft about six feet high and four feet wide. At points, rock outcroppings and scaffolding narrowed the available width of the tunnel. The floor was a treacherous combination of gravel pockets and slippery stone. It was pitch black inside; the lantern light from the proctor only gave them about three feet of visibility.

If I use any water jutsu in here I think I'd drown us all, Beki thought. There was no visible ventilation or drains of any kind. That gave Beki the impression that this space wasn't some specially designed space for chunin exams and may have at some point actually been a mine. Beki was not comforted by that thought; mines were notoriously unstable. She stole a glance at Ren and Daiske. Daiske had recovered nicely and was doing a good job ignoring the Iwagakure ninja cracking jokes about them only a few feet ahead. Ren, on the other hand, was looking more frazzled than before. Beki figured the cockamamie hairdo didn't help but her friend looked downright worried.

"I'm useless in here, Beki," Ren caught her eye. "How the hell am I supposed to help in here? I don't even know if I can draw my bow." She gestured to the narrow walls. "And I don't wanna be throwing around shuriken in kunai in here if I can't see that I'm not going to be hitting one of you."

Beki squeezed her shoulder. "Just be our spotter. You sense anything, you see anything, you let us know. Let Dai and I deal with it."

Ren looked down at Yukihana's gauntlets on Beki's wrists. "Can you even use those?"

Beki nodded. "I can get nice and personal with these and I can't be disarmed."

"Okay," Ren sighed and nodded but the worried look didn't dissipate. "It's hard to breathe in here."

After a few more feet of stumbling in the darkness the tunnel opened up and the group found themselves in a room carved from the stone. It was about ten feet at its widest point and had five sides and each wall had an archway. The proctor waved for them all to come in close.

"Each team with position themselves at each of the archways-"

Ren perked up. "Do you hear that?"

Beki opened her mouth to ask Ren what she had heard when the room started shaking. The proctor stopped talking and looked around in surprise. "Cave in! Everybody out!"

Suddenly all the bodies in the room were in motion as they tried to make their way out of the collapsing shaft. Beki looked at the swarm of bodies flailing to get back through the entrance. She grabbed Daiske and Ren and pulled them back toward the center of the room.

"What are you doing?!" Daiske yelled. "We have to get out!"

"There's no way we'll make it out that way," Beki motioned to the narrow entrane. "There's a way out at the end of each of these tunnels."

Ren nodded. "She's right. I'd rather die with a fighting chance than getting trampled in an overcrowded tunnel."

Daiske sighed and shook his head. "Alright, pick a tunnel, quick."

Ren looked at the tunnels and narrowed her eyes. "That one," She pointed at the second tunnel from the left. "I think it's brighter than the others."

Team Honey ran down the archway, leaving the cries of panic behind them.

"God I hope you guys are right," Daiske cried as he ran blindly ahead of them in the darkness.

After a few dozen feet Beki's foot caught a rock wrong and she lost her balance. She ate it and fell forward into Daiske, taking him down with her. They landed with an oomph and Ren almost ran right over them.

"Are you okay Dai?" Beki said as Ren blindly yanked her to her feet.

"Yeah," He grunted as he pushed himself onto his hands and knees. "This sucks. I don't have a light in my kit."

"I hope they don't have any more surprises down these tunnels," Ren sighed. "It doesn't feel like this tunnel is unstable. Maybe we'll be okay if we go slow."

Beki held up her hand and used the illumination jutsu her father taught her. The narrow tunnel was cast in a soft blue glow. It made them all look like ghosts, but they could see.

Ren smiled. "So you have been training."

Beki beamed back sheepishly. "Told you so."

…

The blue flame illuminated several feet in front of them but every turn Team Honey met was fraught with anxiety. They would slow down, approach the corner, and then quickly clear the tunnel. There was never anything there. After they had proceeded about five hundred feet through the tunnel, Daiske stopped and picked up something half submerged in the gravel.

"Look at that," He grinned. "The scroll."

"Let me take a look at it," Ren took the scroll and examined it. "This paper is flimsy as shit. If you sneeze on it this thing will disintegrate."

"That can't be a good thing," Beki crept forward through the tunnel. "I wonder if they'll let us continue on if that thing gets damaged."

Daiske sighed. "The plot thickens."

…

The first trap caught them completely unawares. A trapdoor had been set in the floor of the tunnel and covered in gravel. As Daiske walked through the tunnel, he sprang the trap door and plunged into a shaft full of ice cold water. There was a crunch as his body broke the thin layer of ice that had formed on top.

"Daiske!" Ren hollered. "Are you okay?!"

Daiske surfaced, his teeth chattering. "Shit it's cold. I'm okay, but I'm going to slip into hypothermia if I'm not out of here soon."

"Stay back, Ren," Beki took some rope out of her kunai bag. "This is probably set up to ruin that scroll."

Ren nodded and receded into the tunnel. Beki lowered the rope to Daiske and tied it around her waist, then turned so that the rope went over her shoulder down into the shaft. "You secure?" Beki yelled down to him.

"Yeah, the line's set," Daiske had the line tied around his waist. If Beki could just hoist him a few feet he could probably jump for the edge.

Beki pulled on the rope with all her strength as she walked away from the trapdoor with effort. She silently thanked her father for putting her through so much strength training with the kanabo; without it, Daiske would be hopeless right now. Once he had cleared the top of the trapdoor, the girls stood guard at either end of the tunnel while he undressed and squeezed out his clothes.

"You okay?" Beki stared into the blackness before her.

"Well, I'm just damp now," Daiske shuddered. "I hope we'll get to the end soon, though. "I could catch pneumonia."

Ren let out a small gasp. "Do you have all your gear?"

Beki heard Daiske patting around himself. "Looks like it. My stash of gunpowder's trash, though."

"You didn't lose your retainer in there, did you?" Beki turned and gave him a concerned look.

Daiske shot her a look and shook his head. "I didn't bring my retainer down here. Why do you two always bring up my damn retainer?!"

"Because you don't have headgear anymore so we can't tease you about that," Ren walked forward in the tunnel, careful to avoid the trapdoor. As she passed her damp teammate, she gave him a wry smile. "Come on Daiske. Let's get you out of here."

…

The next few traps were treacherous: a bridge that collapsed and a wall that shot out senbon. The bridge had collapsed after Daiske had cleared it. As Ren and Beki fell into the darkness, Ren grabbed onto Beki, who extended the claws in the gauntlets and caught them in the sides of the pit. The claws weren't strong enough for Beki to climb up with, so Ren had shot an arrow in the dark above them with the rope attached. Daiske had caught the arrow and pulled them up to safety one at a time.

The wall of shooting senbon Ren had triggered accidentally when she had ran ahead and stumbled in the darkness. The needles had covered the opposite wall in a polkadot pattern that would have been guaranteed to take at least one of them down.

"Damn," Daiske blinked. "They're pretty serious about this."

"This ain't no graduation exam," Beki picked Ren bodily up off the floor. "They don't mind a few casualties."

It was only a few hundred feet later when they caught sight of the exit. Beki smiled but then sobered herself. It could be another trap, after all. Ren sniffed the air. "It's the real deal. That's our way out."

Team Honey carefully made it's way up to the tunnel's exit. It was set five feet off of the ground and was an opening so small they would have to crawl out of it. They sent Ren out first, then Daiske gave Beki a boost, and then the girls pulled him out together. The Kumo shinobi who stood guard by the exits looked at them passively.

"Do you have the scroll?"

Ren reached into her shirt and pulled out the scroll, completely undamaged. He nodded at them and then gestured to a flat outcropping of rock behind him where the other teams were resting. Ren blinked. "So that's it? That was the first part of the test? Working our way through tunnels?"

The Kumo shinobi sighed, as though he had to explain this to every participant that made it out and he was sick of it. "A shinobi will face many challenges, which will make the mission seem impossible. On a real mission, you can't give up and go home if things get rough. You have to press through to the end."

"So the tunnel collapse was staged," Daiske shook his head. "Well, go team, we did it."

"Do you have any blankets?" Beki asked at the sight of her shaking teammate. The kumo ninja jerked his head toward the rock again. "They're over there."

Beki saw that the Kumo ninja in their group had made it through the tunnels, and so had the Iwagakure shinobi. She hoped that the Konoha ninja had just been disqualified for turning back and hadn't been claimed by the tunnels. Ren helped Daiske get wrapped in a blanket.

"Oh, Daidai, did you fall for one of the traps?" Yuu's voice cut through the low chatter of the competitors. Daiske rolled his eyes.

"Hi Yuu, good to see you made it through."

Yuu smiled at them. "Why don't you guys come sit with us? Solidarity between teammates from the same village and all that."

Beki and Ren let out twin groans and followed Yuu over to the rest of Team Hunter. Ren and Daiske sat on either side of Beki, although their intervention was unnecessary. Shinichi had his back to the group and was staring up at the setting sun. Bo sat beside Yuu, however her was as statuesque and unresponsive as ever. Only she looked at them and forced them into conversation.

"They said they're going to bring us food," she gestured toward the proctors. "I guess we're expected to hop right into the second portion after this."

"Without any rest?" Ren blinked. "Is that legal?"

"Sweetheart, this is their chunin exams," Yuu smiled. "They can do whatever the hell they want. For most of us, that test was a cakewalk," She shot the shaking Daiske a mocking look and he glowered at her. "I'm just giving you a hard time, Daiske. I want us all to make it to the third portion. That way Getsu is almost guaranteed a winner."

Silence fell between them again. Yuu tried to pry more conversation out of them but Team Honey was exhausted and needed to conserve their strength. True to their word, about twenty minutes later proctors came through the tunnels with large bentos for each of them. The teams mostly ate in silence. After all the empty boxes had been collected, the proctor that had met them at the exit stepped forward and clapped for their attention.

"So here's what's going to happen. We're going to lead you guys further down the mountain. Proctors will lead each team to a different opening in the mountain. Each team will receive only one kind of ration: food or water. It will take you about three days to navigate through the caves, so that's how much of your resource you will receive. You can either try to survive on what you have, or you can take resources from another team."

"Shit," Beki said under her breath. The team that received water would be fine; it was uncomfortable but not debilitating to go hungry for a day or two. The team that got food, however, would almost have to assault another team for their water. After twenty-four hours without water, cramping and headaches set in and it went downhill every hour thereafter. Ren and Daiske both paled. They had figured out the ration problem, too.

As they prepped to go down in the caves, the proctors let each team keep a blanket. The snow hadn't let up, so exposure would be an issue even down in the tunnels. Beki felt the cold biting at her ears and her nose and Ren's whole face had gone pink and wind chapped. The proctor that approached them was the same one that had taken them down into the caves for the first portion. He had a backpack on and made no effort at making conversation with them.

The anxiety mounted as they hiked slippery mountain trails. Ren lost her balance and Beki caught her hand to stabilize her. Long after they had passed danger, Beki held on to Ren's hand, who would occasionally give her a squeeze of reassurance. After another ten minutes of hiking, they reached a cave entrance that looked suspiciously like a mouth. The proctor set down his backpack and took out three flasks and a flare. Beki closed her eyes and let out a small prayer of thanks. Their team had water.

"Now you may think this is a good thing," The proctor said as he gave them their flasks. "But this will put targets on your backs down there. Be smart. You won't ever see them, but there will be Kumo proctors in the caves. If you want to surrender, fire this flare and one of them will come to escort you out. This is forfeiting, of course, so only do it if you're dying or desperate."

That was all the advice he gave them before he shooed them into the caves. Team Honey's footsteps crunched through the snow that had aggregated toward the entrance.

Ren stared into the darkness ahead. "Beki, this is bad."

"It's fine," Daiske took off the blanket and wrapped her in it. "It just looks spooky is all."

"No, Daiske," Ren looked at him, her eyes bulged with fear. "This place feels like death is close by."

Daiske continued to utter reassurances but Beki kept quiet. She could feel it, too. Her dad had told her that some mountains have a lot of metal in them, which does weird things with magnetism, like make compasses spin ominously. He also told her that because there is so much electricity in people's bodies, sometimes this phenomenon would make them feel strange or have a sense of foreboding. Beki prayed that was all this nagging sensation was; that it was iron in the rocks making her hair stand on end and chills creep down her spine. That's what she told herself it was, but her instincts knew better. Blood would be spilled here.


	40. Chunin Exams pt 2

**It's 3 AM here and I am neglecting responsibility in the spirit of taking the inspiration when it finds me. Much writes, many tireds. Such enjoyment.**

* * *

The Kumogakure shinobi clearly expected them all to go after each other. By the end of the first night, Team Honey had encountered no other shinobi and no traps. They found a wide niche in the wall that gave way to a small chamber where they set up camp. It would be easily missed from the main tunnel as long as they didn't use a light. The three huddled close together to share the blanket, Daiske and Beki on the outsides and Ren in the middle. They agreed to sleep in shifts with Beki on first watch.

Within minutes the other two were fast asleep. Beki watched as they slowly shifted in their sleep until they were a pile of bodies. Ren had her head on Beki's lap and Daiske's head was on Ren's stomach. God help me if someone comes in here, Beki thought. I'm pinned.

It was comforting to be back with her team again in spite of the nerve wracking circumstances. As much as Beki had come to appreciate and understand the Konoha ninja her age she had less trouble communicating with Ren and Daiske. Just like she had told Hinata, they had fallen back into their old patterns. They didn't question each other, they acted and reacted as a unit. For the first time since they entered the caves, Beki smiled to herself. There was a chance they would make it out of this okay after all.

The rest of the night went uneventfully. Daiske said while he was on watch he had heard a team move by quickly, clearly unaware of their presence. He also reported they sounded distressed.

"Must've been a 'food' team," Ren yawned. "I know that would be my first priority- get some water. Speaking of which," She took a swig.

"I hope these mushrooms are all through the caves," Daiske pointed at a cluster of phosphorescent mushrooms that cast a soft green glow through the tunnel. "This is bright enough we can see with it."

"That would be nice," Beki agreed. "We should get going, thought. The more time we're moving the faster we get out of here."

"The more likely we are to run into competition," Ren sighed. "I really hope we don't run into anyone in here."

"I don't mind 'anyone'," Beki said. "I'm worried we'll run into Team Hunter."

Ren gave her a confused look. "But Yuu said its better if both teams make it out."

"Isn't that what you would tell a team you want to take down?" Daiske asked. "I'm worried about Bo especially. That bastard bleeds into the background in broad daylight. It's like a freaking playground for him in here. He could be right behind me juggling and no one would notice."]

Beki sighed and nodded. "Let's get going."

…

After a few moments of hesitation, Team Honey entered a wide cavern full of stalagmites and stalactites. They had heard no movement for several minutes so they decided it was safe to proceed. They kept to the sides of the cavern but after a few feet Daiske yelled "BOMB" and put up a terra wall jutsu. Beki and Ren ducked as the wall of earth absorbed most of the blast, raining bits of earth around their heads.

"They're coming," Ren whispered with a hiss. "I'm going to find a position."

Beki nodded and extended her claws. She scraped them together so the metal sang, covering Ren's movements.

"Look what we caught in our little trap," It was one of the Iwa shinobi from their group in the first portion of the exam. Beki could hear Daiske gritting his teeth.

"They're Iwa, Beki," He whispered. "My earth jutsu is garbage next to theirs. They could collapse this whole damned room on us if they wanted."

"Shh," Beki held up her hand. "Counter them as best you can. I'm going full Maiden."

Daiske gave her an unsure look but nodded.

Beki stepped forward and Daiske followed her hesitantly. Anxiety and adrenaline intermixed, sending chills down Beki's arms and up her neck, making her feel simultaneously alive but in fear of her life. In the darkness, Beki's transformation was unnoticed by the Iwa shinobi.

"Hey, it's those cute little Getsu ninja from before," The shortest one called out. He was maybe two years older than them. "Its funny, seeing a team of two girls and a boy. Then again, this one looks like she might have balls bigger than his." He said as he jerked a thumb at Daiske. His teammates laughed.

"So where's your baby?" The girl called out. "The tiny one with the bad haircut? Did da wittuw won get scawed and wun away?"

She ambled up to Beki, calling out with exaggeration. "Baby? Oh baby? Come on out. Maybe if you asshats hand over your water we'll leave you to dehydrate in here."

"Or we could be even nicer and just slit your throats?" The leader smiled cruelly. "Death has got to be better than being a shinobi of the Moon. Are you three the best they had to send?" He laughed.

The girl got within spitting distance of Beki.

"Cover your ears, Daiske," Beki said under her breath. He backed up and put his hands over his ears like earmuffs with a look of uncertainty. She also caught sight of Ren moving around on the stalagtites behind the leader. All Beki would need to do was to take these two down; Ren would be able to pick off the leader the second Beki lit the place up.

"Well," Beki said low to the girl. "You're right. There are some things that are worse than death,"

"What's she saying?" The short one scooched closer until he, too was in range.

"She's trying to be all scary," The girl smirked. "She says some things are worse than death."

"Oh," the short one walked up until he was next to his teammate, spinning a kunai threateningly. "So what's worse than death, Moonie?"

"Me." Beki lit the blue fire in her hands, knowing the soft eerie blue light it cast would make her Drowned Maiden appearance more horrifying. The color drained right from the Iwa ninja's faces as Beki gave them a big, terrible grin, her milky white corpse eyes following Ren as she knocked her bow.

Beki let out an ear piercing shriek that reverberated in the cavern, forcing the two Iwa shinobi in front of her to cover their ears and retreat. It also covered the soft thwap of Ren's arrow piercing their captain through his heart. He was dead before he hit the ground.

All at once, the ambush had gone terribly wrong. The remaining Iwa shinobi caught sight of their dead captain and looked up to see Ren scrambling through the stalagtites out of sight, like a monkey through the trees. The girl immediately began forming hand signs. Daiske recognized the jutsu she was about to use and began to form the hand signs to counter it.

The Iwa kunoichi's attempt to skewer Beki came in the form of stalagtites falling from the ceiling. Daiske's stalagmites arched and crisscrossed over Team Honey's heads, forming a tent that absorbed the blows of the falling rocks. As the kunoichi and Daiske exchanged jutsu, the shorter boy was trying to revive his fallen teammate.

"He's dead, Aki," The girl screamed at him in fear and anger. "Just leave him. We have to go!"

"We can't just leave him!" Aki yelled back, his eyes filling with tears. "We can't leave him down here!"

Beki walked towards them with her claws extended. Aki tried to hoist their leader over his back but he struggled with the awkward dead weight. The girl was clearly panicking and waffled between helping the medic and fleeing. Beki scraped her claws together again and the Iwa kunoichi kicked over the medic and fled for the door. There was no shriek to cover the wet thwack as Ren's arrow found its mark and another Iwa shinobi fell down dead. Beki stood over the medic as he cowered, his back pressed up against a stalagmite.

"Your team is dead," Beki leaned down so he could see her face clearly. "You have two choices right now."

Ren was pulling the arrow out of the kunoichi. The Iwa ninja let out a little whimper and closed his eyes. Beki slapped him. "I want you to look at me."

He opened his eyes and looked up at her, pure terror filling his eyes with tears.

"You can hand over your team's resources and fire your flare, or," Beki held up the gauntlets so the claws glimmered in the soft light. "I can send you off to follow your friends."

"N-no," He cried. "T-t-take it. Take the food. Just, just give me the flare. I'll, I'll fire the flare."

He pointed at the kunoichi. "Mizu had it…"

Ren reached into Mizu's kunai pouch and pulled out the flare. She tossed it in the darkness and Daiske caught it. He held it out for the Iwa ninja to take it. He closed his eyes and sobbed quietly as he fired off the flare. Beki wanted to watch its arc, to see how tall the cavern was, but she didn't dare take her eyes off him. That was how shinobi got killed, allowing themselves to be distracted and let their guard down when they thought they had won. It must have been high, though, because it went up for a while before it popped and the whole room lit up like a festival. It was blinding. Beki kept the claws of one gauntlet pressed to his jugular until the light faded. She reached into her kunai pouch and tied up his hands behind him.

"Th-thank you. Thank you," He whimpered softly.

"Do you have the food?" Beki asked Daiske. He nodded. She retracted the claws and popped the Iwa shinobi over the head with the back of her gauntlet, knocking him out instantly. She let out a heavy sigh.

"Should we stick around until the Kumo ninja get here?" Daiske asked as he handed the food over to Beki and Ren.

Ren shook her head. "After that scream Beki did and the bright light, we'll attract a lot more than the proctors."

"Shit," Beki groaned. "I wasn't thinking. Let's get the hell out of here."

"I can't believe we got through that," Daiske shook his head.

Beki slapped him on the back. "That was some good work you did back there. You beat rock ninja at rock jutsu."

He shrugged. "You scared the hell out of them. I think putting them off their game that much secured us the win."

"Excuse me, no one is talking about the amazing f**king shots I got off in the dark, hanging from stalagmites with my climbing gear like a damned opossum." Ren swore.

"You know you're amazing," Beki grinned. "You don't need us to tell you you're the best sniper Getsu's ever seen."

"I would prefer if you referred to me as the best damned sniper in a generation," Ren shot back with a look of pompous confidence.

"That's debatable," the sound of Yuu's voice out of the tunnel ahead forced them all to skid to a stop. In the half light of the mushrooms, they could see she had lined dolls up all along the width of the tunnel. It was wide there, about ten feet, but still too close of quarters for Beki's liking. It was so tight here she was just as likely to clip a teammate as she was to land a hit on Yuu.

Beki didn't need to turn around to know that Shinichi had stepped out of the darkness behind them. That only left Bo, the master of stealth, unaccounted for. The hair raised on her left arm in warning and she shot out her gauntlet behind Daiske, deflecting the knife blow that Bo would have ended his life with. Bo instantly retreated into the shadows and was gone.

Ren drew her bow and knocked an arrow only for Bo to swoop out of the darkness and cut the bowstring. The three were forced to stand back to back, a triangle of desperation and hopelessness.

"What do we do?" Daiske whispered. "Ren's bow's busted, my chains are no good in here, and with Bo and Yuu loose we're at a serious disadvantage."

"Put up walls, now," Beki hissed and Daiske threw up a ring of earth around them to the ceiling.

"That buys us a little time," Ren panted. "So what do we do now?"

"Run like hell," Beki sighed. "I'll use my flames in here so we get used to the light, Daiske will drop the walls, and the sudden change with blind them. We just have to rush Yuu. One good earth wall wave should scatter her enough for me to follow with a good assault. You two can run down the tunnel and I'll catch up once I've incapped her."

Ren and Daiske nodded. They closed their eyes and Beki used the illumination jutsu. The opened their eyes and she increased the intensity of the glow until it was as bright as daylight in their little room of earth.

"Can we hurry?" Ren panted. "That's using up all the air in here."

Beki nodded. "It's good. Drop the walls."

Daiske formed the hand signs and the walls dropped to the floor, flooding the tunnel with the blinding bright light. They immediately went to rush Yuu, only to find twice the dolls that had been there before. One sprang up in front of Ren, it's head tipped back and arms spread wide like an opened iron maiden. Unable to stop her momentum, Ren slid into the hollow of the doll and the arms snapped shut around her. Beki and Daiske watched in horror as the head snapped down over Ren, sealing her inside the Kokeshi doll sarcophagus.

"She's got about two minutes of air in there," Yuu sauntered out into the middle of the tunnel with a pair of sunglasses on. Beki and Daiske looked around in a panic, their weapons out. "Oh, looking for Bo and Shinichi?"

Yuu shook her head and smiled. "It's just us, babies. Just us and the dolls."

The fire of Beki's illumination jutsu was weakening. Beki clutched her fist, putting it out and plunging them all in darkness. She silently rushed Yuu, her footsteps masked further by the desperate pounding of Ren in the doll. She raised her fist to strike but was deflected by a knife from the darkness. Beki was kneed in the stomach hard enough to knock the wind out of her. She was spun around and thrown into the wall of the tunnel. Beki landed between two of Yuu's creepy kokeshi dolls, both standing about three feet tall. As Beki struggled to get up, the dolls turned and faced each other. One shot out a net around her and the other doll caught it, trapping Beki in a cocoon of wire mesh.

"Sorry, I lied about Bo," Yuu smiled. "He's protective like that. Now I promised Shinichi I wouldn't finish you off, but your friends are fair game."

"I CAN'T BREATHE IN HERE," Ren's voice was desperate. The girl was to the point of tears. Beki's heart was pounding in her ears. Yuu was going to make Beki sit here and watch as she murdered Beki's teammates.

Daiske lost his composure and ran for the sarcophagus doll, only to be forced away when Bo materialized and lashed out at him. Daiske then made a run for Beki, only for one of the other dolls to turn its head and shoot out a stream of fire.

"I don't know why everyone always went on about you two," Yuu sighed. "Growing up in the same village as you was hard, you know? All anyone cared about was Beki and Ren, the last of the lines of the Three Maidens. Would you grow up to become Maidens yourselves? Had anyone seen any signs that you would? Oh my god, how they went on and on."

"Nobody liked me, Yuu, you were there," Beki growled. "It's not like I was popular or something."

"True, everyone hated your ugly guts, but they still watched you. They talked about you. They took the time to notice you existed. The same thing with that tiny worm of a friend of yours. She doesn't even look like she hit puberty but because she was born into a clan that was important two hundred years ago, people remembered her name," Yuu shook her head. "It's stupid. So today I end the Hanged Maiden line, and once you marry Shinichi all that will be left is the Burned Maiden line. And we all know that it's dead in the water anyway."

Daiske was doing a fair job of avoiding the doll traps and Bo's blitz attacks but it was clear his resolve was waning. Ren was slowly suffocating in a doll and Beki was completely immobilized. It was clear from the look on his face he knew it was only a matter of time, like watching a deer cornered by a pack of wolves. Beki tried setting fire to the dolls holding her captive but Yuu had treated them with some flame retardant substance. She tried slashing at the mesh with her claws but they were made of the same treated steel. Beki was trapped.

Bo caught Daiske unawares after a doll had clipped his leg when it shot a kunai out of its mouth. His first strike staggered Daiske and left a gash across his chest. Almost instantly he had blinked back into sight to deliver another across Daiske's back.

He let out a cry of pain and formed hand signs. His terra wall hadn't even risen above his knees when Bo socked him across the face, knocking Daiske to the ground. Daiske's eyes met Beki and she saw defeat.

"Daiske, come on," Beki growled as she struggled against the mesh. "Daiske!"

His eyes drifted up to Bo, who hovered over him as black and terrible as a shinigami. Daiske began to form hand signs again. Rumbling near Beki's position brought a smile to her face. Daiske had thought of a way to free her. Instead of some spike coming out of the ground to crush a doll, a small wall rose from the ground in front of her, blocking her view of the fray.

"No," Beki cried out. Daiske couldn't save her, he couldn't save himself, so he would spare her the sight of his death. "DAMMIT!" Beki struggled helplessly against her binds.

She heard Yuu mutter something to Bo and Beki realized that the pounding had stopped. Ren was dead and Daiske was about to die. It felt like someone had poured ice water over her. This couldn't be real. Her friends couldn't be dying. This was just the chunin exams, but then she remembered how her team had just killed to Iwa ninja. This is the real world, Beki, the Maiden's voice said in her head. Get used to it.

But then there was a slamming noise, like a hammer on wood. Beki heard Yuu jump and then murmur something to Bo again. The next slamming noise came immediately after, and then another, and another, until Beki heard wood splintering. The terra wall fell down and to Beki's relief Daiske appeared to have just passed out. Bo and Yuu's attention was now on the doll sarcophagus where a split had formed between the arms. Yuu approached it angrily just as the doors burst open and Yuu screamed.

Ren's skin was blue even in the dim light of the tunnel. Her eyes were wide and crazed and her breath was raspy and desperate. Her clothes were covered in blood, which led Beki to notice the arms laying uselessly at her sides. One was broken at the humerus, and the other was broken at the forearm, one of the delicate forearm bones was jutting out of her skin.

Beki had never seen Ren transform; she had never seen any of the Tsukiyama transform into the Hanged Maiden. All she remembered was how Reika, Ren's sister, described it. Of the three, the Drowned Maiden was the most versatile. It could be offensive or defensive. The Burned Maiden was the most defensive and the Hanged Maiden was the most aggressive. The lack of oxygen, she said, triggered a desperate need to eliminate the threat to the point that they ignored all pain and were willing to keep throwing themselves at the threat even if it caused them harm. It was like the way animals would gnaw of their own limbs to free themselves from a trap.

Seeing Ren standing there, a look of murderous rage and her limbs sticking out at odd angles, reinforced that idea. Yuu tried to grab for one of her dolls but Ren threw herself on Yuu. She buried her face into Yuu's neck as the doll master desperately clawed at her. Beki heard a ripping sound and Yuu scream. Bo's usual lack of expression shifted to something Beki assumed was concern. He pried Ren off of Yuu and threw her against the wall where Beki was. Ren's body crushed the doll holding the end of Beki's net, freeing her. Ren was already scrambling towards Yuu on her hands and knees.

Blood was spurting from Yuu's neck beneath her hand. Bo had taken a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it to the wound. He saw Ren's approach and kicked her aside so that she slammed into the opposite wall. Bo picked up Yuu and retreated into the tunnels as fast as he could.

Ren laid on the gravel at the bottom of the tunnel gasping for air. Beki finally managed to disentangle herself from the net and made her way over to Ren. The color was returning to her face and the blood flowed freely from her wounds.

"Beki," Ren panted with a look of terror on her face. "I'm in trouble."

"F**K," Beki muttered as she surveyed Ren's wounds. She had some basic medic training but Daiske knew more about it than her and he was out cold. He needed medical attention of his own. At this rate, Ren would either die of blood loss or from Beki's awkward attempts to set her bones. She reached into Daiske's bag and pulled out the flare gun.

"What are you doing?" Ren wheezed. "You can't call it quits."

"You're dying, stupid," Beki cocked the flare gun.

"Dying is part of living, Beki," Ren coughed. "And if you get Daiske out of here the two of you can move on and beat the living crap out of Team Hunter in the finals."

"What good does that do us if our friend is dead?" Beki held up the gun.

"Because you know I won't make it until one of the proctors shows up," Ren smiled weakly. "I've got three or four minutes, tops."

Beki stared down at her friend. Her heart was sinking into her stomach. This was all a bad dream, Beki thought. We're going to wake up in that hotel room and the chunin exams hadn't started yet.

"Listen," Ren smiled. "They're coming."

Beki perked up and heard cautious footsteps approaching them. She dropped the flare gun and extended the claws of her gauntlets. If it was Bo and Yuu looking for more, Beki was going to finish them once and for all. Instead, three strange bodies came into view. Beki braced herself for a fight.

"Wait," One of them called out. He stepped forward from the darkness. A Sand shinobi. "We aren't looking for a fight."

Beki sized him up. He was above average height and skinny. She could take him out with no effort whatsoever, but the way his teammates hung back made her nervous.

The Suna shinobi's eyes wandered to her friends and grew large. "That's serious."

Beki clenched her fists. "Yes. We just had a run in with some other nasty shinobi and my friend is bleeding out over there."

The Suna shinobi looked back at his teammates and then motioned for them to come forward. It was another boy and a girl, and they were both pretty messed up. The boy was supporting the girl and he had his arm in a makeshift sling. The girl had clearly sprained her ankle and was hobbling along with his support.

"My teammates are in bad shape too," The first boy said. "My name is Yo. I'm a medic; that's why I'm in such good shape. If you stand guard so my friends can get some rest, I'll help your friend."

Beki watched him closely. He had kind brown eyes. All of her shinobi instincts were telling her to turn them away, but her, the part of her that was Beki, was screaming that Ren was dying a few feet to her left. If this boy could do anything, even if it was to ease her suffering, it was worth the risk.

"He's cool, Beki," Ren's voice drifted up softly.

The claws retracted with a click. "Please. Do what you can."

Yo nodded and crouched down beside Ren. "Misa, can you help me staunch the blood?"

The girl hobbled over and crouched down on the other side of Ren. The other boy walked over and stood guard at their backs. Beki stood in the middle of the tunnel. She didn't know how to describe the feelings she was experiencing but the fear, the sadness, the hatred, combined into an almost palpable rage.

"What, uh," The other Suna boy talked at Beki. "What are you going to do if we get attacked.

"I'm going to kill them all," Beki said in a voice she didn't recognize.

"Sorry," Yo looked up. "Would you happen to have any water? I need to clean her up."

Beki reached into her kunai bag and threw the flask at him. "Don't get any ideas."

Yo smiled up at her reassuringly. "I know you're worried about your friend. I won't lie, it's bad, but I'll get her stable."

She realized that she was being unreasonable. Beki couldn't help it. This whole situation made her feel helpless, which in turn made her feel angry. She silently swore to herself if they did anything funny she would bury all three of the Suna ninja in this tunnel. There was a heat building up inside her, a fire she knew was tied to this anger. The tunnel, which so far had been a refrigerator, was starting to feel uncomfortably hot. She stood there stewing, sweat pouring down her back and chest, for what seemed like an eternity. Every once in a while she would hear a little click. It was close, so she figured it was something Yo was doing with the medical jutsu. Finally, he called her over.

"Ren?" Beki reached out and took Ren's hand.

"Shit girl, you are hot," Ren chuckled. "I mean, you're always sexy but your hand is burning up. I could cook an egg on that shit."

Beki shot Yo a look and he smiled good naturedly. "I may have given her some painkillers."

"It's good shit, Beki," Ren giggled. "I mean, I still feel like my bone came out of my arm, but it's all good."

Beki sighed. "Thanks. Sorry about my manners. I'm Tsukimori Beki."

Yo and Misa smiled at her. "We get it. People are pretty intense here."

"Look, to make it up to you, once my lug head of a teammate comes to, we'll combine teams," Beki suggested. "We should be fairly close to the exit now, maybe a half a day away. That way we can all get out of here in one piece."

"Will she be okay for that long?" Misa asked Yo, gesturing to Ren.

Yo nodded. "Her bones are set and the bleeding has stopped. So long as we keep her hydrated and keep her clean she'll be okay that long."

Beki nodded. "You guys get some rest. I'll stay guard. Once Daiske wakes up he'll take over and then we'll go."

The Suna team all looked at each other. Beki watched them carefully. None of them seemed the type to knife someone in their sleep, especially after they stabilized Ren the way they did.

"Sure," Yo nodded. "Thank you Beki."

…

Fortunately, the group ran into no one as they made the last leg of their journey out of the caves. Fortunately for them, Beki thought. She felt a lot better after Ren was back to cracking jokes about Daiske's teeth that morning and after spending more time with the Suna ninja. It went against both her training and her shinobi instincts, but they needed her as much as she needed them. Daiske and Beki were strong and they were all wounded to some degree. Yo was a fairly good medic and as such was a valuable asset when a member of the team was as close to a medical emergency as Ren was.

When they left the caves at last, they were greeted by a medical team and a proctor. Ren and Yo's teammates, whose injuries were more serious than initially believed, were carted off immediately to the hospital. Yo, Daiske, and Beki were all immediately passed on to the third portion of the exams. They would have three weeks of rest and recuperation, which was the disqualifying factor for their teammates. There was no way Misa, Ren, or the other Suna boy to be healed in time.

Daiske stared out after the emergency team. "You think she'll be okay?"

Beki sighed. "It's Ren. She won't quit if there's a chance."

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys around?" Yo held out a hand.

Daiske shook it first. "Thanks for the help back there."

Yo shook his head as he shook Beki's hand. "What are medics for?"

"Seriously, thank you," Beki folded her arms. "But if they put me against you in the third portion I'm going to kick your ass."

Yo laughed good naturedly. "Of that I have no doubt."

He walked off down the mountain and Daiske looked at Beki. "So what's the plan now?"

"I need a shower and the biggest damn plate of ribs in this town." Beki gave a slight smile.

Daiske elbowed her. "Make that two plates."


	41. Coffee is Friendship

**Hi everyone! I'm a little late posting this week, but hey. Sometimes the writing comes easy, sometimes you have to beat it into submission. This week was like chasing down a toddler that just chugged a half gallon of chocolate milk and was set loose in a petting zoo. Anyway, please enjoy, and know I look forward to hearing from you all. Reviews make me very happy and I am also happy to answer any questions you all have via PM.**

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As much as she pretended otherwise in the presence of her friends now that she was in the clear, Ren had been on the brink of death. Lying there on the gravel in a damp cave hundreds of miles from home and realizing that she was bleeding out, that she would never see home again, left scars on Ren she was quite certain would never heal. Oh, and the pain. Ren cringed and ran her fingers along her forearm where her tibia had broken through the skin.

Ren remembered the sheer bloody panic of being trapped in the doll as her oxygen supply ran out. She had thought that nothing would ever affect her on such a visceral level the way running out of air did. Growing up at an ancient shrine and then spending time in the main ninja village, Ren always liked to ruminate on how people kept making progress. Every decade saw new technological advances, medicines, and fashions. In that moment, though, all her pretensions of being highly evolved were stripped from her. At the end of the day, she realized, people were just animals.

That was the thought that was going through her head as the world went black. A voice called out to her in response. At the time, she swore it was from somewhere else inside that godforsaken doll, but looking back it very well must have come from inside herself.

"Yes," the voice had said. "And animals fight back."

Ren's terror had overflowed and it was like she blew a fuse on the inside. An entire lifetime's worth of conditioning to avoid self-harm went out the window. Ren was going to get out of that doll, take a few deep breaths, and rip the throat out of the bitch who put her there.

That's when the thoughts stopped happening. Ren's body moved on its own, desperate for release and tearing itself apart to escape. She heard the bones breaking and felt the warmth of blood soaking her clothes but she was detached. It was almost as if it was happening to someone else and she got to watch from the sidelines.

Yuu was there. Ren remembered that as soon as the doll broke open she had thrown herself on Yuu. Bo had torn her away and Ren had gone after Borei, too. Part of her was terrified by what she had done, the pure savagery of it, but there was this other part of her that was proud. They tried to kill me, she thought. I didn't let them. Team Hunter thought they were springing a trap on the weak and accidentally awoke Ren's powers.

Since then, she had been in and out of consciousness. The medical staff at the Kumogakure hospital was surprisingly accommodating once they heard the story of how she ended up in the hospital in the first place. More than once she had been slipped an extra jello cup for her valor.

Beki and Daiske came to see her every day. Even on the days she was all doped up on painkillers, through the fog she could remember their presence. She was finally stable enough that the nurses said her visitors could stay longer than twenty minutes. Beki had smuggled in some treats from the bakery and hot decaf coffee in a thermos.

"Are you sure this won't interfere with anything you're taking?" Beki shot Ren a look of concern as she handed over the thermos.

"No," Ren sipped on it happily. "Because the coffee's decaf it won't react with anything."

Beki nodded and shifted in her seat. "So you look like you're getting your strength back. Dai and I have been worried sick. That Sand ninja that saved you in the caves, Yo, he's been coming to see you, too. Do you remember?"

Ren furrowed her brows. "I remember you guys but I don't remember the Suna ninja." She shook her head. "Anyway, there was something serious I wanted to talk to you about."

Beki stared down into her coffee mug and gave Ren a tiny nod of consent. Konoha must really be forcing her to mature, Ren thought. Growing up, any time a serious topic came up Beki made a point of cracking jokes or trying to change the subject.

"So about the whole Maiden thing…" Ren swirled the coffee in the thermos. "Does it get less freaky after a while?"

Beki sighed. "I know it's weird. You feel like your body is getting hijacked, but at the same time deep down you know it's still just you."

"Yeah, exactly," Ren nodded.

"It gets less freaky," Beki sighed. "Turning into the Drowned Maiden doesn't faze me anymore. Sometimes when I get freaked out I turn without meaning to, but other than that I think of it as just putting on a mask to scare people with."

"Maybe that's how it is for you," Ren groaned. "Did you see what I did? I ripped Yuu's freaking neck off."

"I guess it would make sense if the different types of Maidens worked differently," Beki said. "How much of that night do you remember, anyway?"

Ren smiled and waved dismissively. "Not much, to be honest. It's all a blur after I got locked in the doll."

"That's a shame," Beki took a sip of her coffee. "See, the medic was doing some kind of procedure on you I wanted to ask you about. There was this clicking noise I kept hearing."

Ren blinked. "That was coming from you."

"What?" Beki blinked.

"That noise," Ren explained. "I remember hearing it, too. It was coming from you. I thought you were messing with your gauntlets because you were nervous."

…

"Beki, you have to help me," Daiske panted, his eyes darting frantically as he scanned the background. "You have to get me out of this."

"Nope," Beki turned the page of her magazine. "You told Lee you would go running with him, you're on the hook for it."

Daiske let out a groan of frustration. "I didn't realize he meant fifty laps around the entire city, Beki. I thought it was just going to be an easy little 5k or something."

There was a hammering sound in the distance and Beki slapped Daiske on the back. "You had better get going or he'll try to talk you into wearing the tights again."

"No," Daiske shook his head and started crawling under a nearby picnic bench. "I need a break. I'm just going to lie down for a minute. If you hear anything that sounds like crying, it's just a deep breathing exercise."

"Uh huh, sure," Beki smiled and shook her head as she went back to her reading. Since Ren's hospitalization, neither Beki or Daiske could bring themselves to do much in terms of training until they were sure their teammate was going to pull through. They still had the better part of the two weeks left but Beki figured resting at this point was more important than any last minute conditioning. She planned on squeezing in a few more sessions with her gauntlet and calibrating her gear. For the remainder of her time in Kumo, she decided to treat it like a vacation.

"Miss Tsukimori?"

Beki almost dropped her magazine as she snapped her neck in the direction of the voice.

"Gaara?"

He gave her a half bow and an almost imperceptible smile. Beki noticed he had his older brother with him as usual. Kankuro was keeping a respectful distance from the pair under the guise of scanning for possible threats. Beki had been seated on a retaining wall, so she dismounted and stuffed the magazine in her back pocket. Gaara cocked his head and glanced at the rolled up paper in her back pocket.

"What were you reading?"

Beki shuffled and flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, it's, well, it's the trash they sell the tourists. A history of the chunin exams in Kumogakure, that sort of thing."

Gaara stared at the paper a moment longer as if feeling out her reasoning before her continued. "I have to say, I was almost as pleased to hear you were participating in the exams as I was to hear one of the Suna ninja made it to the third portion of the exams."

"Oh, Yo? Yeah. He's an amazing medic," Beki smiled. Gaara gave her a look of confusion so she continued: "Oh, I met him during the second portion. It's a long story."

"Well, if I'm not mistaken we have quite some time before the finals to catch up," Gaara looked at Beki. "I went to see the Raikage but he was occupied with chunin exam business. I'm supposed to go back to see him later this evening, but in the mean time I could use a cup of coffee."

Gaara extended a hand to her. "Do you care to join me?"

Damn, Beki thought as she felt the heat rising up her neck. When did Gaara get this smooth? She actually felt like she was getting picked up and she wasn't sure how to feel about the Kazekage's newfound skill.

"Sure," Beki took his hand cautiously. It was surprisingly coarse and calloused.

"Hey!" Daiske called out as he scrambled out from under the picnic table. Oh no, Beki face palmed. She had forgotten her teammate was down there.

Daiske came storming up to them and Beki's gaze instantly shot to Gaara and Kankuro. To her relief and also her embarrassment, neither of them seemed to consider Daiske a threat. Gaara had very discretely released her hand, however.

"Daiske," Beki gave her teammate a warning smile. "This is the Kazekage."

Daiske literally stopped dead in his tracks and the angry expression on his face evaporated. His looked at Beki and then at the Kazekage, where his eyes lingered as if he was trying to verify this.

"I am so sorry," Was the only thing Daiske could manage to squeeze out of his horrified face.

Gaara graciously extended his hand. "And you would be?"

"Sasaki Daiske. I'm Beki's teammate," Daiske shook the Kazekage's hand with a look of frightened wonder. "Beki, how do you know the Kazekage?"

Beki shot him an exasperated look. "What does my dad do for a living, again?"

"Oh. Duh. I guess you would meet a lot of kage," Daiske shuffled uncomfortably and then gave her a suspicious look. "How many kage do you know, anyway?"

"I've met all but the Tsuchikage, personally. I met the Mizukage when I was like, four, so I don't think that even counts, but whatever." Beki gave Daiske a very discrete dismissive wave. "Weren't you going to go run again?"

"Oh, yeah, that's, that's right." Daiske jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I should go."

"Bye, Daiske," Beki waved and didn't stop waving until he was out of sight. "Sorry about that. He's a little on the over protective side."

"Which is funny," Kankuro chimed in. "Because it looks like you should be protecting him."

"Hey, he's a nice kid," Beki folded her arms. "He does a good job keeping heat off of me in a fight so he tries to do it on the street, too."

"Even though you're like, half ogre?" Kankuro joked but immediately shut up at the look Gaara gave him.

Beki hadn't seen that the two had almost bumped into her ten minutes earlier. Kankuro had been cracking jokes about how the environment was so inhospitable it did his job for him. No one would attempt an assassination with this climate. Gaara had suddenly ducked between two buildings and pulled Kankuro in after him with the sand. After realizing that Gaara's crush was dead ahead, Kankuro had to talk Gaara through a casual "Oh hey, fancy meeting you here," encounter five times. He had done surprisingly well during the execution phase but Kankuro could tell the interference of Beki's teammate had thrown his brother off his game.

"You know what, I think I'm going to go scope things out. For security purposes," Kankuro started to walk away. "Don't get in any trouble while I'm gone."

Gaara was tempted to drag him back by the ankles with the sand. Was Kankuro throwing him in the deep end to try to help him or was he trying to sabotage his brother? No turning back now, Gaara thought. Please don't let there be any more complications.

…

"Well this is nice," Beki smiled at the café of the hotel the Kazekage was staying at.

"Are you in similar lodgings as a competitor?" Gaara was doing his best to pretend she was another business meeting until he regained his composure.

"Pfft," Beki smiled over her menu. He had forgotten how infectious that smile was. He got caught up in it for a moment before he realized she had continued speaking. "We're stacked three to a room. Then again, I can't complain. The bathrooms aren't communal and we have central heating. I've been in worse."

Gaara didn't bother asking for clarification. He'd been in a few hellholes himself during missions. "If it has four walls and a roof, you're lucky."

"Agreed," Beki grinned. "Where's the worst place you've ever shacked up in?"

"Classified," Gaara said in a knee jerk fashion but Beki laughed. "I'm serious."

Beki shook her head. "I figure as much. It was just the way you said it."

It always amazed Gaara how people could be more amused by the manner something was said with than the content itself. He told jokes rather frequently, however Kankuro was the only person who consistently reacted to them.

"So you were going to tell me how you met Yo," Gaara watched how Beki absentmindedly rapped her knuckles on the table. Some of a shinobi's best assets were their silence and their stillness. Beki's quirks were endearing in public, but Gaara found himself concerned for her ability to reign them in during a fight.

"Oh, yeah, so," Beki set down her menu. "My team and I got blitzed twice in a row. The first team we wiped out no problem- "

"Iwagakure shinobi, if my memory serves," Gaara interjected.

"Right," Beki nodded. "You've really done your homework."

Gaara gave a half wave. "Comes with the job."

"So immediately afterwards the other Getsu squad ran into us. They almost killed my teammate, the one you haven't met, Ren," Beki continued. "She was bleeding out, Daiske was out cold, and I have minimal medic training. Her bones were sticking out and there was blood everywhere- "

Beki stopped talking at looked up at Gaara, realizing she was going into impolite gory details. The passive interest on his face reminded her he had discussed eyeballs popping on their first date. He can handle it, Beki thought. Before she could continue the waitress approached to take their order. What surprised Beki the most was how courteous the girl was. She was the first local Beki had dealt with since she arrived that didn't shoot her dirty looks. After she had walked away, Beki turned back to Gaara.

"Your teammate was on the brink of death?" Gaara offered.

Beki nodded. "So I'm watching her bleed out and she's telling me not to surrender because we can avenge her by winning the finals. That's when Yo's team shows up. They were all pretty beat up as well, so we struck a deal. Yo stabilized Ren and Daiske and I protected the group until we got out of the caves."

"You don't usually see that kind of cooperation between opposing teams," Gaara nodded. "I'm glad it worked out."

Beki gave him a warm smile. "Hey, it's pretty dead in here. You can relax a little."

Gaara realized that with his nervousness, his body language and tone would sound put offish to Beki. He gave a small sigh and leaned toward her. "I apologize. This will be my first time meeting the Raikage in person."

"Uncle A is great. He'll come off as a real tough guy, like my dad, but deep down he cares a lot about his village," Beki said. "He believes in strength more than anything else, so bring your full 'I earned my position as a kage" attitude."

Gaara blinked. He hadn't considered that Beki could provide such valuable insight into working with other kage. What else could he ask her to give himself a leg up in his meeting with the Raikage? No Gaara, he thought. You did this the last time you got to see Beki. You need to make this date count. The waitress brought their coffee and Gaara took a deep breath.

"I'm glad we ran into each other, Beki," Gaara stared into his mug. "And I hope I'll be able to see you again before the exams are over."

"It's pretty great, right? We don't get to see each other very often," Beki smiled. "I'm glad you'll get to see me fight. That way I can prove I'm not just a pretty face."

Gaara gave her an odd look. "Why would I think you were just a pretty face?"

"It was a joke, Gaara," Beki reached over and patted his hand. As she sipped her coffee, her hand lingered on his. Gaara was not accustomed to such casual physical contact. It was exciting but at the same time increased his anxiety. He felt his heartrate pick up speed and he felt the urge to withdraw his hand. No Gaara, stop running away from her. What's the worst she'll do? Slap you?

Gaara took Beki's hand in his and gave it a squeeze. Time slowed down as he watched her face for a reaction. Instead of a look of repulsion or pulling her hand away, Beki gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed back. A wave of relief swept over him as they sat there, hand in hand. Something out the window caught Beki's attention and she turned away. Gaara was left staring at their interlaced hands wondering what this meant for their relationship. He would have to ask Kankuro what "base" holding hands was and where he should go from here. Was brushing her hair behind her ear okay? Would he be allowed to kiss her soon?

With the realization that he was far enough along in a relationship that kissing was on the table, Gaara's panic returned. This is working out, Gaara thought as he ran his thumb over Beki's palm. I might not mess this up. The approach of a third party drew both of their attention.

"Kazekage," A folded his arms. "If I had known you came to see me at my office I would have dismissed my other meeting."

Beki had let go of Gaara's hand and was trying to be as small as possible. She knew A would notice her any second and she would catch hell for not visiting him since her arrival in Kumogakure. Sure enough, A's gaze shifted over to Beki and his expression soured.

"And what are you doing here, Moonshine?"

"I was having coffee with the Kazekage?" Beki's voice cracked under the pressure. Gaara glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Was Beki afraid of the Raikage? She had been singing his praises only a few minutes before.

"Little girl, you had best be careful," the Raikage put a fist on top of Beki's head. To Gaara it seemed like a threatening gesture, however Beki's lack of a response indicated that this was some familiar form of greeting.

"What are you talking about, Uncle A?" Beki looked up at him. "The Kazekage and I met in Konoha. We're just catching up."

"What I mean is, you're a young girl running around with all these different kage," A warned. "If you seem to friendly with all the kage, people will start questioning your alliances."

Beki puffed up her cheeks in frustration. "I'm not an ambassador yet, Uncle A."

"But you will be, Moonshine," He rubbed the fist into her head and she grimaced. "And on that day the free advice will stop."

Gaara looked down at his cup. It seemed as if his date would be ending prematurely. It had overall been a good date but he wished it would have had a more elegant closure. He wanted to test these new physical boundaries by brushing Beki's hair behind her ear. He would have to remember that for next time.

The Kazekage rose from the table and motioned for Beki not to stand. He gave her a polite bow. "Thank you for joining me for coffee. Until next time, Miss Tsukimori."

Beki nodded back and as she watched them both walk away, she called out "Play nice!" out of habit from working with the preschoolers in Konoha. Both A and Gaara shot her looks. A's was threatening and Gaara's was confused, but both cases left her feeling stupid for speaking.

After they walked out she sighed into her empty coffee cup. The waitress returned with the coffee pot and refilled Beki's mug.

"Thanks," Beki raised the cup in a gesture of thanks.

"You must be an important lady," The waitress gave her a small smile. "You had two kage talking to you, after all."

Beki shrugged. "My father does some government work here and there. I just know them by extension."

The waitress eyed her inquisitively. Beki noticed that she had pretty green eyes, like Gaara, but the waitress's were more of a jade color. She was a little older than Beki, but a little shorter. She had braided her wine colored hair on both sides of her crown. The braids joined at a ballerina bun on the back of the girl's crown. That's pretty, Beki thought. She was sick of the conch braid she always wore to a fight. This style might be something she could experiment with.

"My name is Nomura Miki, by the way," The waitress smiled at her. "I know the café is only for guests of the hotel, but if you let them know you're a friend of the Kazekage's I don't think they'll give you any trouble if you want to come back."

"That's really nice of you, thanks," Beki smiled. It was refreshing to be treated like a person again. "I'm Tsukimori Beki, by the way."

"Nice to meet you Beki," Miki shuffled and looked around the nearly empty café before leaning in closer. "Hey, I don't mean to pry, but you're a ninja, right?"

"Yes," Beki nodded. "I'm from Getsugakure. I'll be competing in the finals this year."

The waitress sighed. "I bet being a ninja is so exciting. You get to travel around and compete in front of the crowds for fame and glory…"

Beki let her indulge in her fantasy for a moment before interrupting. "It's not all sunshine and rainbows. It's an ugly business. Every time you go out on a mission you risk dying or watching people you love die. I almost lost my teammate in the second part of the exam."

Miki frowned. "I'm sorry. That's…that's really rough."

Beki shrugged. "We all know the risks going in. Someone's got to do it, right?"

"I guess that's true," Miki picked at her apron. "I bet you have important chunin exam business to take care of. It's been really fun talking to you. Not a lot of ninja have patience for civilians, especially curious ones."

Beki smiled at her. "Don't worry about it, Miki. I bet it all seems so mysterious and exciting from the outside."

Miki flushed with embarrassment. "Hey, it's usually pretty dead around this time of day and the shift manager is pretty laid back. If you come back and talk to me again, I'll hook you up with a free cup of joe, on the house?"

"That sounds good to me," Beki said. "This is the best coffee I've had since I got here."

...

As Beki walked back to the hotel, she wondered what it would be like to be someone like Miki. A noncombatant, completely unaware and uninvolved with the goings on of the ninja world. It must be so peaceful, watching the chunin exams like they were some kind of spectator sport without realizing the risks associated with it. Then again, Beki thought, how horrible would it be to get caught up in the conflicts between villages with no way to defend yourself?

She sighed and decided that if knowledge was a curse, she was willing to pay the price.


	42. Just Part of the Job

**Hi everyone! I'm trying to make up for the big gap in postings, so here's another installment of ToTM. I have been loving the feedback on the last few chapters, so keep em coming. I appreciate the time you all take to let me know how you feel about different parts of the story and it helps me a lot. So thank you again!**

* * *

The third portion of the chunin exams would begin in three days. Beki had spent most of her break resting as planned. She had gone to the café at Gaara's hotel, and although the Kazekage had been too busy to see her since she had enjoyed spending time with the waitress, Miki. As promised, she had stopped by to visit with Uncle A and Uncle Bee again during the break. She had shown off her dance moves and been a backup dancer for Uncle Bee, which she had hoped earned her back some street cred with the Raikage's staff. None of them had laughed at her, at least. Maybe they didn't dare in case they offended Bee.

The Konoha ninja had rallied around their entrants and had been helping them prepare, meaning Beki had only seen them when they turned in for the night and when they got up in the morning. It was strange for her to spend so little time with them. Hinata did her best to stay up a little longer and talk with Beki, which helped, but Beki felt guilty keeping her up so late.

Team Hunter had been scarce around the hotel, which both delighted and terrified Beki. When shinobi from another village made it to the finals in large numbers, the initial lineup would usually pit them against one another. Often villages would only have one or two combatants make it to the finals, so a village with more than that had the deck stacked in their favor towards winning the tournament overall. This kept more villages' representatives in the games longer, which encouraged tourists to stick around to support their teams. It also prevented one village from dominating all the others in front of potential clients. Beki understood all this from a business standpoint, however it meant a much harder fight. She had grown up, trained with, and fought beside Team Hunter for many years. They were all so familiar with one another's skills and techniques that every fight would be a difficult one.

It also added a psychological component Beki was not looking forward to dealing with. For example, Daiske and Beki had both always been a little uncomfortable around Bo, they both had a bone to pick with Yuu, and then Beki had her whole situation to deal with Shinichi. Fighting strangers was a picnic by comparison: it was impersonal, you could take them by surprise, and so on.

Beki was back on the roof of her hotel pouring over the history of the chunin exams in Kumogakure booklet again. There was a whole page and a half describing the exam her parents had fought in. It gave facts such as the starting number of entrants, total casualties, and the name of the winner: Tsukimori Seiichiro. The only information it listed about her mother was the number of casualties linked to her specifically, which was a disturbingly high percentage of that total. A few pages of pictures followed. Seeing as her mother killed 95% of the participants, a good number of the pictures were of Yukihana and Seiichiro.

Once again Beki was faced with how unnaturally gorgeous her mother had been. The quality of the pictures wasn't fantastic and they were in the godawful sepia tone typical of the era, but Yukihana had a presence that even two dimensional photographs couldn't suppress. She radiated grace and beauty, even when surrounded by a pile of frozen corpses. She looked so peaceful and so joyful that you would think she had been cut out of a vacation photo and pasted into these macabre scenes. Beki spent a lot of her break staring at those photos trying to figure out the woman that had been her mother.

It was strange seeing her father so young in those photos. Seiichiro had a knack for avoiding the camera more than Yukihana. Most of the pictures of him were side shots or where he was mostly obscured but Beki could make out most of his defining features. He had looked so much more alive then, especially in the photos he shared with her mother. He had been less bulky, less tired, and clean shaven back then. Beki caught herself wondering how much she was like them, how much of each of her parents had made up her personality, her body, and her skills. Her father was unfortunately tight lipped on the subject and her mother was long gone.

She took out a small folding mirror from her kunai bag and looked at her face. Her dad told her she had her mother's mouth all the time, which she had always thought was a weird compliment but she could see what he meant now. Beki had the Tsukimori eyes, and the color and texture of their hair. In fact, the more Beki searched for her mother in her face, the more of her father she saw. She didn't have her mother's freckles, the slight cat-like slant of her eyes, or her soft feminine jaw. Beki sighed in frustration and put the mirror away, instantly ashamed of herself for being jealous of a dead woman. Then again, how much easier would things be if she was as pretty as her mom had been?

"Hey sport," Her uncle's voice cut through the distracting fog of her thoughts.

"Hey Yasahiro," Beki closed the magazine. "What's up?"

"Remember how I told you I was going to help you out with the whole Asou thing?" He held out a garment box to her. "It's ready."

Beki gave him a confused look as she accepted the box. "What's this?"

"Okay, so this is a long story," Yasahiro rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. "But I basically took a bunch of old pictures of your mom where she was wearing her usual fighting outfit with the Asou family crest on the back and gave it to a local tailor with your measurements."

"How did you get my measurements?" Beki folded her arms self-consciously.

"I phoned your dad," Yasahiro smiled. "He just had that Tsukimori uniform made for your birthday, remember?"

That was a fair explanation but it still left Beki slightly weirded out. She cautiously lifted the lid and all she saw was white. "This doesn't seem practical."

Yasahiro shrugged. "Yukihana didn't care about being practical. She never got bloody."

Beki sighed. "I don't have ice to freeze people with. I'm going to walk out of there looking like a gory train wreck."

"Then just think of it as a canvas on which you will paint the blood of your enemies," Yasahiro extended his hands artistically and then shrugged at her irritated expression. "I know, that was pretty lame. Just trust me, okay? People will see you in that outfit and they'll get chills. You're the Asou's second coming, remember that."

She took out the top piece. It was a body suit that felt like it was made from the same material as a diving suit. It was several millimeters thick but breathable. Good, Beki thought. I won't freeze in Drowned Maiden form.

"Go on, try it on!" Yasahiro smiled. Beki gave him a hard look and then glanced at the door. "Oh. Sorry. I'll step out."

Beki undressed and stepped into the bodysuit. Right away she could tell it was designed to be worn commando. The idea of running around without a bra and underwear on during a fight made her uncomfortable, but at the same time the compression body suit gave her all the coverage and support she could need. She looked in the mirror to admire the tailoring. Whoever sewed this knew what they were doing. The suit had a high turtleneck like collar to protect her throat, the seams were sewn in such a way that they had a slimming effect, and the shoulders were very slightly padded to strengthen the suit's silhouette. On the back was an applique of her mother's family crest, a crescent moon and waves set within the crescent, an emblem she had seen on her mother's belongings many times. It had never looked as fresh and alive as it did on Beki's back. It was a strange feeling to be representing a family she had never known, and frankly it made her feel like an imposter.

With a sigh of resignation, she took out the pants and was shocked to find they were the complete opposite of the bodysuit. They were made of finely woven snow white linen and reminded her of the traditional pants the priestesses wore. The only major difference aside from the color was that they gathered at a cuff midway up the the calf. The openings at the sides of the pants were also a little deeper, revealing the skin of the outsides of Beki's thighs.

"Did you get stuck or something?" Yasahiro called out from the hall.

Beki sighed. "Come on in."

Yasahiro stepped in with a huge grin that instantly fell off his face.

"What? What is it?" Beki looked at him and then the mirror. "Did I put it on wrong?"

Yasahiro shook his head. "No. It's just as I thought. If you go Drowned Maiden in this, it's going to terrify people. You're a dead ringer for your mom."

"But I don't look anything like her. I look like dad with a wig," Beki looked in the mirror and watched as her hair turned black. Even partially transformed, all Beki saw in the mirror was Beki.

"You don't have her face, that's true," Yasahiro stood behind her as they faced the mirror and put his hands on her shoulders. "But you have the spirit of the Asou."

"What are you talking about?" Beki watched his face carefully. "You mean that one day I'm going to snap and go full psychopathic murderess?"

"First of all, you mother wasn't a psychopath, she was a sociopath," Yasahiro clapped her shoulders. "Second of all, I mean that your presence carries weight. It's already starting to happen. When you step into a room, when you walk into a fight, people notice you. They notice you and they become afraid. That will become one of your best assets as a shinobi."

Beki remembered how the Iwa shinobi reacted to her down in the caves. She was pretty sure Yasahiro was referring to the Drowned Maiden. That seemed to be what scared people.

"Well, go ahead and pack this back up. You want it nice and crisp for the finals, right?" Yasahiro walked out of the room.

Beki was left staring in the mirror, looking for something apparently everyone could see but her.

…

The whole situation with Yasahiro and the replica outfit put Beki in a mood. She was left stewing on bloodlines, public image, and how much easier it must be to be a civilian. After she had carefully stowed away the outfit, Beki made her way toward the café. Miki always did a good job of distracting Beki from her own issues. Not to mention a cup of coffee always put Beki in better spirits. The café staff had gotten used to Beki's visits at the same time of day so they let her in through the staff entrance. Beki stretched her arms above her head as she turned the corner to the back of the hotel. Usually there was a waiter or a bellboy smoking back there but the alley was vacant.

Just as Beki's hand wrapped around the doorknob the crunch of gravel gave her attacker away. She dropped into a squat just as the knife arced by where her throat had just been. The momentum of her squat carried her into a spinning drop kick they hopped away from just in time. As Beki looked up to identify them, they threw gravel in her eyes. Beki let out a cry of surprise and pain as the bits of rock set her eyes on fire. She backed away and flailed wildly, praying that she would deflect any incoming knife strikes.

The sound of her attacker's footsteps set her already racing heart on overdrive. I'm screwed, Beki thought. She had squeezed her eyes shut tight as the pain ebbed. She opened them again and caught the silhouette of her attacker as he brought down a blade. In one quick motion Beki brought her hands together, clapping the blade between them. Her eyes still stung. Tears streamed from both eyes, rendering her attacker a threatening blur. She could tell by their size and raw strength that it was a man. Beki was no pushover and it was taking all of her strength just to slow her attacker's blade.

Beki crouched a little to get better leverage of the blade. As quickly as she could, she let go of the blade and sidestepped while delivering a blow to the side of the attacker's arm. His knife went wide and missed it's target and he lost his balance a little. Beki's vision had cleared up enough that she could make out the general shape of his face. She delivered an upward elbow strike to his chin, staggering him. Seeing as he had lost the drop on her, the attacker turned to run. Before he could get around the corner he took a frying pan to the face. The man fell to the ground. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

"Beki, are you okay?" Miki stepped over the fallen assassin and ran over to her.

"I'm fine," Beki closed her eyes again and put her hands over her face. "I'm okay."

"I saw the fight going down from the window," Miki put an arm around her. "They called the cops. They'll be here any minute. Let's get those eyes washed out."

Miki brought Beki inside and kept her at a table in the staff area. There were always at least two or three staffers in there beside Miki to make sure there were no more attempts on Beki. No one dared to go out the back and tie up the assassin, so it was no surprise that when the cops got there he was long gone. They questioned Beki, took her report, and left. Miki offered to walk her back to the hotel.

"Sweetie, you shouldn't leave your hotel from now on," Miki kept her arm around Beki's shoulder's for support. "Do you have any idea who it was?"

Beki shook her head. "Like I told the cops, I didn't get a good look at him. He came out of nowhere. I would have thought it was Borei, but if it had been him I would be dead right now."

Miki looked at her feet. "Is there anyone who would want to keep you out of the finals?"

"Yes, but they wouldn't do something like this," Beki shook her head. "At least, I don't think so."

"Shit, Beki," Miki sighed. "This is pretty heavy stuff."

"That's being a kunoichi, Miki," Beki said. "No matter how happy you make your village and your clients, someone out there wants you dead."

"I'm serious, though, don't come back to the café," Miki turned Beki so she was forced to look her in the face. "I'll bring you coffee the next couple of days. And I'll come see you in the finals, okay? It's too risky for you to be out after this."

Beki nodded. "I hate being cooped up, though."

"It's fine, honey, just a few days." Miki patted her shoulders. "This is going to be personal, but I have to ask. Why did your hair turn black?'

Beki looked at her braid. It had gotten to the point she hardly noticed the physical changes that preceded Drowned Maiden mode. "It's my kekke genkai. It activates when I'm in danger."

Miki shook her head. "Kekke what?"

"Some shinobi families have gifts they're born with. Genetic abilities that are passed on through the generations. They're usually things people can't learn to do," Beki explained. "They can make people stronger, have better endurance, that kind of stuff."

Miki gave her a confused look. "So what kind is yours?"

"It's hard to explain," Beki waved dismissively. "If you see me in the finals I can guarantee you I'll end up using it."

"Ahuh," Miki shook her head and started walking away from the hotel doors. "This is too much for me for today. Stay safe, sweetie."

Beki waved at Miki and went inside. She hoped she could sneak into her room and then the bathroom to clean up. Her clothes were dirty, her hair was a mess, and she knew that her face would be puffed up and as red as an apple. The stairwells were empty and she made it up to her floor completely unnoticed, hopefully by staff as well as guests. She paused at the doorway. It sounded as if everyone was out training again. It is only about five oclock, Beki thought. They might be out getting dinner somewhere. She walked into her room. Ren was still in the hospital and it sounded like Hinata was out. With a sigh of relief Beki stripped down and threw her soiled clothes in a pile in the corner. She picked up her bag of toiletries and grabbed the knob for the bathroom. It was locked. Beki paused and pressed her ear to the door. From inside the bathroom, she heard the tiny sloshing noises of someone taking a bath.

Shit, Beki thought. Hinata's taking a bath in there.

As silently as she had come in, Beki redressed in clean clothes and stole a makeup wipe out of Ren's bag, pausing periodically to make sure she hadn't been detected. Once she figured she was passable, Beki slipped back out of the room. Maybe I can get some peace on the roof, she thought. Just before she reached the stairwell, a hand took her by the shoulder.

"Beki, what happened," Neji's voice was calm as he turned her around.

She sighed. "Would it make you feel better to say 'I told you so'?"

…

"I still can't believe you were assaulted in broad daylight," Neji stared off the side of the roof. "Do the police have any leads?"

Beki shrugged. "This is a shinobi village that's being overrun with god knows who right now. That guy down there could be a tourist or the uncle of one of the kids I killed in the exam. No way to know who they're dealing with or what they're capable of."

"Do you think your cousin was behind it?" There was a slight edge to Neji's voice, almost as if he was hoping she would say "yes".

Beki shook her head. "I don't think so. He's an underhanded bastard, but if he was going to send someone to kill me it would have been Bo."

"So what disqualifies them then?" Neji folded his arms and stole a look at her.

"Borei is the best stealth specialist in Getsugakure," Beki explained. "If he was sent to kill me, they might find my body in a barrel somewhere. In twenty years."

Neji watched Beki as she cleaned under her fingernails with a kunai. Someone had tried to kill her today and she acted as casually as if she'd almost had her purse snatched. It terrified him how little she valued her life, or worse yet, how little danger she realized she was in.

"Beki, you can't do this again," Neji did his best to keep his voice level. "This is…It's our job to keep you safe. If something happens to you, it will have a ripple effect across the entire shinobi world. Konoha and Kumogakure and Getsugakure-it'll be war, Beki. Like you said, when dealing with shinobi, you can never really know who is behind an assassination and why."

"Are you this upset because of what happened to your family?" Beki asked.

Neji shot her a dirty look. "What happened to you that this doesn't upset you at all?"

"What the hell am I supposed to do, Neji? Live in a bubble?" Beki slapped her hands on the railing in frustration and sighed. "Did what happened today shake me? Yes. Only because I wasn't expecting it. Unfortunately, I'm a shinobi on a mission right now and death is part of the job description. I can try to avoid it but it'll catch up with me eventually."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "You really need to take stock of the people you're important to."

"What do you mean?" Beki asked.

"You carry on with your life as if you're some lone soul and if you get snuffed out, it won't matter," Neji explained. "But it will matter, Beki. If you die, especially in some senseless preventable way, you will be hurting the people who love you. Is that what you want?"

Beki stared off towards the mountains while she considered his response.

"Think about Hinata. I've watched her struggle to make friends her whole life," Neji continued. "How do you think she'll handle your death? Do you think she would be okay after that?"

"Do I really mean that much to you?" Beki's words cut through Neji's like a knife. He had been on a roll, completely absorbed by his own argument. Now he had been knocked off his guard and was left completely unsure of what to say. He took a moment to regain his composure and then spoke:"

"Yes, Beki. You're my friend. I worry about all my friends, but it just so happens you give me the most to worry about."

Beki shrugged. "I guess that's true. Don't worry about it, though. I won't leave the hotel again until the finals. I'm going to go to bed."

Neji nodded and watched her walk away. It's none of your business, he thought. She's a grown woman and you have no right telling her what to do. Then again, he couldn't help but feel responsible for her. He had come into Kumo afraid about Hinata, but it turned out that it was Beki who was in the most danger here. Neji decided from now on he wouldn't let her out of his sight. Even though the Konoha competitors needed the help training, Tenten, Gai, and Lee could handle it without him. Hopefully so long as she wasn't alone, Beki's would be assassins would hold off. He sighed in frustration and looked off at the misty mountain range. Other people would have found it beautiful, but all Neji saw was obstacles. He decided he could use some rest as well. As he walked back into the stairwell all he could think was how he could not wait to get the hell out of Kumogakure.

…

Beki stumbled into the hotel room right after Hinata had finished changing.

"Oh, hi Beki-" Hinata stopped dead and stared at her wide eyed. "Beki, are you alright? What happened?!"

Without a word, Beki stepped forward and gave Hinata a hug and buried her face in Hinata's shoulder. "I had a bad day."

Hinata wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. After a moment of silence, she asked: "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe in a bit," Beki said as she let go. "I really need a shower."

"Okay," Hinata nodded. "I'll go get us some tea."

"Thanks, Hina chan," Beki sighed as she walked into the bathroom. After Beki heard Hinata leave, she climbed in the shower and turned on the water. Her arms hurt from holding off the assassin so long. Her eyes still burned when she blinked and there were little nicks on her face where the gravel had grazed her. Otherwise, Beki had escaped that attack unscathed. Her initial reaction was one of pride and accomplishment. She had singlehandedly held off a would be assassin. Now that she had some time to stew, however, Beki knew Neji was right. Even if Beki could hold her own, she needed to be more cautious. If something happened to her, it would start a war. Everyone would get drawn into it: her dad, Tsunade, Uncle A, even Gaara. Not to mention how much her teammates and her Konoha friends would miss her.

After she finished up, she got into her most comfortable pajamas. Hinata was waiting for her in the room with two cups of steaming hot tea. Beki sat down on the futon across from her and took the outstretched cup. It must have been something they put together special, because unlike when they ordered room service during the day, it was in those paper travel cups coffee shops would give you.

Beki took a cautious sip and shot Hinata an inquisitive look. "This is not hotel tea."

Hinata smiled warmly. "You said you had a bad day. I ran across the street and got some better tea from a shop."

"Thank you Hinata," Beki smiled. "This means a lot." The two sipped their tea in silence. It was rich and flowery, a lavender chamomile if Beki's guess was correct. The hot liquid was soothing and took off some of the edges on Beki's nerves.

"Okay, now are you ready to tell me what happened, or do you need some more time?" Hinata asked.

"Someone tried to kill me today," Beki kept her eyes on the floor. She already knew how Hinata would react.

"What?!" Hinata reached out and put her hand on Beki's knee. "Beki, are you okay?"

Beki nodded. "They weren't very good. I mean, they threw gravel in my eyes but other than that I was able to fend them off on my own."

"Did you talk to the police?" Hinata shook her head. "This is terrible. Do you think it has something to do with the finals?"  
Beki sighed. "That's the only thing it could be. I won't go out again until the finals."

"No, you can't," Hinata shook her head. "And you shouldn't be left alone either. We'll tell the senseis tomorrow morning. We're supposed to be protecting you…"

Hinata gave her a worried look. "I'm really glad you're okay. I'm not going to leave you alone again."

"You don't have to do that, Hinata," Beki smiled. "I'm a big girl. Like I told you, I fought him off on my own. As long as I'm in the hotel, I should be okay."

"It's not worth the risk," Hinata said. Beki opened her mouth to protest again and Hinata held up a finger in warning. "I am going to protect you and if you try to stop me, so help me Beki I will block your tenketsu and you can just be a vegetable in this room until the finals."

Beki blinked and held up a hand in surrender. "Okay, okay, guard dog Hinata is on duty."

"Darn right she is," Hinata struggled through the first word as if saying the semi curse actually caused her physical pain.

Beki smiled. Hinata was a really good friend. It was a shame Ren couldn't be here with them. She would be eating this all up.

After they finished their tea the girls climbed into their futons. Beki stared up the ceiling certain sleep would never come. Reliving the experience three times, with the police, Neji, and with Hinata, had torn down the thing wall Beki had erected in her mind to shield herself from the trauma. Beki had been in plenty of life or death fights on missions, but the idea that someone specifically set out to kill her in broad daylight was disturbing. It meant that it was personal and that frightened her. Her dad was an ambassador, she got people targeting him. It was a reflection of his status as a politician. Beki, on the other hand, had always believed she was just a nobody. She didn't know who or why, but she was a threat to someone. Now all Beki could think about was finding out the who and why.

"Thinking about it will just make you feel worse," Hinata small voice was a welcome interruption. "Think happy thoughts, like puppies and flowers."

Beki didn't say anything. She knew that what Hinata really thought about when she was down was Naruto. He was her inspiration and her light in the darkness. Beki didn't have anyone like that. While she stewed on her situation, she heard a soft shuffling and then felt the warmth of another body press against her back. Hinata slung an arm around her waist.

"Please be more careful, Beki," Hinata gave her a squeeze. "You're my best friend."

Duh, Beki thought. I do have a person like that. I have Hinata.

"You're my best friend, too," Beki said in the darkness. "I promise I'll be more careful."

Within minutes, peaceful dreamless sleep found them both.


	43. The Finals pt 1: The Doll and the Maiden

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait between chapters. This one took a little longer due to the world building for the finals. Hopefully the rest of the finals will be a little easier to write now that that part is over with. I really look forward to hearing what you all think of this chapter, and I really appreciate those of you who have been sending me reviews in the meantime. It's been helpful getting your feedback and encouragement when I hit a writing wall. Enjoy!**

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A light snow had fallen during the night, which Beki would have normally considered a bad omen, but she prayed it meant that her mother was with her on the first day of the finals. A representative of Kumogakure had come to her the night before with an envelope containing the name of her opponent and what match she would be participating in. Her instincts had been right. They were culling the Getsu ninja.

Hinata had been hovering around her all morning. Bags had been triple checked, straps had been adjusted, and spines had been realigned. Beki stood before the mirror in their hotel room in her snow white uniform. She could swear it was another person staring back. To finish the Asou look, Beki had done her hair more similarly to her mother. Instead of her usual loose long braid, Beki wore it tight and pulled back from her face, giving her a more severe look. Fear and anxiety had been nagging at her ever since she received the envelope with the matchup. In the bathroom where she was away from everyone, Beki let it wash over her.

One minute, she thought. One minute where I lose control. Then it's back out there with the best game face possible.

When she stepped back out of the bathroom, Hinata shot her a look of concern. No matter how convincing Beki's game face was, she couldn't hide her black hair.

…

The walk to the arena was full of tension. Competitors were expected to be there waiting in the wings for hours before the matches actually began. Their escorts could either seat themselves in the arena or return later during the actual matches. I hope there isn't one waiting room for all of us, Beki thought.

The arena was similar in size to the one in Konoha with the main exception being that there was an actual fighting ring in the middle. Maintenance workers were busy scraping ice off of the raised platform of carved mountain rock. The stands themselves were large enough to fit at least a few thousand people, and then the VIP boxes set in the middle of one of the walls could accommodate at least twenty officials. Beki knew places like this had all sorts of service rooms, hallways, and basements for an untold number of staff. She was in the big leagues now.

The Konoha shinobi not participating in the tournament were turned away at the gate. The Getsu shinobi and the two Konoha shinobi in the finals were led to a dugout that reeked of stale sweat set into the field. Beki saw there were three other dugouts set around the arena. She detected movement in all of them.

"This is…this is uncomfortable," Daiske whispered to Beki. "I'm supposed to go up against Bo in like, the second match. I've got to sit in here with him and pray he doesn't make it look like I hanged myself."

Beki shook her head. "I think they're more gun shy after the run in during the second portion. Team Hunter will give us our space."

"Looks like Shinichi isn't fighting today," Daiske commented. "You'll get to save the surprise of your new outfit."

"You don't think he'll come watch his teammates fight?" Beki asked.

Daiske shook his head. "Not a chance. That guy has always hated crowds."

Beki could feel the heat of Yuu's gaze on her back. It was just a matter of hours until the two of them would be toe to toe in the ring fighting for honor, glory, and profit. Yuu had proven that she would do whatever it took to score the top spot in the chunin exams. She held no affection for anyone else from her village and so Beki had to prepare herself to do the same. Then again, Yuu had attempted to murder Beki's best friend inside a doll sarcophagus a few weeks ago. Beki was fairly certain she could tap into the rage and fear she felt that day and turn it on Yuu. If nothing else, Beki was going to make damn sure she busted as many of Yuu's dolls as she could. Even if Beki lost, the less of those deathtraps floating around, the better.

…

An hour or so later, a Kumogakure representative stepped down into the dugout and began explaining the rules of the tournament. It would be a "randomly selected" match up, wherein the winner would move on to the next tier. This process would continue until there was a final victor: the champion of that year's exam. During the fight, if a competitor was knocked out of the ring they would be automatically disqualified. The use of weapons and poisons were permitted, given that they were already present on the shinobi at the beginning of the match and were not time delayed in nature. He shared an anecdote of a maintenance worker losing a leg to a weapons cache someone had planted and forgotten about in the ring. It was neither interesting or memorable so Beki tuned most of it out.

No attacks were to be directed toward the stands, VIP boxes, or the dugouts. Also, any competitor that disregarded the commands of a Kumogakure representative were disqualified immediately. They all had to sign and thumbprint on a waiver that they understood all of the rules and that any infraction on these rules could be punishable by death or detainment.

After they had all signed, the representative climbed out of the dugout and walked over to the next one. My god, Beki thought. We have to wait for him to do this with everyone.

"Nervous, Beki-bear?" Yuu asked, her high collar barely covering the ugly scar Ren's bite had left on her neck. Beki tapped into Yasahiro's advice. Instead of replying Beki gave Yuu the biggest, sweetest smile she could muster. Yuu's own smile faded and she made a point of looking away.

Maybe my mom had the right idea after all, Beki thought.

…

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Kumogakure chunin exam finals!" The announcer's buttery voice blared through the speakers set up strategically around the stadium. "We would like to thank you all for joining us, however we would like to extend our deepest gratitude for the Kazekage joining us in person."

Beki leaned out of the dugout a little. Up in the VIP boxes she could barely make him out in his red coat.

"That being said, we know you have all been waiting very patiently for the finals to begin. We have a fantastic lineup this year, isn't that right, Yoko?"

"Boy, is it," the female announcer chimed in. "Multiple villages have made it to the finals this year: Suna, Getsu, Konoha, and some of our own Kumogakure shinobi. I have to admit, though, I am especially excited about a few of our participants this year."

"Could you be referring to one of the competitors in this first match, perhaps?" The male announcer asked coyly.'

"How did you know, Shu?" Yoko tittered and Beki rolled her eyes. "So that being said, let's go ahead and give our guests some of the stats on our first match up."

"Ayakashi Yuu is a fifteen-year-old competitor from Getsugakure that specializes in weaponized dolls," Shu explained. "I hear that she operates them similarly to puppeteer shinobi."

"That's such a unique blend of the feminine and the powerful! Such an elegant way to do the dirty work of shinobi," Yoko added.

"Is it going to be like this the whole time?" Beki asked Daiske. "If I have to listen to this the whole time…I think I get why they banned attacking the boxes."

"This will be really distracting if they do this during a fight," Daiske nibbled his nails. "How the hell am I supposed to hear Bo coming over this racket?"

Beki shrugged and shook her head angrily.

"Okay, I know we aren't supposed to pick favorites, and honestly it's not even that it's a favorite, but the other competitor, Tsukimori Haruka is the one I'm excited to see," Yoko said. "I was a young girl when I saw both her father and mother fight in this very same such arena. They were power players for sure."

"Yes, the sixteen-year-old Tsukimori Haruka has a lot to live up to in terms of her parent's legacy. It's said she has inherited her mother's kekke genkai, a water based ninjutsu?" Shu asked.

"That's what the reports tell us," Yoko said. "Dolls vs. water. That's not a match up you see every day."

"Well, I'm excited to see it. I'm sure our guests are. Why don't we get this started then?"

The crowd cheered.

"You two, come on," A kumo shinobi had walked in the dugout from a door in the back. Yuu and Beki silently followed him into one of those hidden arteries of the stadium. He motioned for Beki to go left at a fork and Yuu to go right. Beki followed a long nondescript hallway until it opened up into an archway into the arena. The cheering down from up in the stands was a cacophony at the end of the tunnel and the bright light of day was blinding. Beki felt her heart rate pick up speed and the familiar cold clamminess creep down her spine. She didn't need a mirror to know that her hair had turned black. Wearing white was such a bad idea, Beki realized. The lack of color would blanche her even more. She would look like a corpse out there.

She took one more deep breath and gathered her courage. It's just Yuu, Beki. You can take Yuu. Beki took a step out into the snow of the arena. The blood pounded in her ears. All she wanted to do was run for that platform and get this over with, but she knew these people wanted a show. Right now she wasn't Beki. It was like the announcers said, she had a reputation to live up to. People here were expecting something from her, something great. A great shinobi didn't run into the ring and shake like a lamb. Beki slowed her pace to a confident saunter. Instead of dropping her head, she looked dead ahead through the stands, picturing the sun rising above the clouds like she was on top of the world again. Her first step into the ring was when she realized the stands had almost gone silent.

 _Your mother killed their sons and daughters, Beki. Their brothers and sisters. Then she juggled their heads._

Beki would never do those things. Right now, she needed them to think she would. She needed the other competitors to feel this fear, this anxiety, and to learn from it. The more off their game they were the better she would do. The better she performed, the better Getsugakure and her father would look.

The voice of one emphatic older woman broke the silence. "BOOOO" she cried. A hush swept across the already silent crowd. Beki stared at the woman long and hard. They're waiting to see what I'll do, Beki thought. They think I'm going to freeze her solid and break her body down to dust. I can't do that, but I can smile. Beki repeated the smile she had given Yuu earlier.

The effect was instantaneous. The combination of the three quarters activated Drowned Maiden mode with the completely irrational smile was chilling. Beki was a wraith, death itself smiling up at them. The crowd broke into a frenzy of hushed conversations and the heckler fell back silently.

"They hate you," Yuu's voice broke Beki's concentration. "They see what we all see. You're a monster, Haruka. You always have been."

"Save it, Yuu." Beki stared her down. "Don't try to justify your own actions by condemning others. You'll pay for what you did in front of all these people."

"You're a hypocrite, too," Yuu smiled. "This is going to be fun."

…

"So you and Beki have met, huh?" The Raikage asked Gaara without facing him. "I've known her since she was this tall," He held up his hand down by his knee. "You met her dad yet?"

The tone the Raikage used was almost threatening. Gaara supposed that since the Raikage knew Beki since she was young he felt protective of her. He thought back to their conversation in the hopes he could find something to direct attention away from his relationship with Beki. Then he remembered the nickname.

"When we met at the café, you called her 'Moonshine'," Gaara said. "Where did that nickname come from?"

A sighed. "It was impossible to keep that girl in pants. We called her that because she was always running around in her teddy bear undies."

Kankuro started to laugh but choked it back into a cough. Gaara stared forward while keeping his face as still as possible. "She still does," He said under his breath.

"What did you say?" A asked.

"What a funny story that was," Gaara pretended to repeat. Their attention was called back to the match by the announcers beginning the countdown. The Kazekage smiled to discretely to himself. He had something new to tease Beki about.

…

"…GO!"

Before the announcer had finished speaking, Beki had extended the claws of her gauntlets and Yuu had whipped out a scroll. That's a fine loophole on the rules, Beki thought. Yuu was using a summoning scroll. Beki lunged in an attempt to interrupt the process. If she could toss that scroll out of the ring, Yuu would be unable to use her dolls and therefore would have to surrender.

Yuu didn't flinch. She watched Beki's approach with a smug look on her face while opening the scroll. As Beki entered spitting range Yuu bit her thumb and swiped the fresh blood on the scroll, her thumb making a hissing sound as it dragged across the parchment. A puff of smoke erupted and Beki had just enough time to withdraw as the dolls formed a protective ring around Yuu.

Dammit, Beki thought. The last time she had fought Yuu's dolls things hadn't gone so well. This time around Beki didn't recognize any of the dolls Yuu had summoned. There was a good chance that was because Ren had done a fair job busting up all the ones Yuu had used in the caves. The question nagging at Beki was whether or not the dolls Yuu had used in the second portion were her best or if she had saved those for the finals. Beki examined the dolls for any clues as to their purpose. When they were in the academy, Yuu had used a color coding system, red for fire, purple for poison, and gray for smoke. Beki was certain Yuu would have grown out of such a simplistic methodology as a genin, however. The only solution would be to systematically approach each doll and see what it did. If multiple dolls shared a function, Beki would have to look for shared characteristics.

"Heads up, Haruka!" Yuu chucked a fist sized kokeshi doll over her wall of dolls.

Beki's first instinct was to catch it but she dodge-rolled away just in case. The kokeshi doll Yu had thrown exploded on impact, sending a flurry of shrapnel in every direction. Beki felt the bite of splintered wood grazing the arm she had used to shield her face. She picked them out and looked up to see another doll headed her way. Instead of rolling out of the way again, Beki put her plan into practice. She lunged at the first doll.

"I guess this means Tsukimori prefers the direct approach," Yoko said.

The doll's head followed Beki's movement, and once she was in range it spewed fire out of its smiling mouth. Beki changed direction right into the path of the next doll. It reacted with lightning speed, throwing its arms open to reveal a cavity full of spinning saws on arms. Beki back flipped away as the arms struck out randomly in a cone in front of the doll. Before Yuu had a chance to begin throwing doll grenades at her again, Beki lunged for the next doll. The polka dots on the dolls kimono turned out to be barrels loaded with senbon. Beki sidestepped the projectiles as they whizzed by.

"Whoa, I would say that's a pretty dangerous strategy," Shu said. "It looks like Ayakashi's dolls are for more than just show. I have no idea how Tsukimori is going to get close enough to use those gauntlets."

"Maybe we'll get to see some interesting ninjutsu," Yoko offered.

Yuu seemed to realize what Beki was doing because she had ever other doll move backward into the circle of dolls and switch places. Beki smiled to herself. Yuu's pride in her craftsmanship would be her undoing. Each and every one of the dolls had a distinctive kimono in various combinations of colors and patterns. Beki took a moment to assess the kimonos again. No, that isn't it, she thought. No two of these are the same. As Beki avoided another flurry of doll grenades she thought about the dolls. What did they all have that was similar? She stopped in the middle of the ring and looked at them hard. The kimonos hid their feet, their hands were identical, Yuu had painted each of their faces the same, and it looked like they all had one of four hairstyles. Beki's eyes widened and she smiled. It was the hair.

Yuu had noticed Beki's hesitation and took advantage by launching a crateful of doll grenades at her. Beki dove forward toward the dolls to avoid it and Yuu smiled to herself. Now that the order of the dolls had changed, Beki would run right into the arms of her most lethal creations.

"Whoa, that's a lot of bombs!" Shu chuckled. "Bombs away! I guess you could say she's the 'bomb'!"

"That was bad…" Yoko said just loud enough for the mic to pick up.

What hair did the fire breathing doll have? Beki scanned the group until she recognized the first doll she had charged. Its hair was in a short bob. Beki bobbed out of the path of the doll in front of her, which had long straight unadorned locks in favor of the nearest fire breathing doll. Time to test my theory, Beki thought as she ducked beneath its mouth.

The doll let out a horizontal spray of ignited oil and Beki smiled to herself as she felt tiny droplets sizzle on her skin and harmlessly on her shirt. Once it's spray ended, Beki stood up and body slammed into the man sized doll, toppling it helplessly to the ground. Beki stood on the back of the overturned doll and smiled down at the slack jawed Yuu.

"She did it!" Yoko cried triumphantly. "Tsukimori broke through the dolls!"

"I figured out your dolls, Yuu," Beki's tone was so dark and threatening it surprised even her. I guess I really am pissed about Ren, Beki thought as she stepped down into the inner ring.

"Is that so?" Yuu reached into her kimono and put on a mask with a wig that looked like a kokeshi doll. The dolls began to make a grinding noise and the one beneath Beki's feet started rocking. Beki leapt backwards, unsure if there was a self-destruct mechanism. Before her eyes, the kimonos on the dolls rotated inside their wood frames and turned themselves around so they were all identical. They were all red with a pattern of white flowers. Next, the adornments on their hair, the buns, the bows, and the extensions retracted within the dolls so they all had the same black bob.

"What's this?" Shu cried. "It looks like all those dolls are changing clothes!"

"They were all so different before," Yoko added. "They were all so pretty and unique before. Now they all look the same and its seriously unsettling. Can you imagine having to look at an army of those things?"

"I think Tsukimori is having those same thoughts now. Look at her face," Shu said.

Beki's eyes widened. That was exactly what Yuu's mask had looked like. The dolls started to shake and then launched in all directions, landing all around the edge of the ring. They turned and faced inward. Beki was surrounded by murderous dolls she couldn't identify and one dangerous shinobi who now had the drop on her.

"So this is where things get difficult," Yuu's voice was muffled behind her mask. The dolls all moved forward several feet in unison. Beki whirled around as they moved, trying to detect one that was different than the others. Fighting the dolls would be useless; it had taken Ren tearing her body apart to destroy five of them. The only way Beki would get out of this in one piece would be if she could take down Yuu.

"Tsukimori is in some serious trouble," Shu said. "Before she was on the attack and Ayakashi was on the defense."

"The tables have been completely turned. Tsukimori is a close range fighter, meaning she depends on her ability to do massive damage to a single target." Yoko explained. "By giving her twenty targets, most of which will shred her on approach, Ayakashi has neutered her."

The dolls moved in closer, locking Beki in completely. There was a hiss and several of the dolls spewed smoke into the ring. Beki choked on the contaminated air and hit the deck instinctively as a flurry of saws and senbon flew through the air. At the end of the barrage, Beki heard the grinding of wood on the ground that indicated the dolls were closing in.

"I guess once the smoke clears we can send in the cleaning crew," Shu's voice was full of disappointment. "What a shame."

"I wouldn't count Tsukimori out just yet," Yoko said.

Wait, Beki thought. It wouldn't be the best show of force the chunin exams had ever seen, but she had a way of smoking out the real shinobi from the dolls. For most of the fight, Beki had been teetering on the brink of becoming the full Drowned Maiden to conserve chakra. Now that the situation was desperate enough, she let the floodgates of her fear and anxiety wash over her. Beki got back on her feet and let out a high pitched blood curdling scream. One of the dolls on Beki's left cringed and she lunged for it with her claws out. She tore at the mask, rending it from Yuu's face and leaving her with diagonal wounds across her pretty face. Yuu screamed in horror at Beki's full transformed face as Beki retracted the blades and socked her across the face. Yuu kept screaming as the smoke cleared. Beki stood over her as the dolls poofed away one by one. With her chakra expended and her concentration broken, Yuu was a sitting duck.

"There it is!" Yoko cried. "The Drowned Maiden!"

"Is that what that _thing_ is…?" Shu's voice was soft, as though he were afraid the Drowned Maiden would turn it's attention to him. "God help Ayakashi…"

"God can't save her," Yoko sounded like she was enjoying herself. "Whether she lives or dies is up to the Drowned Maiden."

Beki reached down and picked up Yuu by the collar with one hand and held up her gauntlet, claws extended on the other. Beki really didn't want to kill Yuu, but she almost didn't have a choice at this point.

"No!" Yuu screamed. "PLEASE! I SURRENDER. I SURRENDER!"

"And that's it everyone!" Yoko cheered. "Tsukimori Haruka is the victor!"

Beki threw Yuu to the ground and looked down at her. Yuu's face was ugly now, covered with cuts and blood and twisted into an expression of terror.

"Consider us even for what you did to Ren," Beki retracted her claws. "But if you ever raise a hand to her or Daiske again, I will find you and nothing you make will ever be strong enough to protect you."

…

"They're acting all scared but she didn't do shit," A scoffed. "It looks scary and all but Beki isn't using that ability to it's full potential."

"What do you mean?" Gaara asked. "Does it have some sort of offensive capability she's unaware of?"

A shrugged. "I can't say for sure, but I saw her mother fight and let's just say based on that Beki has the potential to kill half this arena."

One of the assistants stepped in. "Twenty till the next match. Raikage sama, can I speak to you for a moment?"

A excused himself, leaving Kankuro and Gaara relatively alone. A's assistants on the other side of the room were busy with their own conversation.

"Damn, Beki's creepy when she uses that thing," Kankuro shook his head. "No wonder they were all freaked out at the beach."

"It's really not that bad," Gaara sighed. "I'm pretty sure I've looked worse."

Kankuro shrugged. "I guess so. But I tell you what, that doll chick was hot. Do you think I have a shot? We have a lot in common."

Gaara stared straight ahead. "Didn't you hear the announcer? She's fifteen. Are you looking to abuse your status as head of security by picking up jailbait?"

"Harsh," Kankuro frowned. "It's hard to find good looking puppeteers, you know."

"Oh, I know," Gaara said without skipping a beat. "I have to look at you every day, after all."

…

Beki hopped back into her dugout as medics carried away Yuu. Bo glared her down but said nothing. Daiske slapped her on the back. "Good job, Beks."

"That's one win for Team Honey," Beki said and then looked Bo right in the face with her corpse eyes. "Make it two for two."

Bo stared off ahead without uttering a word, but the vein pulsating in his clenched jaw told Beki she had gotten under his skin. He had always been close with Yuu. Arguably, she was the only friend he had, if you could call them friends. She was the only one who ever bothered to talk to him or include him in anything. Objectively one could say Team Hunter should really be called Shinichi and Team Hunter. Beki didn't know if Shinichi was watching but she was certain he wouldn't care half as much about Yuu as Bo clearly did. There was a chance that after the chunin exams were over, if they had both lost, Shinichi would never work with Bo and Yuu again.

"I have to admit, Yuu's strategy was pretty good," Daiske sensed the tension and tried to break it before a fight broke out.

"Strategy isn't worth a damn if you can't fight," Beki poked at Bo's seething rage. "Sucks to suck."

Bo walked back towards the doors that led to the tunnels to the arena. He was clenching and unclenching his fists. Good, Beki thought. He'll be good and off his game when he goes up against Daiske. Maybe that would be enough to save her teammate from an almost certain death.


	44. The Finals pt 2: The Knife in the Dark

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait between chapters, but I'm afraid that's probably going to be standard for a while. As I've mentioned in other chapters, I had written a good portion of this story before I began publishing it here. At this point I have officially run out of preconceived material, so everything you see here is made to order. The tournament scenes also are a little more difficult to write because of the nature of writing a fight that doesn't come off like a laundry list of punches being thrown. Without any further ado, please enjoy this next installment of ToTM. Also, I really appreciate the time you have take to throw feedback my way. I've received reviews and PMs from several of you, and I absolutely love hearing from you guys. It brightens my day and ultimately leads to better writing on my end. So, keep it coming.**

* * *

The crowd was still in an uproar from Beki's match. Inside the tunnel, Daiske was deafened by the noise. His brain was going wild trying to hone in on a single voice, to understand something within the noise. Through all the conversations and all the different voices, one word seemed to keep breaking through: Monster.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen!" Shu's voice broke through the thunder of the crowd. "Our next match will begin in five minutes!"

Daiske wrapped and unwrapped his kusarigama chain in his left hand. The ball bearing at the one end barely resembled a ball anymore. It was so dented and scratched it looked like a raisin now. The sickle end he took better care of. The blade was so clean when it caught the light it was blinding. Daiske had sharpened the blade this morning so aside from the few nicks that came with age, it was in pristine condition.

He knew he should be focusing on his own match but Daiske couldn't help but dwell on Beki's. She had come so far in the year she had spent in Konoha that he had to assume she had been training the whole time. Beki had never been dead weight on the team, however now her performance made him feel self-conscious.

No, Daiske. Don't do this to yourself, he thought. You know you're good. Good enough to beat Borei.

His shaky self-confidence wasn't helped by how aggressively Beki had antagonized Borei. Growing up, Borei had always been that kid everyone avoided, even the teachers. In spite of his silence, there was a disquiet around him. It made people uneasy being in his presence. That is, if they noticed him. He had possessed innate gifts in stealth long before he became a shinobi and although he had never been popular, Borei was undoubtedly gifted.

Daiske had always been the middle of everything. Middle of his class, middle child, middle achiever. Not great and not terrible at anything. Normally this wasn't an issue, he could hide between the much more distinguished shinobi on his team. Here in the chunin exams, however, his mediocrity would be put on display.

"Would the competitors for the second match please enter the ring?" Yoko's voice was piercing as it echoed through the tunnel.

"So who do we have here?" Shu could be heard shuffling papers. "This kid doesn't have a last name. It's just Borei. Sixteen years old, stealth specialist from Getsugakure."

"How mysterious," Yoko purred. "And he'll be up against Sasaki Daiske, a sixteen-year-old ninjutsu specialist from Getsugakure."

Daiske stepped out into the light and stood there a moment while his eyes adjusted. As soon as he could see his heart dropped into his stomach. There were so many people and their eyes were all on him as he walked into the arena. Borei was already there, as if he had always been in that one spot waiting for this moment. His aloof confidence was as unnerving as ever. They stood staring at each other, or at least Daiske was staring at Borei. Bo just looked right through him as if he wasn't there.

"We will now begin our match countdown," Shu called out. "Ten…Nine…"

…

Come on Daiske, Beki thought, clenching her fists. You can do this.

"…seven…six…"

…

"Are you sure you're well enough to be here?" Hinata put a steadying hand on Ren's back. Ren shrugged her off and put her full weight on her crutch.

"Beki kicked Yuu's ass yesterday and I wasn't here to see it," Ren growled. "Nothing could keep me away from watching Daiske and Beki wipe the floor with the rest of Team Hunter."

"…five…four…"

Hinata had no idea what Yo had told the staff at the hospital to get Ren to the finals because Hinata didn't think she was fit to be there. Her left arm was in a full cast, the right arm was casted from the elbow down, and the right leg was in a brace from the knee down. Ren was supporting all of her weight on her good left leg and the crutch under her right arm. It looked like if a strong enough breeze came by she would crumble. Hinata hovered closely to her in order to catch her if she stumbled. She wasn't one of the Konoha shinobi, but Ren was Beki's friend, and as Beki's other best friend, it was Hinata's job to take care of Ren for Beki.

"Lee," Ren barked at him, to which he jumped to attention.

"Yes!"

"Did you smuggle in that megaphone?" Ren held out her good arm so her weight was supported on the crutch jammed in her armpit. Lee reached under his seat and held out the megaphone to her.

"Good idea, Ren! Say something inspirational for Daiske!"

…

"DAISKE!"

The familiar voice tore through the crowd almost to the point of rivaling the announcers. Daiske's head jerked up in the direction of the call. I must be imagining it, he thought. Ren is still in the hospital.

"DAISKE, LISTEN UP! MAKE BO CRY. I WANT TO SEE HIM CRY GIRLY LITTLE TEARS AND BEG FOR MERCY! TAKE HIS STUPID BEANIE AND SHOVE IT DOWN HIS UGLY STUPID THROAT!"

During the rant, Daiske caught sight of an angry child on a crutch with a megaphone struggling against a Kumogakure shinobi. He smiled and felt his eyes well up. Of course Ren would be here to support him. If she could drag herself out of the hospital in three casts, he could fulfil her request.

…TWO! ONE! BEGIN!"

Wordlessly, Bo stepped backward and instantly began to fade out of focus. Daiske dropped some of the length of his chain and began to spin it, letting the momentum build until Bo came back into a focus a few feet away with his knife drawn. Daiske launched the ball end of his kusarigama at him to catch his ankles but Bo disappeared again. Instantly Daiske was pulling the chain back toward him. When Bo reappeared he was nowhere near where he had started.

"How is he doing that?" Yoko asked in disbelief. "I've seen camouflage jutsu used before, but this is on another level. It's almost like…he stops existing or something."

"Psh. That's as crazy as saying he can disappear into a pocket dimension temporarily to let attacks phase through him and then passes back into our reality when it's convenient," Shu chuckled.

"Who would want a power like that?" Yoko asked. "That sounds like cheating."

"Even if a technique like that did exist, it would take a metric ton of chakra," Shu said.

"What, like how the Uzumaki clan are rumored to possess huge chakra reserves? Like that?" Yoko asked.

"We all know the Uzumakis were wiped out. There isn't a single Uzumaki left," Shu said. "It doesn't look like our friend Sasaki is doing so well."

Shit, Daiske thought. I can't control Borei's movement. I have to do something about his stealth before he can get in close enough to shank me. He could sense something moving at him fast so Daiske leapt in the direction Bo had originally been in. From their fight in the caves, Daiske had noticed Borei liked to move in a circle around his opponent, so it was a safe bet that his previous location was unoccupied.

"I hate to say this but this match is kind of boring," Yoko grumbled.

"Not every match can be a rare kekke genkai user and a theatrical shinobi," Shu said. "A lot of shinobi combat in the field comes down to endurance and skill. Who can outlast who, or who can get the fatal blow first."

"I guess," Yoko sighed. "Is it so much for a girl to ask for? Explosions and costumes?"

"Yoko, a shinobi is supposed to be stealthy," Shu argued. "In essence, if a ninja is detected on a job they've failed."

Daiske perked up. That was it. He needed to take away Borei's stealth. He began forming hand signs and sent an unavoidable wave of mud across the ring. It wiped a good portion of his chakra but once he could see Bo he could just mess him up with the kusarigama.

When the mud coated Borei all over he stopped dead. The brown murk covered him from head to foot in one solid coat so he looked like a giant chocolate version of himself. Borei raised his hands and looked at them, turning them over and then picking at his clothes to survey the damage. Daiske began to spin his chain and position himself for his next attack.

"I forfeit."

Borei's voice was strong and firm but he said it as casually as though turning down a refill from a waitress.

"Wait, what?" Daiske stopped swinging the kusarigama. "Why?!"

Borei looked at Daiske and gestured to himself in one sweeping motion then began to walk off the stage.

"YOU QUIT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SNEAK UP ON ME?!" Daiske threw his chains to the ground. "NO! YOU GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT!"

"I'm a stealth specialist," Borei said as he walked back into his tunnel. "No stealth, no fight."

I won, Daiske thought. I should be happy but I still feel like he insulted me. The crowd wasn't cheering. They were all mumbling to each other trying to figure out what happened.

"Well that was…weird," Shu said.

"See? I told you. Boring match," Yoko sighed. "Sasaki Daiske of Getsugakure is the winner by default."

"ATTA BOY DAISKE!" Ren's megaphone had been taken away but she had rolled up a notebook to nearly the same effect. "HE LOOKED SO STUPID! I TOOK LIKE EIGHTY PICTURES! I'M GONNA MAIL THEM TO YOUR MOM!"

Ren, please stop, Daiske thought as he smiled and waved to the confused crowd.

…

"After that…brief matchup, we're pleased to announce a much anticipated faceoff between two members of the same clan," Shu announced. "I should let Yoko take over. She's practically shaking with excitement."

"This match is going to be between Tsukimori Haruka and her younger cousin Shinichi Tsukimori," Yoko explained. "He's just a year behind her age wise."

"Well that doesn't seem fair," Shu said. "Won't it kind of be bullying?"

"No," Yoko chuckled. "Shinichi is the heir apparent of the Tsukimori clan. Not to mention although he's only 15, the kid clocks in at almost double Haruka's weight and is over two meters tall."

"So not a baby cousin," Shu replied. "Well, I'm interested to see what Shinichi will bring to the table here. He demonstrated masterful skill in his match against the Iwagakure representative yesterday."

"The question is; can it hold up against the legendary power of the Drowned Maiden?" Yoko asked.

"Well everyone, I'm sure you feel rather strongly one way or the other," Shu said. "Betting is still open until the match officially begins in fifteen minutes. Take the time to let your opinions be known-"

"And to stock up on more of that delicious takoyaki," Yoko chimed in.

Beki wrung her hands in the dugout. Daiske was done fighting for the day so they let him change and join the fans out in the stands. She could barely make him out standing with Ren and the Konoha shinobi out in the crowd. It was crappy how he had won his match but that didn't change the fact that it was a victory. Beki secretly wished that Shinichi would have a freak change of heart or befall some sort of strange accident before their match. It would be one thing to fight her cousin in an alley somewhere, to battle out their differences man to man. Here in this arena, however, their differences were put on display. They were representing more than just themselves so there was no way it would end well. Their pride wouldn't allow either of them to back down for any less than total domination.

Self-consciously, she checked over her outfit to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything. After the match the day before, Beki had cleaned all of Yuu's blood off so she looked presentable for today's match. Whatever material the shirt was made of was incredibly easy to clean. She had taken a hot damp rag to it and the blood had just wiped off. Beki looked out at the crowd, at their excitement to watch two members of the same family bleed each other. Shinichi was in the dugout directly across from her. Even at this distance she could see the rage radiating off of him. Beki began strapping on her gauntlets. No matter how this match turned out, it was going to leave stains she was sure she could never completely erase.

…

"How is she?" Hinata asked in a whisper.

Neji activated his Byakugan and surveyed Beki in the dugout on the other side of the arena. "Her heart rate is elevated. She's fidgeting."

"Poor girl must be a nervous wreck," Hinata started to fidget herself. Neji watched them. Beki had picked up Hinata's habit of fidgeting with her hands. "I remember how I felt when I had to face you in the elimination round, Neji. I was just as much of a mess as she is."

Neji sighed. "That was different. We were different."

"It's kind of the same," Hinata said. "It was our two ways of thought facing off just as much as it was our bodies."

"I know I won that day, but in the end you were right," Neji said. "It just took another fight to beat it into me."

"I wish Naruto were here," Hinata sighed. "He would know what to say to help her feel better."

Neji put a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "I think you do just fine."

"Hey!" Ren swatted at Neji with her crutch. "I'm talking to you."

Neji narrowed his eyes at her. The already boisterous girl lost had lost all of her filter since she had left the hospital. It was the complete opposite of how one would expect someone with three casts to behave. "What is it, Ren?"

"You need to be ready at the end of this," She waggled the crutch at him. "Whether this match goes good or bad for her, Beki's going to be all bent out of shape emotionally. Your shoulder needs to be available to cry on. She likes having her hair petted while she cuddles. Don't try to tickle her or anything stupid like that until she's done crying. It makes her lash out and get all slappy." Ren leered at him. "Why aren't you taking notes? This is good shit!"

"I appreciate your efforts, Ren, but I'm quite capable of handling my friendship with Beki on my own," Neji folded his arms.

"I can't freaking believe you," Ren scoffed. "You are obviously smitten and you just act like its nothing. You are never going to meet a girl like her again, and I tell you what if you wuss out and let someone with more balls swoop in and steal her you will regret it for the rest of your life-"

One of the spectators who had been craning his neck to see the arena began to lose his patience. "Lady, can you take a seat already?"

Ren slowly turned on him and gave him a petrifying look. "Do you know how I ended up in three casts, buddy? I lunged on another shinobi and ripped a hunk of their neck out with my teeth," Ren smiled. "Do you want to see what I can do with my one good leg?"

The man got up and left the arena without another word. "Aw," Ren sighed as she took his seat. "What a sweetheart, he didn't have to leave his popcorn."

…

"Where have you been?" Gaara didn't pull his gaze from the tunnel across the arena where he saw Beki hovering in wait. "The match is about to begin."

Kankuro put a hand on the back of Gaara's chair and leaned around it so he blocked Gaara from the rest of the room. "Just grabbing some refreshments," He handed Gaara a bottle of water. After Gaara accepted it, he saw one too many receipts in his brother's hand. The Kazekage gave his brother an exasperated look, which for him amounted to narrowed eyes.

"You placed a bet?"

Kankuro held up a finger for silence. "I know you can't so I figured I'd throw some good vibes her way."

Gaara shook his head slightly in disdain and went back to watching the arena. "How were her odds?"

"Well, she isn't very popular," Kankuro said under his breath. "If she can pull this off I can build myself a puppet out of solid gold."

"As an homage to our father?" Gaara asked, a slight edge to his voice.

Kankuro shook his head. "No, Gaara, I was just using a metaphor to explain that I would win a lot of money off this bet. It would be stupid and wasteful to make a puppet out of gold."

"The match will begin shortly," Shu's voice came in through the speakers in the ceiling. "Would the competitors please enter the arena."

The Kazekage watched as Beki made her way into the ring. When he had seen her fight against the other Getsu kunoichi the day before, Gaara had been fairly impressed with Beki's abilities. That day she had been competent and confident; the whole audience seemed captivated by her. From experience he could tell that part of the awe they held for her was because they feared her Drowned Maiden form.

Today, however, her attitude was different. Beki stared her cousin down with her body locked and ready for combat. Gaara could sense that she was ill at ease and he found himself concerned for her safety. He had considered the well-being of his family and comrades in battle before, but in this situation he was powerless to protect her. His gaze fell on the form of Shinichi, his back to the VIP box, a halberd slung over his shoulder with the amount of effort a typical person would use to carry a backpack. Before he even knew Beki, Gaara had felt no threat from her. After seeing her Drowned Maiden form, he still did not consider Beki a threat. Something was off about her cousin, however. There was an arrogance to him that implied a lack of respect for his opponent, which in this case meant someone important to Gaara.

As the announcers began the countdown to the match, the Kazekage was less concerned about keeping up appearances as he was with what he could possibly do if Beki was seriously injured in the match to come.

…

"…Seven…" Shu's voice rang out almost happily through the arena. The announcer system is a sin, Beki thought. Here she was ready to face her fate and these two airheads were excited about it. This is why my dad is grouchy all the time, Beki thought. She imagined it felt the same way listening to diplomats joke about serious current events.

"…Five!"

Beki took the few precious seconds she had left to survey Shinichi. He had brought his halberd to this fight, probably with the intention of keeping her at a distance. She had spent plenty of time training against Seiichiro and she was certain her dad was a better weapons user than Shinichi. A kanabo was a blunt weapon, which allowed for a little room for error. Being grazed by a hunk of wood hurt, but it was a closed wound. Shinichi's halberd was just barely more blade than hilt, long enough and heavy enough to take out both a horse and a rider. If Beki was grazed by that gleaming edge more than once this would prove to be an easy win for Shinichi.

"…Three!"

Shinichi's eyes were burning coals piercing right through the façade Beki had put up for the crowd. As much as she pretended, Shinichi had known Beki their whole lives, and he knew better than anyone she wasn't Seiichiro or Yukihana. She was just Haruka and to him, she was just property. The way he looked at her made her feel like a disobedient dog he planned on reigning back in. That made her simultaneously furious and terrified. It wasn't that she thought he _could_ beat her, she was more afraid of what would happen if he _did_ beat her.

Beki would have to leave Konoha and lose all her friends, including her teammates. Shinichi would lock her up in the Tsukimori mansion with all the relatives who hated her with the pretense of her being a dignified wife. She would have to spend the rest of her life being treated like less than a person. She watched his cold gaze and imagined getting looked at like that every day for the rest of her life and a chill of fear went down her spine.

No, Beki thought. That isn't going to happen. I'm going to kick his ass, because I am the daughter of the two strongest shinobi of the last generation. My father wouldn't let anyone do this to him, nor would my mother. I'm going to win this match if it kills me, she thought.

"READY! BEGIN!"


	45. The Finals pt 3: Kishin

**Okay, this puppy is massive so I'll keep this short. I cranked this baby out in one day so I'm exhausted, but I'm really happy with it and I think you will be to. I love you all, thank you so much for sending me all the hilarious reviews (Ren is turning out to be one of the most popular characters in the story and is apparently a f**king savage. That made me laugh out loud in a crowded movie theater. Which I think is one of the reasons why you shouldn't have cell phones in the movie theater). Keep the reviews, pms, etc. coming. They are helpful, encouraging, and they earn you shout outs like this at the top of chapters. So, ToTMs, enjoy.**

* * *

Sweat had already began to bead on Beki's back as she stared down Shinichi. The announcers had just called the start of the match and neither of them had moved a muscle. Her cousin had shuffled his feet languidly and adjusted the halberd on his shoulder, never once taking his eyes off of Beki. The crowd had been silent but as the seconds grew into minutes with no action they began to talk. Beki built up her courage and began to circle him cautiously. Shinichi responded by snorting. He let go of the hilt and wrapped his arm around it instead, giving him an arrogantly casual look to him, as if he were waiting his turn for a sparring match.

"You see Haruka, the truth that I understand and these good people will soon figure out, is your weakness," Shinichi shrugged. "The fighting style you use is highly reactive. If I don't attack, you don't have an opening."

Play it cool, Beki, she thought. He's trying to psych you out. Keep playing cautious. That's the only way we can win.

Shinichi sighed and raised his halberd. Beki dropped into a semi crouch and prepared to rush him, but instead of making a move for her, Shinichi plunged the blade into the ground. It sang as the metal parted the stone. Beki's eyes darted from Shinichi to the halberd as she tried to anticipate his next move. He clapped his hands and rolled his shoulders with a sigh.

"I guess I won't even need this," he gestured to the weapon sheathed in the ground. Shinichi raised an arm over his head, stretched over to the other side, and then repeated the gesture with the opposite arm. "You know, I came here thinking this was going to be a challenge, but all I've seen-"

He was moving toward her so fast she barely had time to respond. It was a cheap tactic and she was furious with herself for falling for it. Beki flung up her arms in an X to protect herself from the overhand blow he had geared up for. Searing pain tore through her side as he sprang the fist he had tucked at his side forward into her ribs with the force of a truck. A gasp of pain escaped her lips but she focused through the pain and struck back. Beki popped her crossed arms forward, knocking into Shinichi's chest to give her some room. She followed with a kick to the chest, which Shinichi leaned backward out of range and then clapped his hands together around her ankle, trapping her. Without skipping a beat, Beki swung her other leg up in the air to kick at his face. Shinichi chuckled and shoved the trapped ankle away from him, throwing her off balance and forcing her to land on the arena floor hard.

Pain radiated from her hip and she scrambled to her feet. Between the throbs in her ears, she heard Shinichi laughing. Beki's face flushed with humiliation and she felt bile rising in her throat. He's toying with me, she thought.

"This…this is kind of embarrassing," Yoko's voice cut through Beki's thoughts. "It seems like he's playing with her."

"Maybe this is some kind of family tradition or something? A gag show?" Shu sounded incredulous.

"No, it feels like Haruka's coming at this with her all but Shinichi's not having it," Yoko said. "I used to try to fight my older brother, and he would put his hand on my forehead. My arms were too short, so I would just be swinging at air."

"Playing keep away, huh? I used to do that with my brother, too," Shu sighed. "I see what you mean. This does kind of have that feel."

Beki spat to get the bitter taste out of her mouth. "You know, I like that you wore white to our fight," Shinichi cracked his knuckles. "Seeing as all this is leading up to our long awaited nupitals. I mean, it wouldn't be traditional but if you wanted we could clean your blood off of it and you could wear that outfit to the wedding."

"I'll never wear white for you," Beki glared, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice.

Shinichi blinked at her in confusion and then shook his head. "Wait, you are still a virgin, right?"

"We really need to get microphones for our competitors," Yoko sounded annoyed. "I would kill to hear their conversation right now."

"Uh, I'd have to disagree with you there," Shu said. "Based on Haruka's face, I don't think anyone should have heard whatever he said."

Beki snapped her gauntlet's claws back inside and charged Shinichi. She dipped low and went to kick his knees out from under him. Shinichi effortlessly hopped over her drop kick and scooped her up from behind in one solid motion. He folded his arms tightly around her chest and upper arms and picked her up off of the ground so she was left kicking helplessly.

"What, I can't hug my cousin?" Shinichi's mocking tone set Beki's teeth on edge. She took a deep breath and snapped her head back in an attempt to break his nose. Beki felt him lean away and one of his hands shifted from her arm to her chest. He gave her left breast a squeeze and a chill ran down her spine. He's publicly humiliating me.

"Wow, you've grown a lot. It doesn't look like it in this suit but you're all packed in there-"

Beki slammed her feet into his kneecaps as hard as she could. Shinichi dropped her with a cry. She instantly spun around and threw a wild punch at his face. Shinichi angrily slapped the incoming hand away and planted a hard kick to the same hip she'd injured earlier, slamming her on the ground.

"I don't know if I can watch this," Yoko cried. "This is horrible."

"The ninja world is brutal, Yoko," Shu sighed. "Let's see if Haruka can recover."

…

"How is she doing?" Ren shook Neji's arm. "Is she okay?"

Neji activated his Byakugan and honed in on Beki. She was face down on the arena floor, her arms tucked into her body as she tried to build up the strength to pick herself back up. Hidden behind her arms, where the arena couldn't see hot tears streamed down her face. A dagger twisted in Neji's gut as he watched her struggle there and he was completely unable to do anything about it.

"She's strong," Neji said. "She'll be okay."

Hinata gave him a knowing look and twisted at the hem of her shirt. It was painful watching her friend get treated that way. It was Beki's fight, however, and Hinata had to have faith that her friend could turn this match around. Shinichi was a bully the way that Hidiki had been and Beki had proven before that bullies were no match for her. Hinata focused as hard as she could, reaching out into the ether in the hopes that their bond of friendship was strong enough to send a message. You can do this, Beki, Hinata thought. I believe in you.

…

Beki ground her teeth in rage. Shinichi was making a fool out of her in front of all these people. Here she was, lying face down on the ground. She hadn't even landed a significant blow on her opponent the whole length of the match. Worse yet, she was crying. The physical pain she felt was nothing next to the gut wrenching humiliation from being clobbered, manhandled, and publicly ridiculed. She hated Shinichi, but she hated herself even more. This was Beki's moment. It was her chance to shine and rise above all the bullshit Shinichi put her through. What was she doing? Crying, like a bitch.

Get up, the Maiden said. Behind her closed eyes, Beki saw the mangled form of her Drowned self. Hold nothing back, it said. Let your fear give you strength.

Unlike the usual transformation, the Drowned Maiden overcame her all at once. A shiver ran down her entire body from the top of her crown, along her spine, and down her legs until her toes tingled. The moment she raised her head from the floor, the sea of Beki's emotions twisting her face into something monstrous, the crowd went silent.

"There it is," Shinichi hissed. "Here is the Drowned Maiden I've heard so much about. Show me the legendary power of the Asou clan!"

Beki threw herself to her feet and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"This is when the fight gets real!" Yoko cried out. "Finally!"

Shinichi still had that smug look on his face. Beki was itching to tear it off with a swipe of her gauntlets. She opened her mouth again to scream but only water came out.

"Well that's attractive," Shinichi dropped down into a defensive stance and waved for her to attack. "Come on. Don't be shy."

The water that had been pouring forth from Beki's mouth had coated a good portion of the arena in a thin sheet. She charged her cousin and slid on the slickened surface with frightening speed, gauntlets out and ready to strike. The moment before impact, she saw tiny tendrils of electricity branching out around Shinichi's body. He slammed his hands into her solar plexus, knocking the wind out of her and sending waves of electricity over her body. She screamed out in pain as her body was knocked back to the other side of the ring. Beki landed on her side and rolled back up onto her hands and knees. It took a tremendous amount of effort to get herself back on her feet but she had decided she wouldn't give him the pleasure of watching her on the ground again.

Shinichi was watching her with a toothy grin. "Surprise!"

"What the hell was that?" Beki said under her breath.

"That, my dear, is the male heir's answer to the Maidens," Shinichi had heard her from the other side of the ring. "After the original Three Maidens died, the male heirs of each clan met in secret and developed a three pronged technique, the Kishin style, to shut down any Maidens that got out of hand. It's passed from clan head to clan head. As soon as I heard you had become the Drowned Maiden, I began to study the counter form."

Shinichi held up his hands in front of his chest. As he drew the hands apart, arcs of electricity jumped between his fingers. "Can you guess what it is?"

Beki's eyes widened in horror. Water conducted electricity and in her Drowned Maiden form, her skin was constantly coated in a layer of moisture. Worse yet, all that water she had spit up in the ring would conduct his attacks right to her.

Shinichi charged her suddenly, his fist raised and sparking. He dove, slamming his fist down on the water covered arena. Beki leapt into the air to avoid the arc only to be smacked down into the floor by Shinichi's follow up strike. The impact knocked the air out of her and as she gasped for breath Shinichi wrenched her jaw open and forced his walled between her teeth.

"Can't have you biting your tongue off," He said as he backed away dramatically. "It would be embarrassing for you to _drown_ in your blood."

Before Beki could roll to safety he sent another current through the water. Every muscle in her body seized and her vision turned bloody. There was a complete loss of control as electricity danced across her skin. Her heart began to race so fast she was sure it would explode. Part of her cheek had been between her teeth and the wallet and the shock made her bite down. She tasted blood and smelled her hair burning. Beyond the buzzing sound and the throb of her heartbeat Beki heard Shinichi laughing. She heard the announcers talking but it was all so far away. Her body was a prison and part of her prayed she would lose consciousness and wake up in her bed back home.

After what felt like an eternity, it stopped. Beki lay there on the arena floor with her heart still racing and her breath coming in gasps.

"I've got to give it to those old crotchety monks, that was damn effective," Shinichi sauntered over to her, leaning his face over hers. "Come on, dear. Just surrender already. It's not attractive to be stubborn."

Beki's vision was blurry, and as she looked up at Shinichi's form it looked to her like her father. His words suddenly came back to her from their training all those months ago: everyone knew she was the Drowned Maiden and would be ready for that. No one would expect her to use fire.

She leered up at Shinichi, gathering the strength to cast a ninjutsu.

"Is this it?" Yoko's voice rang out with disbelief. "Is this the end for the Drowned Maiden?"

"NOT A CHANCE!" Beki screamed, startling Shinichi into backing away a few steps and buying her enough time to get to her feet. She cast a fire ninjutsu that surrounded her in a ring of blue fire. Tiny tongues of flame licked at her hair and skin as the air temperature spiked around her, evaporating the water at her feet and drying her skin. The sudden change in temperature made her flesh tingle. Her eyes began to sting so she clenched them shut against the dry hot air. She watched as the blackness was expelled from her hair and how it curled in the presence of the sudden surge of heat.

Beki dispelled the ring of flames feeling rejuvenated. A small smile pulled at her lips as she saw Shinichi's expression of triumph sour.

"How did you do that?!" He screamed. "What ninjutsu was that?!"

"Nothing special," Beki stretched in an attempt to relieve the soreness setting in from her electrocution.

"No!" He cried again, despair creeping into his silver eyes. "The flames! How are they blue!"

…

Yasahiro shook his head and whistled. "That's a tough break."

Ren, Daiske, Hinata, and Neji all gave him incredulous looks. The rest of the group was too caught up in the fight to have heard him.

"What are you talking about?" Ren asked.

Yasahiro pointed at Beki. "Did you see that? How her fire jutsu is blue?"

"Her father's flames are the same color," Hinata offered. "Isn't it just part of the jutsu?"

"No," Yasahiro shook his head. "That particular phenomenon is called 'ghost fire'. Fire jutsu used by Tsukimori who carry the Burned Maiden gene is always that ethereal shade of blue."

Ren's eyes widened. "So that means that Shinichi-"

"Is pretty much heir to the Tsukimori clan in name alone," Yasahiro sighed. "It figures."

"What does this mean for Beki?" Hinata asked.

Yasahiro shrugged. "Right now, mostly nothing. In the long run, however, it means that if anything should ever happen the clan is going to rally around Beki and not the heir apparent."

"All because her flames are blue?" Daiske asked incredulously.

"No," Yasahiro chuckled. "Beki is already a Drowned Maiden. She carries the noble Asou bloodline and here she is using the ghost fire. Never in Getsu's history has there been a Maiden with multiple bloodlines."

Ren shook her head and narrowed her eyes. "Well, of course she does. Her mom was an Asou and her dad was a Tsukimori."

Yasahiro shook his head. "Wrong again. The clans have mixed before but the children born from those unions were always one or the other. Beki has just demonstrated she is a conduit for both the Drowned and Burned Maidens. You can see by his reaction, all of this is dawning on Shinichi." Yasahiro smiled. "This is going to set him off for sure."

…

Shinichi shook his head and stared at her in confusion as if his brain was unable to compute the sight before him. His hands began to shake so he clenched them until the knuckles were white. "How can this be…?" He said half to himself.

"That was fun," Beki spat a pink foam onto the arena floor. "Now it's my turn."

"It looks like Haruka is back in the fight!" Yoko cried out.

"Things are finally starting to get interesting!" Shu replied. "I love a good underdog story."

Beki's body felt broken. The impacts of being slammed repeatedly into the hard stone had done almost as much damage as the electrocution. If this were any other fight she would forfeit to save herself from accruing more injuries. Now that the battle had turned in her favor, however, Beki could finally see the way out. Her freedom from Shinichi and from pressure by her clan was within reach. She would push through the pain and fight like her life depended on it. Anyone who ever thought they could push Beki around would look back on this fight and say, "let's pick an easier target."

Shinichi still wasn't recovered from the shock of Beki's turnaround so she charged him at full speed. The sound of her approach finally snapped him from his stupor. He reached out and drew his halberd from the stone, swinging it in a mighty arc. Beki bent backward and slid on her heels under the shining blade. It almost touched the tip of her nose as it passed. Before he could recover she was on him, planting strikes into his ribs and back to bruise his kidneys and his spleen. Shinichi grunted in pain and jabbed backward with his hilt knocking Beki away.

Beki's fatigue was beginning to show. Shinichi's next swing almost caught her head on. Realizing her mistake, Beki dropped backward again so the tip of the blade only caught her on the underside of her chest. The sensation of the fabric parting on the underside of her breasts was accompanied by the winter cold rushing into her shirt. Once she had regained her stance, Beki checked the damage. The compression of her shirt still held the tops of her breasts in place but the milky bottoms were exposed. She sighed and shrugged to herself. There was nothing she could do about it and if she bothered trying to be modest about the situation it would probably cost her the match. They're only boobs, she thought.

The next strike of the halberd went wide and Beki took advantage of Shinichi's lack of focus by side stepping the blow. While he staggered, Beki took ahold of the hilt and slammed her forehead as hard as she could into the bridge of Shinichi's nose. He cried out and dropped the blade into her hands as he reached up to stop the blood spurting out his nostrils. Beki weighed the weapon in her hands. It was longer than her father's kanabo and much heavier, but she felt confident enough in their similarities to wield it.

"That had to hurt!" Shu exclaimed.

"Oh man," Yoko sighed. "There goes his pretty face. This is the second competitor in a row Haruka's gone for the face."

"Statistically speaking, she's getting better and better looking than her competition," Shu said.

Beki ran to the other side of the arena and charged him. Shinichi looked up at her in horror, unable to avoid the blow in time. He closed his eyes and readied himself for impact. Instead of running the bastard through with his own blade like she wanted to, Beki rammed the blade into the stone and used the momentum to swing around the hilt to deliver a powerful spin kick to Shinichi's chest. As his body flew out of the ring and onto the snow Beki locked her knees around the hilt and hung upside down. Shinichi opened his eyes and looked at her in terror. Beki remembered her uncle's advice and gave him a big smile. That was the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness.

The arena was silent from the crowd to the announcers. Beki dropped down onto her hands and kicked over onto her feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Shu's voice was shaky. "The winner by knockout is Tsukimori Haruka."

First, the mumbling kicked up until it was a deafening clamor. Then the cheers and the applause followed. Beki held her arms above her head in triumph, slowly turning to face all of the crowd. She smiled at the VIP box, knowing A and Gaara were behind the glass, and then turned her attention to her teammates and the Konoha shinobi. Beki waved at them, a euphoria washing over her as the adrenaline gave out. The rush made her dizzy and her vision blurred. Beki waved up until the moment that her knees gave out and the world went black.

…

Beki woke up in the hospital two days later. Rather, she had been slipping in and out of consciousness thanks to the painkillers they had pumped her full of since her admission. The staff had just weaned her off of the meds, so at last she was lucid. Everything about the world seemed too bright and shiny and every noise was unbearably loud. The doctor told Beki that she had sustained a cracked rib, deep bruising on her hip, and that the damage to her organs from the electric shock needed to be monitored before she could be released. They kept her hydrated and told her to minimize stress.

Ren was in the hospital for a check-up when they finally lifted the visitor's ban on Beki. She made a beeline to her friend's room and practically threw herself on the bed.

"You've had us worried sick," Ren bonked Beki on the head with her moveable arm. "No one could see you, and because your uncle isn't listed as a next of kin we couldn't find out what was wrong with you, either."

"Sorry?" Beki rubbed the top of her head. "So I guess I won't be participating in the remainder of the finals?"

"Nope, sorry champ," Ren shook her head. "But you took Shinichi out of the running, which is good enough for me. Also, rumor has it both the Raikage and the Kazekage are going to send word home on how baller you were in there. Like, hot damn Beki! When the hell did you get that good?!"

Beki rubbed the back of her head and gave Ren a lopsided grin. "I guess he just pissed me off is all."

"Pssh," Ren sighed. "Remind me to never piss you off."

"Says the girl in three casts because she literally punched her way out of a casket to attempt a murder on someone," Beki folded her arms and made a face at Ren.

"Okay, you got me there," Ren smiled.

"So what all happened after I lost consciousness?" Beki asked. "I can't remember anything."

Ren swung her good leg back and forth. "Well, they took both of you away for medical attention, you know, after they popped your boobs back in your shirt-"

Beki grimaced. "You're kidding. They actually fell out?"

"Yeah, I'm screwing with you. Every fanboy there wished they had though. The picture is all over the papers of you standing there, your arms over your head, your shirt _barely_ holding everything in-"

Beki took her pillow out from behind her and buried her face in it. "My dad's going to make me commit seppuku."

"Uh, bitch, you're gonna be on posters for that." Ren laughed. "Do you know how many little girls I've seen running through town the last two days, the hem of their shirt tucked up into their collars while they push boys into the dirt? Like, seven. They're all braiding their hair now and yelling out that they're the Maiden of this or that."

Beki groaned.

"So there was this little brunette who kept yelling she was the Hungry Maiden, and I was like, I can get behind that shit," Ren poked Beki. "Where do I sign up?"

"Ren?" Beki said from within the pillow. "My head is spinning. You mind if I take a little cat nap?"

Ren shrugged and hobbled off the bed. "Sure. I'll come by and see you in a bit."

Beki waited until the clack of Ren's departure had faded away. She closed her eyes and laid back on the bed with the pillow over her face. The cool of the fabric felt refreshing against her skin. She wondered if she was running a fever. It was true, then, Beki thought. She had officially won her match against Shinichi and all his claims on her were off. In a public arena, while representing their village, Beki had demolished both his reputation and his pride. If nothing else, the trip had been worth it for that victory. She had no idea what kind of repercussions there would be for her dad politically but that was his battle, not hers.

Beki started to feel strangely. The doctor called it an "aura". Ever since the electrocution, Beki would periodically experience unfounded feelings of profound paranoia and dread. They would overcome her suddenly and hold her in a fit of terror for several minutes until they passed. The doctor said that Beki's internal electrical structure had been compromised and would take some time to prepare itself. These feelings of dread were just electrical misfiring that overtime would fade away. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply whilst reassuring herself that she was safe in her hospital bed but then she heard movement in her room.

She sat bolt upright and threw her pillow. It was knocked out the air only a foot from her bed by Shinichi. Beki's eyes grew wide in fear but she tried to calm herself. If her heartrate got out of control they'd have to put her under again.

"Shinichi, what are you doing here?" Beki asked. "Did you want to talk?"

He was in a hospital gown himself and appeared unarmed. As he approached her, however, he kept his right arm slightly behind him. No, Beki thought. He's here to kill me. She dove off of the opposite side of the bed just as he lunged. His movement was interrupted, however, by something that sounded like a chair being smashed apart. Beki's eyes jerked up to see Shinichi collapsing to the floor. Ren stood over his writhing form, chunks of her forearm cast crumbling off her arm and onto the floor.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Ren howled as she kicked the scalpel he had snuck in off to the side. In a feat of superhuman strength, she picked him up with one arm and tossed him into a chair where she proceeded to hit him with her crutch. "THIS IS FOR TOUCHING BEKI'S BOOBS WITHOUT HER PERMISSION. ONLY I GET TO DO THAT!"

Once the hospital staff came rushing in, Ren was found choking Shinichi with her crutch and Beki hovering there beside her, unsure of who needed her help more.

…

"What happened?" Gaara couldn't help but interrupt when he overheard the report to the Raikage that Beki had been assaulted.

A narrowed his eyes as if deciding whether or not to hit the Kazekage for speaking out of turn. "Tsukimori Shinichi apparently subdued the guards posted at his hospital room, located his cousin, and attempted to assassinate her. Her teammate came to her aid and held him off until more help arrived."

Kankuro watched Gaara out of the corner of his eye. To the rest of the world, he was listening to this information with only impersonal professional interest. His brother could see the battle going on inside his eyes, however. The Kazekage wanted to promote good inter-village relationships but Gaara no Sabaku wanted to rush to her aid.

"It's a fortunate thing her teammate was there to protect her," Gaara kept his tone measured so as not to betray the anger bubbling up inside him. "Had something happened to Miss Tsukimori we would have had an international incident on our hands."

"The assailant is being transported from the hospital to a higher security facility until we can get in contact with the head shinobi of Getsugakure."

The Kazekage nodded. "It sounds like you have the situation well under control," He rose from his seat and gave a respectful nod. "If you'll excuse me I could use some fresh air."

Kankuro followed Gaara out silently. He didn't dare speak until they were well out of earshot of any of the Raikage's men.

"What route would they take?" Gaara's composure was slipping. Kankuro detected a hint of the anger his brother had worked so hard to bury.

"Sorry, what?" Kankuro asked carefully.

"To transport Shinichi," Gaara looked at Kankuro, his expression dark. Kankuro swallowed. He had seen his brother like this plenty of times. This was far better under control and much more directed than it once was, but Gaara was furious. When he was furious, it got harder for him to keep the One Tail under control.

"Gaara, what are you planning to do?" Kankuro used no inflection and was careful not to sound alarmed. "You can't kill him."

Gaara closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm not going to kill him, Kankuro. I just-" He clenched his fists. "You have no idea how hard it is for me to just stand by and do nothing. I have to do something. Anything."

Kankuro held his breath for a moment before responding. "Go two blocks east and four blocks south. They'll pass by around there on their way to the holding cells."

"Thank you," Gaara said as he took off.

"Wait!" Kankuro hissed. "I'm coming with you!"

"You can't," Gaara turned and looked at his brother. "You need plausible deniability."

…

They had taken Ren away to put another cast on her arm and the doctors had Beki hooked up to even more equipment and medication than before to monitor her heart. Beki had discovered that it is impossible to keep your heartrate down during an attempted murder. She wasn't allowed to get out of bed unassisted and they warned her excitement would wear her out fast so they warned her to keep her visits with friends brief. Word had gotten out about the incident and her friends had all decided to leave her be for the rest of the day to recover.

That's why she was surprised when she heard a gentle knock on her door because the staff never bothered to knock. "Come in," she called out.

"Is now a good time?" The Kazekage asked as he walked in the door.

Beki gave him a weak smile. "Yes, of course." She waved at the chair in the corner. "Come and sit with me."

Gaara walked over to the bed as the sand dragged the chair over to him. Beki smiled. If she had that kind of power she wouldn't move furniture, either. Plus, it looked so damn cool.

"I hear you had an interesting day," Gaara's face was passive. "Your cousin came to pay you a visit?"

The smile slid off of Beki's face. "I guess he didn't take public defeat as graciously as I thought he would. I mean, people never do, but an attempted murder seems a bit excessive."

Gaara looked down at his hands for a moment and then back into her eyes as he spoke. "I regret to inform you that your cousin had a freak accident while he was being transported to a holding facility."

Beki blinked in confusion. "What kind of accident?"

"It seems he encountered a patch of slippery sand on his way and broke his leg," Gaara said.

Beki narrowed her eyes. "Sand isn't slippery as far as I know."

"It is when it moves suddenly out from beneath a person's feet," When he looked into her eyes, Beki could tell he was watching for a response.

"Let me guess, no one would be able to find this patch of sand now, would they?" She wasn't going to make this easy for him.

Gaara looked at his hands again. "I couldn't sit by and do nothing, Beki. Having to watch him disrespect you yesterday was bad enough but that was your fight and you handled it on your own. For him to come after you again, but this time when you're in a hospital and defenseless was unforgiveable. I'm a man, Beki. I had to do something."

Beki reached over and tapped his chin. He turned his gaze up to her with a hopeful look on his face.

"That's pretty sexy," Beki leaned in and pressed her forehead against his.

"Is it?" Gaara asked as their lips drew closer. His heart raced and the chill of adrenaline ran down his spine as their lips finally met. He was immediately surprised by how soft Beki's lips were and how exhilaration the warm pull of-

"PFFFFFF" Beki pulled away and spat. "Is that sand?!"

Gaara's heart sank and a small flush came over him. "I apologize; I'm wearing my sand armor. Allow me a moment to remove it."

"Wait, you're telling me the whole time I've known you, you've been wearing sand armor?"

"Yes," Gaara blinked. "I'm always wearing my sand armor."

Beki watched in horror as cracks began to form in his face and small chucks of it dropped off. It was like watching the fast forward of a porcelain doll decaying in the elements.

"No, stop, that's creepy," Beki covered her eyes with her hands. Slowly it dawned on her that the entire time she had known Gaara he had been wearing an exosuit of sand. That meant any time they had touched, neither of them had really felt it. There was no way for her to know what he really looked like under there, either. Beki braced herself to see what Gaara really looked like without his outside casing.

"Do you even have that tattoo?" She asked as she peeked through her fingers, only to see he looked exactly the same except a little shinier. And here I thought he just had amazing skin, Beki thought.

"It's not a tattoo, Beki. It's a scar," Gaara said as he narrowed his eyes. "And what's with that face?"

"I didn't know what you were going to look like under there," She smiled sheepishly.

Gaara leaned in closer to her. "Was I really so attractive you suspected my face was too perfect to be real?"

Beki puffed up her cheeks. "Are you really teasing a girl in a hospital bed right now?"

"Yes, because I've seen said girl fight and I know she's too stubborn to be here long," Gaara took her hand and put it to his cheek. "See? Real face."

He watched her face as she traced the curves of his face with her fingers. He hadn't let anyone this far into his defenses before and it was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. Gaara reached up and laced his fingers through hers and held the back of her hand against his skin. "You know, I've never been this intimate with someone before. For propriety's sake you'll have to be my girlfriend."

Beki shook her head and scoffed. "Because I touched your skin? Gaara, that's like, not even first base. I thought we were past that a long time ago but here we are."

He watched her silently, compelling her to give him the answer he was looking for.

"Well, how can I say no to a man that broke my assailant's legs," Beki smiled at him. "Are you going to stamp my forehead again, or what?"

"My brother always did tell me I was terrible at flirting," Gaara admitted.

Beki blinked. "You…you were flirting with me that day?"

"You're cute when you're embarrassed," He gave her a small smile. " _Beary_ _cute._ According to the Raikage, you've been _beary cute_ for a long time."

Beki flushed and pulled her hand away so she could fold her arms. "Yeah, well so what if I wear teddy bear undies? I kissed the Kazekage today. How many girls can say they've done that?"

"Including you? Twenty three," Gaara looked up at the ceiling as he spoke, as if trying to recall them all.

Beki's jaw dropped slightly in surprise but then she snapped it shut. "You aren't serious," She said but there was a hint of a question to it.

"Of course it's a joke," He sighed. "Now it's I'm so good looking you assume I'm a playboy."

"Look at you, you've got a girlfriend now so all the power's going to your head," Beki rolled her eyes. After a moment of content silence, she reached out and started to pet his face.

"What are you doing?" He gave her a sideways glance.

"It's like your sand armor has sealed in the perfect amount of moisture and protected you from the elements since birth," Beki stroked his face. "It's like the skin of a newborn freaking baby."

There was a knock at the door and Kankuro stuck his head in to find Beki rubbing her cheek against Gaara's face.

"Hi Kankuro," Gaara said casually.

"What's going on here?" Kankuro tried not to sound as weirded out as he felt, but Gaara picked up on his distress.

"Is this not typical?" He asked his brother.

"No, no it's not," Kankuro sighed. "Looks like you managed to find yourself someone just as weird as you. I mean, admittedly she's better at hiding it than you. I was almost fooled, but weird always finds it's way to the surface."

"Hey, have you ever felt his skin?" Beki asked.

"No," Kankuro shuffled. "Brothers don't make a habit of caressing each other. Girls do the communal touching thing but men keep their hands to themselves."

"But his skin is softer than mine," Beki frowned. "If I was less confident I would feel threatened by how freakishly soft his skin is. If I could get a purse that felt like this I would pet it all day."

"And human skin handbags is where we'll have to leave the conversation," Kankuro took Gaara's arm. "You're needed at the Raikage's office."

…

"So I take it if you're petting each other's faces today went well," Kankuro offered. "What did you tell her?"

"That I broke her cousin's legs for trying to harm her, which she found romantic," Gaara said.

"Oh, of course. What woman would find violence offensive?" Kankuro said sarcastically but Gaara ignored him.

"We might have kissed," Gaara watched Kankuro's expression change from smugness to disbelief, filling him with a sense of pride. "And she accepted my offer to be my girlfriend."

Kankuro closed his slack jaw and narrowed his eyes. "It got weird in there. What went wrong with you two and the kissing? Did you bump noses, or-?"

"I might have been wearing the sand armor and she got a mouth full of sand," Gaara sighed. "Which was stupid of me. I should have anticipated…"

"Better than a mouthful of something else," Kankuro said half under his breath.

"What was that?" Gaara asked innocently.

"Nothing!" Kankuro chirped. "Just glad to hear that you've finally figured out where you're going with this thing. All that's left is facing her dad."

"Oh, we're not there yet," Gaara folded his arms. Kankuro gave him a questioning look to which Gaara furrowed his brows. "Have you seen her father? I'm the Kazekage, Kankuro. I'm not stupid."

…

The news of Shinichi's attack had set a glum mood over all of Beki's friends. The Konoha shinobi all hovered around the hotel, trying to make conversations and failing. Neji had agreed with everyone else to just leave Beki be for the rest of the night but the more time passed the more agitated he felt.

Watching Shinichi toy with Beki had ignited a protective rage in Neji that her victory had only slightly quelled. As he leaned against the railing on the rooftop of the hotel he looked around and found that nothing really interested him. Colors seemed as dull as the conversations, words ran together on anything he tried to read, and music just sounded like noise. Beki had been in the hospital two days and Neji hadn't slept since, which he figured probably had something to do with his lack of interest in everything.

He saw Daiske talking with Lee and Tenten and thought of Ren. She was honest, the way Beki was but almost to a fault. Neji found himself stewing on what she had said to him during Beki's match against Shinichi. You're smitten with her, Ren had said. He was just too stubborn to accept it and someone else would scoop her up. Neji remembered the hot ball of nausea and anger that had welled up inside him when Shinichi had handled Beki the way he did. He couldn't remember ever feeling that angry before. She's like a sister to me, he thought. The way Hinata and Hanabi are.

His eyes kept falling on the same empty spaces. One next to Hinata. One next to Lee. The hollow soulless empty space beside him. No, he thought. She isn't just a sister to me.

"Lady Hinata," Neji was surprised by how normal he sounded in spite of the landmine of personal understanding he had just uncovered. "I know we said we would leave her undisturbed, but I'm going to check in on Beki."

Hinata gave him an understanding smile. "Say 'hi' for me."

My god, he thought as he walked out into the street, trying to control his pace. As much as he wanted to run to Beki, Neji knew better. How long have I felt this way, he wondered. Most people spoke of a moment where they fell in love with someone, but try as he might Neji couldn't recall any specific event that had brought it about. It also didn't feel like the overwhelming thought consuming affection Hinata had for Naruto. It had been slow in development and had grown into a quiet affection he had unconsciously been nurturing for quite some time.

That's not very romantic, he thought to himself as he approached the hospital. I can't tell her I feel affection for her. Neji took a deep breath and centered himself.

 _Beki, there's something I need to speak to you about._ No, that's too formal, he thought.

 _Beki. I love you._ That's far too direct. It will put her off, Neji thought.

 _Beki, everything that's happened while we have been in Kumogakure has made me realize something. I'm in love with you, and I've been in love with you for some time._

Perfect, he thought. I can't start with that, though. I'll have to ask her about her health or what happened with Shinichi first.

Neji walked into the hospital with a small bounce in his step and a lightness in his chest. It was a wonderful thing to realize you were in love and it opened up all sorts of exciting possibilities. Dammit, he thought as he signed in at the desk. I should have brought flowers. No. That's too stereotypical, he thought as he walked down the hall towards her room.

The door was closed, so he raised his hand to knock but paused at the sound of voices from within. Neji activated his Byakugan to see if Beki was meeting with one of the hospital staff. Instead he saw the Kazekage sitting in the chair beside her with her hand pressed to his face. Neji looked up at Beki and saw how she looked at Gaara. Beki did not look at Neji that way. Neji was just a brother to her.

…

Ren went up to the roof around midnight. Sleep was hard for her since she had awakened the Hanged Maiden. First of all, getting comfortable in three casts was a circus act. Even if Ren did eventually settle into a position that wasn't excruciating, the heat generated by the casts was stifling. When sleep did finally claim her, Ren would often awaken after hearing that terrible voice that had awoken inside her that day. It usually didn't say anything. Ren would just hear those horrible, raspy breaths of someone suffocating and would sit bolt up in bed.

At that time of night the roof was usually abandoned but today she saw she had some company.

"I didn't take you for a night owl," Ren hobbled over to Neji and leaned on the railing beside him. "Can't sleep?"

"No," He sighed. "Sleep is definitely off the table for a while."

Ren watched him closely for a moment and then stared off at the city. "So I heard you went to see Beki today. How is she?"

"The hospital staff seemed competent," Neji said. "I'm sure she'll be out soon."

"But what did Beki say?" Ren asked, to which she received no answer. "So what happened? You went to see her but didn't end up seeing her?"

Neji turned his head away. "Someone with more balls got there first."

Ren stood beside him in respectful silence for a moment before reaching into her leg cast and wiggling out a flask. Neji gave her a disapproving look and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"To broken hearts," She raised the flask and took a swig, then held it out for him to take. Neji stared at the flask for a moment. He appeared to be on the verge of turning it away when he sighed and finally accepted it.

"To missed opportunities," Neji said as he took a swig. His expression darkened as he pulled the flask away. "This is juice."

Ren snatched the flask away and shoved it back in her cast. "What did you think was in here, whiskey?! I'm in three casts and I am on a lot of medication that does not pair well with alcohol."

"To your health then," Neji said as he clapped her on her good shoulder and headed for the door. He paused just inside and asked:

"I never did hear how you stopped Shinichi?"

Ren smiled. "I broke my cast over his head."

"Ahuh," Neji said as he closed the door. "All women from Getsugakure must be a little mad."


	46. The Finals pt 4: The Victor

**Hey all, just a heads up: if you are a guest and have left me a question in a review, I will post my answer at the bottom of said review. That being said, thank you so much for your patience. My life is getting kind of busy again, so production is going more slowly. Plus I'm broke as hell, so I'm trying to get ahead on my Xmas game by knitting people scarves to prevent further financial crippling this holiday season. Knitting is a nice reflective activity, however, so I get a lot of good story planning done in the interim. I look forward to hearing from you all about what you think of this chapter. Your continued support and reviews encourage me greatly. If all goes well, you can ;ook forward to more maybe this weekend.**

* * *

Beki had nearly gone crazy in the week since her admission to the hospital. The doctor was still concerned about her heart, so even though they had released her she wasn't allowed to attend the chunin exam finals. Beki was a firm believer in loopholes, so she found another way to "attend" without actually being at the arena. Her hotel was located close enough to the arena that if Beki stood on the roof, she could make out most of what the announcers said.

The last of the Konoha competitors had been knocked out, albeit on the second to last day. Regardless, either Hinata or Neji had stayed at the hotel with Beki to keep an eye on her. The attack by Shinichi in the hospital had really put both of them in a mood. Hinata was practically glued to her side at all times and Neji acted like protecting Beki was an A class mission he had been personally assigned to. The rest of the group behaved as usual, with the exception of giving Ren a little extra berth. Rock Lee practically worshipped the ground Ren walked on, claiming she was the most hardcore shinobi he had ever met. Ren, in turn, loved the attention he showered upon her. The other major change was the relative emptiness of the hotel. To prevent them from further shaming Getsugakure, Yasahiro had sent Yuu and Borei back home. The tourists also spent all their time either at the arena or partying, so the hotel was only busy very early in the morning.

Today was the last day of the elimination finals and Beki was chomping at the bit. Whoever came out on top would be named the victor of the chunin exams, bringing great honor and glory upon themselves and their village. Daiske was in the running against three other shinobi from a smattering of villages. He was competent, Beki had always believed that, but considering her own high intensity experiences in the ring, she couldn't help but worry. Hinata kept gently suggesting Beki step away from the railing and come sit down. Ren was swearing and trying to get the hotel's radio to play the announcer's commentary.

"Why are you even here, Ren?" Beki shot her a look. "Shouldn't you be supporting Daiske?"

Ren scoffed. "The arena security team may have kindly suggested that I not come within 500 feet of the arena."

"What did you do?" Beki looked at Hinata, who flushed and averted her gaze. Ren beamed.

"A better question would be what DIDN'T I do?"

Beki narrowed her eyes. "You flashed your boobs, didn't you?"

"The ref made a bad call!" Ren slapped the table with her re-casted arm. She had slapped a sticker of a pin up girl on it that Rock Lee had "improved" by drawing on some impressively thick eyebrows. "So I did the only logical thing."

"Ren, I don't think spewing profanities and raising your shirt should ever be the answer," Hinata suggested quietly.

Ren made a face at her. "Hinata, bodies are meant to be enjoyed. It's not my problem you guard that divine rack so selfishly."

Hinata folded her arms self-consciously and made a noise similar to a kettle boiling, her face as red as a beet. Beki walked over and sat between them, putting a supportive hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Hinata, she's just jealous because she has cup holders where her boobs should be."

"I will have you know since you left I am almost a B cup!" Ren slapped the radio which crackled irritably. Her gaze fell to Beki's chest and her cheeks puffed up. "Dammit. You won the race again."

"I really hope this fixation on boobs passes, Ren," Beki sighed. "I know there isn't much else to do on the shrine with all those other lonely single women, but you're out in the real world now. There's so much more to life than whose boobs are better."

Ren grinned wickedly. "Says the girl who flashed her under boob at the entire shinobi world."

"Ren, that was during the course of combat and-" Beki's eyes widened in horror. "What is that?!"

"It's impressive how quickly they churn this stuff out," Ren spun the ninja info card between her fingers. "I had to buy like, fifteen packs of these to find this golden card here, but it was totally worth it. They call you the Topless Terror."

Beki snatched the card away and gasped. "Why am I not wearing a shirt?! That is 100% NOT what my boobs look like, either! They're huge!" Ninja info cards were typically black and depicted shinobi in a basic standing pose with their stats below. This card, however, was a special print. It was gold foil and the image of Beki took up most of the space. It was from the moment in the fight after she had kicked Shinichi out of the ring. Instead of her hanging upside down on a halberd, however, it was a naginata, giving it the appearance of a stripper pole. Beki's slit shirt was also completely absent. In this depiction she was completely topless. The gravity of the position had formed the two enormous doctored breasts into cantaloupe sized mounds with the small pink nipples pointed straight at the viewer. Beki felt ashamed after checking the stats and feeling proud of how strong the creator thought she was. Not as strong as she had sex appeal, apparently.

"Because 12-year-old boys buy ninja info cards," Ren snatched it back and tucked it into her bra. "It's basically stealth soft core stuff. Moms are looking for magazines. They would never suspect dirty trading cards."

Beki stood up. "I have to write a letter or make a phone call or something," She pulled at her braid nervously. "This is slander! My god, if my dad finds out about this he's going to make me commit seppuku…"

"No one knows where these come from, Beks," Ren sighed. "They just started showing up in stores a few years ago. For all we know, some lone weirdo geek could be cranking these out. Or it's an embezzling front. No one knows."

An enormous commotion rose from the arena. There was so much ambient noise from people cheering that the three girls couldn't make out what the announcers were saying.

"Is the radio just broken?" Beki took it and fiddled with the knobs.

"This is so annoying," Ren folded her arms. "For all we know giant space crabs have risen from the arena floor and are massacring the crowd."

"Where do you come up with this stuff?" Hinata asked.

Ren shrugged. "You laugh, but Tsukiyama are known to have prophetic powers."

"Only for useless shit, though," Beki grumbled as she continued fiddling with the defective radio. "Don't ask her for lotto numbers or the name of your future husband."

"I wouldn't need to ask that, I already know," Hinata nodded.

Ren rolled her eyes. "Must be nice, running around so confidently. You probably got one so young because you have boobs."

Hinata flushed again and Beki slapped Ren's leg cast. "Hey!"

"Knock it off, Ren," Beki growled. "Hinata has a fiancé because she's a good person."

Ren sighed heavily. "I must have cut off a gypsy or something to have been born both flat and short."

"You might find some closet pedo or something that will love you how you are," Beki offered.

Ren narrowed her eyes. "If that wasn't such a likely possibility I would hit you."

…

About forty minutes later, the Konoha crew came back but they refused to discuss the results with the girls.

"It's not our news to share," Tenten sighed. "Daiske wants to tell you himself."

"Since the exams are over we're going to go pack up," Kiba said. "If we want to beat the exodus we'll have to bounce out of Kumogakure at first light."

"That's too late," Gai said with a stern expression. "We'll depart at dusk!"

A collective groan went through the group.

"I think I'll take a cat nap then," Tenten said. "See you guys at dusk, I guess."

After everyone had scattered to enjoy the remainder of their stay how they wanted, Daiske came up the stairs. His face was flushed from the climb up the stairs and there was a wildness in his eyes that made Beki slightly nervous.

"IT WAS ME!" He screamed. "I WON THE CHUNIN EXAMS!"

"What?!" Beki and Ren said in unison, one in surprise and the other with enthusiasm.

"ALL THIS TIME," Daiske picked up a chair and threw it. "EVERYONE IN GETSU TREATED ME LIKE LOW HANGING FRUIT!"

"YEAH!" Ren cried. "SCREW THOSE GUYS!"

Beki waved the concerned looking Hinata towards the door. "They're going to get rowdy. You should go."

Hinata gave her a worried look but complied. Enough time spent with people like Rock Lee had taught her not to argue.

"I'M GOING TO MOVE OUT OF MY MOM'S HOUSE!" Daiske punched the air.

"YEAH!" Ren followed his lead.

"I'M GONNA GO DOWNTOWN," Daiske continued. "AND I'M GONNA START A BARFIGHT!"

"YEAAAAH!" Ren stood up and knocked over her chair.

"I'M GONNA KILL A MAN!" Daiske cried.

"Whoa, Daiske," Beki chuckled but Ren knocked her out of the way as she overturned the table. "YEAAAAAAH!"

"I'M GONNA GO BACK TO GETSU, I'M GOING TO FIND THE HOTTEST GIRL IN TOWN, AND I'M GONNA HAVE SEX WITH HER!"

"Whoooa, easy boy," The smile fell off of Ren's face. "That might be going too far."

"Why?!" Daiske asked. "I'm a winner now, Ren. Girls like winners!"

"You get a little too attached, Daiske. You aren't the casual sex type." Beki offered.

Ren nodded. "Yeah, remember that time that girl lent you her umbrella and you thought she was secretly in love with you- "

"So you went out and bought her a ring and asked her to be your girlfriend?" Beki finished for her.

Daiske sighed and kicked at the ground. "Yeah. Maybe I should just start with the move out-bar fight-kill a man combo."

"Yeah, good idea," Beki pat his back. "Congrats, Dai. You really deserve this."

"I mean, since Beki took out all the big competition and you were left doing clean up, totally," Ren elbowed him jokingly but he gave her a dark look. "Daiske, I'm kidding. You won fair and square."

"Can we get ice cream?" Daiske asked like a sad child and Ren hugged him awkwardly with one arm.

"Yes, Daidai. Let's get you ice cream," Ren started for the door. "You want us to get you some, Beki?"

"Yeah, coffee if they've got it," Beki smiled. "If not, cookies and cream all the way."

"Good woman," Daiske gave her a thumbs up and then cringed, realizing that Rock Lee was rubbing off on him. "See you in a bit."

Daiske's loud and boisterous demonstration of joy had scared off the other guests on the rooftop, leaving Beki blissfully alone. It was encouraging to know that they would be leaving Kumogakure soon and they would be back in Konoha before long. Beki missed her room in Hinata's house and the easy going attitude of the people in the Leaf. Kumogakure was too intense in large doses. The people there had an anxious energy about them that kept Beki in a constant state of alertness. She was more exhausted than she ever remembered being. Her friends had all been on edge, as well. Beki couldn't wait to get home and see the Konoha crew fall back into their old patterns and get into the same old shenanigans.

Beki didn't regret the trip, however. She had successfully resolved her conflict with Shinichi, kicked ass in the chunin exams, and made things official with the Kazekage. Anyone who didn't walk away feeling successful after that was a fool.

"Hey!"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Oh. Hey Miki. What's up?'

"Is now a good time?" Miki smiled as she looked around the rooftops. "Are you like, ninja brooding or something?"

Beki laughed and shook her head. "No. One of my teammates won the chunin exams so they're picking up ice cream."

"That's awfully tame and frankly adorable for paid killers," Miki smiled as she joined Beki by the railing. "So now that the exams are over you'll all head home?"

Beki nodded. "That's the plan."

Miki frowned. "Just when I made a friend. I'm gonna miss you, Beki."

"Aw," Beki opened her arms for a hug. "I'm going to miss you too, Miki."

Miki stepped forward with a shy smile and hugged Beki around her shoulders. Beki gave her a tight squeeze. Miki had been a good friend to talk to during this whole adventure. In fact, Beki thought that she should keep in touch with the girl after she went home. It was refreshing hearing the opinions of someone who was outside the shinobi world. Beki was about to tell her so when she felt the prick of a needle as it slid into her neck. Rather, she almost didn't feel it because it was so sharp and expertly injected. The effects were instantaneous. Beki's legs turned to jelly and she sank to the ground. Miki held her tight and eased her into her collapse, shushing her gently.

"It's okay," Miki murmured reassuringly. "You're okay."

All Beki could manage was a tiny squeak as the cloud of the drug rendered her muscles useless. Miki picked Beki up as easily as if she were a child and carried her silently around to the staff elevator at the far end of the roof. How could I have been so stupid? The questions she asked, the things she knew also didn't add up. She could identify the Kazekage just on appearance but acted as if she were completely disinterested in the ninja world. The day Beki was attacked, she had appeared out of nowhere and fended off the attacker with a frying pan. Beki cursed herself. I should have noticed sooner.

A laundry cart was waiting for them beside the call button. Beki felt herself being lowered gently into the bin. She had completely lost the ability to speak at this point and Beki's breathing was getting haggard. Miki pulled off her coat to reveal the hotel's maid uniform beneath. She tossed the coat in with Beki. The last thing Beki saw as she faded out of consciousness was Miki folding laundry over Beki in the cart.

…

Beki awoke in darkness. Her body was folded up in the fetal position in a cramped space that barely held her. Her head was pressed to her knees so her breath was loud and anxious. It took a moment for her to recall that she had just been abducted. As soon as the realization came over her, Beki's confusion switched to panic. The surge of adrenaline woke her up enough that she was able to use her limbs, although sluggishly so from the after effects of whatever drugs Miki had used. The space was so confined that Beki couldn't move her legs at all. She had limited range of movement in her arms and she could raise her head only halfway. Beki reached out and touched the wall of her container, feeling the rough ripples of wood. She traced her fingers sideways against the grain and felt breaks. Her container wasn't a box; it was made out of wooden slats. A chill went down Beki's spine as she realized she was being held prisoner in a coffin.

Instantly her panic gave way to sheer terror as Beki realized there was a good chance she was being buried alive. No, Beki, the Drowned Maiden's raspy voice was the last source of encouragement she would ever look for, but there it was. Calm down, it said. Focus.

Beki took a deep breath and held it while she listened. There was no thud of dirt slapping on wood. She heard voices, although distant, outside the coffin. Beki began to breathe normally again and focused on what she felt. The coffin constantly rocked gently back and forth. Every once in a while there was a larger bump or two. I'm either being carried by a person or in a wagon, Beki thought. She pressed against the lid of the coffin. To her added unease, it seemed her captors had nailed her in. Beki felt that she had been stripped of her weapons and shoes, probably to fit her in the space. That left her with one path of recourse. The coffin was likely reinforced, but there was only so much volume a container could hold before it burst.

The anxiety and fear were severe enough that transformation into the Drowned Maiden was almost instant. Beki immediately began to channel water through her mouth into the space. As the water filled up the coffin it felt like a cold hand creeping up her legs and back. As the icy liquid crept up her neck towards her ears, Beki prayed. She prayed her gamble would pay off and her captors wouldn't pop the coffin open somewhere to find her dead of her own design.

…

I've avoided her long enough, Neji thought as he walked up the stairs towards the roof. As much as his instincts were telling him to avoid Beki, Neji knew how he was feeling wasn't her fault. It wasn't anyone's fault but his own. She was his friend first and foremost, he had to remind himself. If he suddenly stopped talking to her and doing the things they normally did, it would hurt and confuse Beki.

Time will make it hurt less and less until I eventually forget about it, Neji thought. The best way to help myself through this pain is to face it head on.

Neji stood at the door, his heart racing in spite of himself. He could feel sweat forming on the back of his neck and his hand shook as he reached out for the doorknob. He hovered there, the fear overwhelming him. What if Beki could tell? Neji had never been a good liar. He would come off as too stiff or formal with her, even though from her perspective they had done a lot of growing together here. Turn back, Neji. Fight this battle another day.

No, he thought. If she says I'm acting weird, I'll chalk it up to the whole Kumogakure thing. Who am I kidding, he thought as he finally opened the door. She won't notice a thing.

An explosion of cold winter air hit Neji as stepped out of the hall. Dusk was fast approaching and the sky was painted in shades of yellow, peach, and orange. A sharp wind was ripping across the roof in bursts, stinging Neji's eyes and shaming him for leaving his coat downstairs. He put his hand over his eyes and activated his Byakugan. Neji knew it looked foolish, but it was effective at combatting harsh weather conditions. He knew Beki would laugh as soon as she saw him.

Where was she?

The roof had been completely abandoned. Neji had stood in the hallway for only a few minutes before coming up to talk to Beki. Ren and Daiske had told him that they were going to get ice cream and that Beki was up there by herself. Ren had whacked Neji's shin with her crutch and told him to do something about how alone Beki was up there. That stairwell was the only way down from the roof and she hadn't passed him by.

Neji scanned the entire roof in case she was just crouched down against a planter to get away from the wind. Finding nothing, a wave of panic washed over him as he looked at the railing. Had the wind caught her by surprise? He rushed over to the sides of the building and scanned them for bodies below. He found no bodies, no crowds, and heard no screams.

She's probably fine, Neji, he thought as his heart pounded in his ears. She probably went downstairs while you were talking to Ren and Daiske.

In spite of his own logic, Neji continued to scan the rooftop for any signs of her until he spied something stuffed into the bottom of the trashcan by the staff elevator. It was Beki's kunai bag and someone had gone to a lot of trouble wrapping it in a pillowcase and burying it underneath the rest of the garbage. Neji took the bag out and used a kunai to slice it open towards the bottom. He fished out the wrapped kunai bag and tied the garbage bag back up.

He unwrapped the pillowcase and took out the kunai bag for confirmation. Her headband and family crest had been stuffed inside with all of her weapons. Neji ran for the stairs to find Gai sensei. Beki had fallen prey to foul play.


	47. Blood and Snow

**Hi everyone. Once again I apologize for the slower production, but I am going to try to get back to my old twice a week publishing schedule. Ideally, they will be posted on Wednesdays and Sundays (+/- 1 day) every week. Once again, I really appreciate all of your support for my story through the PMs and reviews you have left me. I can't tell you how encouraging and rewarding it is to hear that you are enjoying my story. I am also always happy to answer any questions you have for me. Tallman and I have been in the planning process for our crossover, which will happen in the near future, and I think you guys will really like it. That being said, please enjoy this next chapter and I look forward to hearing from you all soon!**

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The Konoha shinobi trailed along after Kiba and Akamaru as they tracked Beki's scent away from the hotel. According to Akamaru, Beki had been taken recently enough that the squad had a high likelihood of catching up to them. Hinata was worried sick and hadn't said a word since Neji had reported Beki's disappearance to everyone.

"Remember," Gai sensei said under his breath. "We find Beki and then report the incident. If we go off halfcocked it could cause a lot of problems for Tsunade."

"It'll be a finger pointing nightmare," Tenten shook her head. "The Leaf, Cloud, and Sand will all foot part of the blame from Getsu, won't they?"

"If this goes poorly, yes," Gai narrowed his eyes. "I don't think it will come to that. Knowing Beki, she's giving her abductors all the hell her youth can muster!"

Neji had his Byakugan activated and was scanning beyond the rocks in the bends in the road ahead. There was no trace of Beki or her abductors, but he prayed Gai sensei was right. If Beki could hold them off long enough for the Konoha shinobi to find her, everything would be fine. Neji had seen Beki decimate her enemies in the arena and he just hoped she could carry that into a real fight. If Kumogakure took another one of his loved ones away, Neji didn't know what he would do.

…

The groaning grew louder and more frequent as the water built up pressure inside the coffin. Beki had been vomiting water into the coffin for at least five minutes and she was beginning to feel light headed from the effort. At last, there was a pop and Beki began to prepare for her escape. There was a crack and the wood panels parted enough for Beki to see the world beyond. She raised her legs and kangaroo kicked the weakened panels, cringing at the pain that radiated up her legs from the impact.

Her abductors had been hauling her on a wagon, which stopped suddenly at the sound of Beki's escape. The stop knocked the coffin to the ground which split it apart even more. Beki sprang out of the wreckage right into a run. Miki was yelling something at her but Beki ignored it. She leapt over a retaining wall on the road only to find that it was there to prevent people rolling down a steep hill. Unable to catch her balance, Beki wrapped her arms around her head and tucked into the tumble. She bounced off of the gravel and seemed to roll for an eternity. The rocks felt like millions of tiny daggers tearing at her clothes and rending her flesh during her descent. When the rolling stopped at last, Beki ran her hands along her sides to check for major injuries.

"Hey!" A man's voice called out from the top of the hill.

Beki looked up to see a man whom she could only assume had been her assailant in the Cloud village before the finals. It figures, Beki thought as she dragged herself back up and onto her feet. Miki had been working with him all along. He began to slid down the embankment towards her and Beki backed away defensively. Her feet were torn to shreds from the barrel and the fall. Blood was dripping from her arm wand was tapping on the ground beside her. Instinctively she reached up and clenched at the wound to staunch the flow.

The man squared off with her. He was a large man, almost two meters tall and barrel chested. Miki's drugs were still numbing Beki's senses and she had burned through a decent amount of chakra busting open the coffin.

These are exactly the sorts of situations the Drowned Maiden was meant for, Beki thought. Then again, if she coated her body in water there would be no chance of the blood clotting. In fact, there was an equal chance she would bleed out during the course of the fight as there was this guy would kick her ass. As she weighed her options, Beki caught sight of the headband tied around the man's upper arm.

A musical note. Otogakure.

A chill ran down Beki's spine as fear washed over her in a wave. The hair stood on her neck and arms as she realized Miki and this asshole were Sound ninja. Orochimaru's men had come for her just like they had when she was a child. The last time this happened, my mother was killed.

No, she thought. It won't go like that. Not this time. I won't give them the chance.

The adrenaline had given her a surge of chakra which she immediately used to summon a slew of ghostly arms from the pool of water her transformation had formed. The pale limbs latched on to the Oto shinobi, who struggled against their grasp. Beki looked up and saw Miki standing on top of the embankment looking unsure how to proceed. Go to hell, Beki thought as she turned and ran further into the mountains. I'll die of exposure before I let them take me.

…

Wagon tracks, a smashed coffin, and blood stains were all the Konoha shinobi found on the path outside of town.

"Is that Beki's blood?" Hinata's voice quaked. She was afraid she already knew the answer.

Akamaru sniffed the blood, looked at Kiba, and barked. Kiba turned to his teammate and gave her a grim look. "Yes, it's hers." Akamaru sniffed at the ground intently, pacing back and forth around the path near the shattered coffin.

"What's wrong?" Neji asked. "It seems like he's having trouble finding the scent."

Kiba sniffed. "It must be very faint, like it was washed away or something."

"That's Beki," Hinata sighed. "She must have been so scared."

"You think she was in Drowned Maiden form?" Tenten asked.

"More than likely," Neji held his chin. "Any time she is frightened or in distress it activates of its own accord."

"She's probably around here somewhere, then," Hinata said, trying to put on a brave face. "Beki must have made her stand here."

"BEKI!" Lee called out.

"What are you doing?!" Neji grabbed his arm and hissed. "Her abductors could be nearby!"

"Or she could have gotten away," Gai looked over the wreckage. "They wouldn't have left all this unless they took off in a panic."

"So she probably got away!" Tenten jumped up. "BEKI!"

Neji watched his teammates running around on the path screaming their heads off. "Shh!" He held up his hands and they looked at him. "She wouldn't answer to that. Even if she did get away, there's a good chance her abductors would use a similar tactic to lure her out."

"What do you propose then, Neji?" Gai sensei asked. "Calling out embarrassing personal secrets that only we would know?"

"No," Neji shook his head. "Just…just trust me."

The others all fell silent as Neji took a deep breath and listened. There was a slight breeze that created some white noise, but otherwise the pass was silent. It felt uncomfortable having everyone's eyes on him, but Neji just told himself it was for Beki. He had to help Beki.

He raised his fingers to his lips and whistled as loudly as he could. Akamaru whimpered and Kiba grimaced at the sound. A few of the others shot each other questioning looks as if to say, "This has finally done it. Neji's cracked for sure." An expectant silence followed that after several uneventful moments became awkward. Neji sighed. It was worth a shot.

Kiba and Akamaru perked up. "Wait! Someone's whistling back!"

Hinata grabbed Kiba's arm and activated her Byakugan. "Where is it coming from?!"

KIba pointed off the side of the pass, over the edge that had a small retaining wall. Hinata turned her gaze in that direction and scanned for movement. "There!" Hinata said as she hopped over the retaining wall. "She's down there!"

Neji ran over to the wall and saw the steep slope on the other side. Hinata had managed to slide down gracefully and was running across a clearing towards the rocky mountainside beyond. Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru leapt over the retaining wall and followed after their teammate.

"Let's go," Neji waved to his team as he followed suit.

…

Beki had torn up the remnants of her cotton shirt and bandaged up her wounds as best she could. Field medicine had always been one of her weakest points. She was sure that anyone would have done a better job, but at least Beki wouldn't bleed out. Now that the Sound ninja had given up on finding her, Beki had bigger things to worry about, like freezing to death. The adrenaline was wearing off and her wet clammy skin was chilling her to the bone. Beki's teeth chattered in the cold and she hugged herself to no avail. Well, she thought, at least Orochimaru won't get to do freak experiments on me.

Most of her chakra was gone but she didn't want to call it quits just yet. Beki cast the illumination jutsu. She hovered over the tiny flame and felt it drying off her hands and face as she held it up to her nose. Off in the distance, she could hear yelling. Travelers could have stumbled across the coffin. Beki laughed to herself as she imagined what a farmer would think of a broken bloody coffin lying in the middle of the road. Vampires, she chuckled and immediately set her teeth into another chattering fit.

A loud whistle pierced through the sound of her teeth clacking together, echoing against the stones. Neji, Beki thought as she raised her fingers to her lips. At least they aren't chapped she laughed as she whistled back as loudly as she could. She let off two more long shrill whistles, just in case. Moments later she saw someone coming across the clearing towards here. Beki clenched up but then accepted that as noble as the idea of freezing to death was, she would rather live to fight another day.

When peeked out of her hiding place, Beki saw who it was coming across the snow towards her and smiled against her quivering jaw. It looked like she wouldn't die today after all. Beki stumbled out into the clearing and limped towards Hinata, who was already ripping off her jacket.

Beki held out her arms for a hug but Hinata bypassed her to wrap the coat around her. It was a fur lined parka and instantly blocked out the chill. She shuddered and hugged it more tightly around her as Hinata looked her over.

"Are you alright?!" Worry was filling Hinata's eyes with tears. "Did they hurt you?"

Beki shook her head. "No," she laughed. "I did a lot of this to myself. Now that you guys are here I'll be just fine."

The rest of the group caught up and got to work. Gai sensei asked Beki to debrief him on the situation while Hinata and Tenten properly addressed Beki's wounds. The boys hovered around the perimeter facing away once they realized Beki wasn't wearing anything other than a bra.

"Here," Tenten tossed a duffel bag at Beki. "I grabbed this when we left. It's all your stuff. It may not be clean, but you'll have dry clothes at least."

"Th-thank you," Beki said as she picked it up and ducked into the rock crevice she had been hiding in earlier. "I'm bummed they tossed my shoes, though. I have my backups in here but they're all worn out."

"You won't be walking much," Gai folded his arms. "As if we would let an injured comrade travel on foot."

"Yes, Gai sensei!" Beki couldn't see him, but she knew the exact hardcore expression Lee was making as he called out. "I will carry Beki all the way home!"

"That won't be necessary, Lee," Neji grumbled. "There's plenty of us. We can take turns."

Beki stepped back out fully dressed and handed Hinata's coat back to her. "Seriously, thank you all. I would have been an ice sculpture in another five minutes."

"We're just glad you're alright," Tenten sighed. "Sound ninja? Seriously? Those guys are such jerks."

"I'll have to report this to Tsunade," Gai held his chin pensively. "I take full responsibility for your abduction on my watch, Beki. This should have never happened. I apologize for my failure as a guardian."

Beki shook her head. "Let's just keep this between us-my abduction, I mean."

"We can't lie to Tsunade, Beki," Neji scoffed. "She's the Hokage."

"I'm not saying we don't say there was an _attempted_ abduction," Beki stuck her hands in her pockets. She really wished she had packed some gloves, even the stupid fingerless ones the Konoha shinobi seemed to favor would be welcome right now. "The Hokage needs to know that Orochimaru's men are still using the chunin exams to scout for targets. The Kazekage and Raikage need to know as well, however we'll how to tell them in Tsunade's court."

"You want us to act like this didn't happen?" Tenten shook her head. "You almost died, Beki! You're all busted up from this!"

"We can say this is from the chunin exams. By the time we see Tsunade, they'll be mostly healed anyway." Beki said. "Look, I'm not happy about this. I've been afraid that the Sound ninja would come after me all my life, but frankly it's my fault for letting my guard down. I should have seen it sooner."

The Konoha shinobi were all looking at her like she was speaking in tongues. Beki sighed. None of them had any experience with politics, that much was obvious.

"That's why we can't tell Tsunade I was abducted. It was my fault it happened, but if we tell her it will become her problem," Beki explained. "First off all, she'll have to punish you all for leaving me alone and letting it happen. Second of all, she'll have to let my dad know it happened."

Tenten cringed. "That would be bad."

"That would be devastating from both a political standpoint and a physical one," Beki said. "My dad wouldn't necessarily go to war, but he would let everyone know how incompetent the Hokage is. It would affect the Leaf's relationships with other villages because it would make their leader look weak," Beki explained. "That doesn't even cover what he would do from a personal standpoint, which I can only assume would be terrible. Blackmail, character assassination, you name it. He might even get her impeached for gross negligence."

Their looks had turned from confusion into a mixture of horror and awe. She didn't show it often but today Beki was proving herself an ambassador's daughter. Time to seal the deal, she thought.

"That's why you'll let me do the talking with Tsunade, but the story is this: An Otogakure shinobi posing as a local developed a friendship with us as a staff person at one of the establishments. Towards the end of our stay, her and the rest of her three-man squad accosted Neji, Shino, and I. We were able to hold them off until Gai sensei and the rest of you walked out, which scared them away."

"That's perfect!" Lee punched the air. "Of course it would be Gai sensei who would scare them away."

"It's also perfect because if she calls any of you up for questioning your stories can be a little different. Neji, Shino, and I are going to have to get ours water tight, though," Beki sighed.

"Why did you pick me?" Shino asked. "You and I never talk. Why would I be with you and Neji?"

"I picked you because you have a poker face that is the stuff of legends," Beki folded her arms. "You're also the rational type, so if Neji was walking me back to the hotel it's plausible you would volunteer to accompany us for safety's sake."

Shino nodded. "Alright."

"Now that we've got that figured out, can we get the hell out of here?" Beki shivered in her clothes. "I am so damn done with the Cloud Village I can't even."

"You can't even what?" Hinata asked, still worried but confused.

Beki opened her arms, gestured at the mountain, and then the road. "Any of it. I can't."

"She's still addled," Tenten whispered. "Let's get her home."

Lee leapt over to her and turned around while popping a squat. "HOP ON!"

"Okay, Lee," Beki said as she climbed onto his back. "Don't be so excited about carrying me. It makes it weird."

The group set off. Things were awkward at first but soon they had all broke into the usual conversations.

"Listen, Beki, I'm glad you're alright," Neji was forced into a light jog to keep up with Lee's pace. "I have your kunai bag if you need it."

"Thank goodness," Beki sighed. "Was any of my other stuff found?"

"Your headband and family crest was in there," Neji said. "No shoes though."

"Dammit," Beki said as she popped her fist on Lee's shoulder. "Oh, sorry. Forgot."

"I didn't even feel it!" Lee smiled.

Beki watched him with an odd look for a moment. "If you were anyone else that would worry me. Anyway,"

"Anyway," Neji continued. "Our signal worked, it seems."

"It sure did," Beki sighed. "I hope we don't have many occasions to use it."

Neji looked up at Beki, her face covered in cuts and quickly erupting into a rainbow of bruises, and his heart ached. He was furious with himself for allowing her to fall into harm's way but also massively relieved that Beki was alright. It was everything in his power not to reach out and hug her. "Look, if you thought that I was on you like white on rice before, just wait till we get back to Konoha," Neji said. "This won't happen again."

Beki smiled. "Of course not. If anyone tries to hug me again, I'm going to sock them in the face."

"YEAH!" Lee cried out over his shoulder.

"Lee, it's awkward with you interjecting into the conversation." Neji shouted behind Lee.

"But I am part of the conversation too, Neji!" Lee smiled.

"He's kind of got you there," Beki adjusted. "The guy is basically my steed at this point."

"Am I a noble steed?!" Lee looked at her pleadingly.

"The noblest." Beki patted the top of his head and Lee looked forward with determination burning in his eyes.

"I won't let you down!" Lee said as he reared like a horse and took off at top speed. Neji groaned to himself as he heard Lee whinnying between Beki's pleas for him to slow down. Things look like they went back to normal fast, Neji thought.


	48. Ethics

**Hi everyone! You know how I said I would try to get two chapters out a week? Here's me trying. Things have been suuuuper busy, and they will be more busy in the weeks to come. I'm also having to slow down because in a chapter or two my collab with tallman will come out, so at least you have that to look forward to. PS, I still love hearing from you guys via PM and reviews. It lets me know that my efforts are appreciated.**

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The rocking of the boat was almost enough to distract Seiichiro from the thoughts racing through his brain. The paper of the report he had received had been read so many times it had softened to the texture of a handkerchief. The Raikage had been kind enough to send Seiichiro a more accurate account of the chunin exams than the papers had to offer, but its contents were disturbing. Multiple attempts on his daughter's life outside the arena mean that Seiichiro's enemies had indeed gone after his daughter. Worse yet, one of the assailants had been his own nephew. He had been foolish enough to believe that after all this time he could finally bury the hatchet with his family and they repaid his optimism with attempted murder.

In this mire of darkness, however, was a shining ray of hope: Beki had defeated them all. Not only had she made it to the finals in the chunin exams, bringing great honor to her family and her village, but she had survived both attempted assassinations. Although he had personally seen to her training and hired professionals to make up for his weaker points, as a father Seiichiro couldn't help but worry about his daughter making it in the world. The chunin exams had been the first real test of how Beki could handle the chaos and danger of the shinobi world and she had done an exemplary job.

He read through the report again, smiling to himself at how the Raikage's professionalism slipped on occasion with an almost paternal pride. His favorite lines from the report were: "she made her cousin look like a damned fool" and "Beki would have made her momma proud." Seiichiro subconsciously touched the letter in the pocket on the inside of his shirt and sighed with relief. He hadn't left the letter on the desk. Apparently in addition to this personal report to Seiichiro, the Raikage and surprisingly enough the Kazekage had both sent in letters of approval regarding Beki's performance in the exams. The king had no choice but to send Seiichiro to his daughter with the announcement she had been promoted to chunin. Seiichiro couldn't wait to see the smile on Beki's face when she heard the news. To celebrate, he had even picked up a gift for her.

It would be quite some time before he could see his daughter's face, however. Travel in winter was treacherous and therefore painfully slow. It would be weeks before Seiichiro would walk through the gates of the Leaf. Until then, however, he would have glowing words about how his daughter was growing up to be an exceptional shinobi to keep him warm.

…

Tsunade hadn't been happy about the report that Sound shinobi were still using the chunin exams as a scouting ground. A had been even more perturbed that Beki hadn't reported the incident to him and given him the chance to kick some Otogakure ass. All in all, however, the "attempted" abduction blew over and soon life returned to normal.

Beki had been doing her best to keep up her training but she found herself frustrated. Her father had raised her with the impression that the Maidens were creatures of myth and legend, terrifying and unstoppable. Her fight against Shinichi had taught her that this version of things was flawed. Why hadn't Seiichiro told Beki that there were counter styles? It made sense they had a backup plan if a Maiden went rogue, however Beki's father should have warned her about it. Part of her wondered if clan law dictated the Maidens be raised in the dark to the Kishin style.

No matter what technique she worked on, Beki found that the knowledge she could be flawlessly countered in a single move discouraging. There weren't any lightning users in Konoha her age, so Beki was left trying to remember Shinichi's moves and brainstorming ways to counter the devastation he laid upon her in that arena. No matter what she tried, she just kept coming up short.

It bothered her so much that she was actually training outside of her schedule with Ebisu. He would show up and she would have already been at it for hours, or she would tell him to head home at the day's end. It was Beki's day off from training and she was standing alone in the woods near a small stream. She had realized that drawing from natural water sources was a great way to conserve chakra while practicing Drowned Maiden techniques. Hinata had sent her out with a bento, so Beki laid it on a large flat rock with her shoes before she stepped into the babbling water.

You know, maybe I should just take it easy today, Beki thought. She really wouldn't be able to make any progress till she talked to her dad about the Kishin style, anyway. With a sigh, she stepped back out onto the bank and the mud squished between her toes. A shiver went down Beki's spine at the gushy sensation. There was something so gross but so exhilarating about mud in a childish sort of way. The winter in Konoha was much milder than in the Cloud, so even though the mud was icy cold it hadn't frozen solid. It was after a moment or two of silently playing with the mud that Beki sensed she was being watched. It triggered a danger response; her hair stood on end and goosebumps formed on her skin. Instinctively, she dove forward across the river and faced the opposite side in time to see a cyclone tear by where she had just been sitting. Her shoes and bento went careening off into the woods. Beki sighed. Regardless of how this fight went, the walk home was going to suck.

"Okay, who's there?" Beki barked. "Show yourself!"

A tall blonde girl a several years older than Beki dressed all in black traditional wear descended from the trees using a great fan like a hang glider. She landed where Beki had stood moments before and stared her down.

"So you're Tsukimori Beki?" She asked, her voice as harsh as her glassy green eyes.

"You should kind of start with that instead of the whole cyclone thing," Beki clenched her fists. She had been planning on water jutsu training today and had left her kunai bag and weapons at home. That left her completely unarmed in face of this fan user. It didn't help she would be forced to fight barefoot on the treacherous snowy forest floor.

"We need to talk," the girl raised her fan in front of herself threateningly.

Beki furrowed her brow and her mind raced. Who on earth could this girl be? Beki had been in Konoha over a year, so that meant anyone she had angered recently she would recognize as one of the Leaf Villagers. Admittedly, Beki had crossed ninja of every village at one point or another, but nothing that warranted a grudge this long lasting. Based on the headband she was wearing the girl Beki was facing from the Sand. Considering her father had never worked that far west, she was left completely perplexed as to the identity of her assailant.

"What are your intentions toward the Kazekage?" The blonde girl demanded, cutting off Beki's string of thoughts.

"What does it matter to you?" Beki replied automatically. She wasn't going to reveal anything until she figured out who this girl was. Instead of using her words, the blonde girl lashed out with another wind based attack. Beki had no choice but to evade the incoming assault. Beki jumped up and swung around a tree limb, using the momentum to launch herself out of the range of the attack. She landed on the branch of another tree and watched as the wind blades took out a fistful of trees where Beki had just been standing.

"Is this some kind of plot against our village?" The blonde girl cried as she took another swing at Beki.

This attack had less wind up so Beki was left with less time to respond. She launched herself off of the branch, arching up into the air. Beki felt the angry current rush by her, whipping her hair around her face and tearing violently at her clothes. The wind blades sliced open the back of her shirt, the seams of her shoulders, and the legs of her pants. None of that would have mattered except she heard a sickening thwap as her hair was caught in the crossfire. Beki landed roughly, a wave of shock and anger washing over her as she looked at her hair hanging by a single strand. This stranger had severed off half of Beki's long silky braid. It had taken her a decade of dedication and conditioning to get it that long and healthy.

"Really?!" Beki held up the sad dangling remnants of her braid. "This is low."

The girl continued to stare her down, unphased by Beki's scolding. It was clear she was ready to make another assault as Beki was forced to use her teeth to bite through the last few threads connecting the hair from her head to the already unweaving tail. Beki sighed sadly and looked the girl dead in the eye.

"I'm going to say this once: I'm the daughter of a Getsugakure ambassador and I was taught not to share my personal business with strangers," Beki did her best to keep her voice steady in spite of the raging inferno of loathing stewing in her gut. "Unless you can give me a damn good reason why you need to know about my friendship with the Kazekage, it's none of your business."

"Suna and Getsu are not allies," The blonde girl looked at Beki with a face like she smelled something foul. "It's my job to investigate any suspicious activity around the Kazekage. A Getsugakure official creeping around falls within the category of 'highly suspect'."

Beki's feet were cut and bleeding in places from her aggressive evasion tactics on the hard bark of the winterized trees. It wasn't just the splinters stuck in her soles and heels; there was at least one wood chip lodged in the webs between her toes. In spite of the agonizing pain Beki kept her face calm and emotionless. Whoever this girl was, she was dangerous, and Beki had no intention of revealing she was vulnerable.

"Once again, it's none of your business, but the Kazekage works with my father. That's how we got to talking," Beki explained. "That being said, I'm sure he'd be pretty unhappy to hear the daughter of one of his coworkers was almost hacked to pieces by one of his shinobi."

The blond girl opened her mouth to respond but rustling in the underbrush drew both of their attention. Shikamaru appeared, bearing an expression of pure annoyance.

"What is going on here?" He looked back and forth between the girls. "Having fun tearing apart the forest?"

Beki opened her mouth to speak but the girl shot her a look that silenced her instantly.

"Nothing is going on," The girl said as she clapped her fan shut and hoisted it on her back. "I was just leaving."

She walked off into the woods in the direction Shikamaru had just come from. Shikamaru looked at Beki, barefoot and bloody, and shook his head. Beki pointed in the direction of the blond girl and then swirled her index finger by her temple to indicate the Sand kunoichi was crazy. Shikamaru shrugged with apathy and turned to follow the Suna girl. As soon as they were out of earshot, Beki finally let out a tiny whimper. She gingerly climbed down the tree with only her hands, dropping the last few feet onto her bottom to avoid impact on her feet. As much as it hurt her tailbone, the idea of driving the wood bits further into her flesh was less appealing.

Beki began to pick the splinters and chips out of her feet. They were bleeding but Beki was unable to even find grass to bind the wounds with. Left with no choice and no shoes, Beki coated her feet in the icy mud and used the small blue fire jutsu to turn it into a thick cake on her feet. Hiashi is going to love me tracking mud all over the compound, Beki thought.

Unable to put it off any longer due to hunger and a need for some pain killers, Beki sighed in frustration and started the long walk home. As soon as she made it into Konoha proper she started getting strange looks from the locals as she hobbled along. This shouldn't even phase them, Beki thought. I ran down this street in my underwear before.

Beki did her best to keep up a straight face the whole time. In spite of how long she had resided in Konoha, she knew in her heart this was still the away team. She could show no weakness or a lapse in character as that would reflect poorly on Getsu. Beki was so focused on putting one throbbing foot in front of the other she didn't notice Rock Lee careening toward her.

He hit her with the force of a runaway train. Beki flew sideways about five feet before the wall of a restaurant stopped her trajectory. The whole world flashed white as her head cracked against the wall, leaving a spider web patterned crater in its wake. She slid down the wall as the whole world swam and her vision grew fuzzy.

"Beki, are you alright?!" Lee was hovering over her instantly.

His words sounded like water in her ears. Beki closed her eyes and centered herself, breathing through the pain and trying not to throw up.

"I think I'm okay," Beki mumbled unconvincingly.

Lee looked at her with a worried expression. "Did you just get back from training?"

"Something like that," Beki held out a hand to be hoisted up.

Lee was very careful as he helped Beki to her feet. Almost immediately, her knees gave out from the electric wave of pain that shot up her legs. Lee caught her as she swooned and without another word threw her on his back.

"Don't worry Beki! I'll get you home!" Lee said with ferocious determination.

"Lee, it's okay...I'm fine…" Beki couldn't bring herself to protest much. She was done with today and a ride home sounded like a fine idea.

"Nonsense! It is my duty to carry a fallen comrade to safety!" Lee said and immediately took off at full speed.

Beki felt her whole stomach lurch with the sudden change in momentum and it took all of her discipline to keep her breakfast from lurching back up.

"Lee," She groaned. "Please slow down."

His eyes widened in embarrassment. "Of course. I apologize Beki. I was so eager to get you home I forgot you were injured."

"It's okay," Beki groaned. "Thanks for the lift, Lee."

Even at an easier pace Lee had her home in minutes. As the approached the Hyuga compound, they ran into Neji on his way into town. His eyes widened in surprise at Beki's appearance and instantly came down on Lee.

"What did you do, Lee?!" Neji growled as he gingerly removed Beki from Lee's back.

"I wasn't feeling well before he ran into me," Beki grumbled softly. "It's not his fault I'm in the shape I'm in."

Neji didn't bother arguing with her but he gave Lee a threatening look anyway. After a moment, he sighed and said:

"Let's get you inside. Thank you for getting her home, Lee."

Lee saluted diligently and called after them:

"I'm going to run 500 laps around the village on my hands as penance for running into you, Beki!"

"You do that," She groaned loudly as Neji put her over his shoulder fireman style and turned back towards the compound. Neji made a point of being more considerate about Beki's condition as he carried her to Hinata's. When she heard the door opening, Hinata walked into the kitchen with a smile that faded as soon as she laid eyes on them.

"What happened?" Hinata asked as she rushed over to Neji set Beki on the couch.

"I wasn't there, but from the looks of it Beki's been having a rough day," Neji eyed Beki's mud caked feet suspiciously.

"I'll go get the ointment," Hinata said as she hurried over to the medicine cabinet.

"No medicine," Beki whimpered. "I hate it. Please don't put any of that on my feet."

"What happened to your feet?" Neji asked. "Where are your shoes?"

Beki thought of how to explain the odd turn her day had taken. She still had no idea about the identity of the Sand kunoichi who had attacked her. Hinata and Neji were already on the brink of putting her on house arrest. If Beki told them she had been randomly assaulted while out training in Konoha again, she was sure they would follow through with it.

"Training accident," Beki pointed at her feet. "My shoes got washed downriver and I cut up my feet trying to find them."

"Beki who did this to you?" Hinata stood before her with a bowl of hot water and an unconvinced expression.

"I did," Beki leaned back on the couch and laid an arm over her eyes to avoid Hinata's penetrating gaze. "I just told you."

"Really," Hinata said as she took hold of Beki's tattered braid. "Did you accidentally butcher your own hair?"

It wasn't worth lying anymore. Hinata knew Beki too well for her to lie her way out of this. Hinata knew how vain Beki was about her long platinum braid and would never believe Beki would do anything harmful to it.

Beki sighed and gave in. "I was wading in the river, getting ready to work on some water ninjutsu when some Suna kunoichi blitzed me from the woods. Knocked my shoes and the bento you packed me out into god knows where in the forest."

"Did she tell you her name?" Neji asked as he held up Beki's legs one at a time so Hinata could wash the mud from her feet.

"No," Beki swallowed hard, wincing whenever Hinata hit a tender spot. "All I can tell you is that she was trying to get information from me."

"About Konoha?" Hinata paused as she surveyed the damage. Beki had done a considerable amount of damage to the bottoms of her feet, partially due to how long she went without proper medical attention. Injured feet were a huge problem for shinobi, so Beki was going to have to keep off of them until they had completely healed. Hinata knew Beki would hate that information so Hinata waited to share it.

"No, about some…Getsu stuff," Beki said evasively, but both Hyugas looked at her knowingly so she relented. "She was asking me about my relationship to the Kazekage, like I'm an assassin or something."

"What did you tell her?" Neji asked.

Beki shook her head. "Not a damn thing. Especially after she lobbed my braid off. Who does that? Kunoichi 101: Never go for the hair." Beki rubbed her neck. "When I think about it, the whole situation might have just been some strange standard procedure or something. The girl obviously wasn't there to hurt me. I was unarmed and she caught me by surprise, so she definitely could have maimed me if she wanted to."

"Regardless of how much more she could have done to you, all this just seems kind of cruel," Neji folded his arms.

"Women are cruel, Neji, and spiteful and mean," Beki shook her head. "It's probably some ex of his or something."

Neji chuckled a little at that. "If Gaara has an ex, they're probably not among the living. His change of character was pretty recent, Beki."

"Then I don't know," Beki shrugged and sighed. "It's not the first time I've pissed off someone's fan club."

"Who else's fan club have you interfered with?" Neji cocked an eyebrow.

"My dad's," Beki laughed and then winced. "There has always been a woman or two in each village that have had their eyes on him. I always got in the way though. He always had to cancel dates because I got sick or hurt myself or something."

"Do you think your father would have remarried?" Hinata asked. Neji shot Hinata a look of shock at her forwardness, but Beki responded without hesitation.

"To be honest, I think he always sort of hid behind me. He loved my mom a lot. Got himself almost disowned by his family to be with her, so," Beki shook her head. "No. I don't think he ever planned to or will take another wife."

"Even with your separation?" Hinata asked as she brewed some tea.

"Especially so," Beki relaxed into the couch. "My dad is a pretty guarded guy. He taught me to keep an eye on people. If I'm not there to give him my two cents on a person he's even less likely to involve himself with them."

Hinata handed a cup of the hot liquid to Beki and then one to Neji. After she had taken her seat on the couch beside Beki, the conversation took a more pleasant turn. It was surprising to Neji how much Hinata had opened herself up to Beki. It was also interesting how much the clan had ended up accepting Beki as a staple in the compound. In the year she had spent with them, Beki had proven herself highly adaptable and a steadfast friend to Hinata. Not to mention after how Beki had risked her own life to defend Hinata against Kenji Hideki, the whole clan had taken note of her loyalty. Even Hiashi had become more forgiving of her missteps, in the way one would forgive a mischievous but good hearted child.

Neji stuck around for a bit longer while he listened to their conversation. He wondered if this is how it would be in the years to come and he caught himself smiling at the idea of them all spending time like this as adults. Neji imagined what they would all look like and whether or not they would meet up like this in Hinata's living room to chat. A small smile began to pull at his lips but he kept it at bay. Don't get ahead of yourself, Neji, he thought.

…

The sun was barely breaking over the Hokage Mountain monument when Seiichiro walked through the village gates. His entire body throbbed with a dull ache from his arduous journey. Seiichio had spent so many days out in the cold that he felt like there was no way he would ever feel warm again. After he had checked in at the inn he usually stayed at, Seiichiro followed his nose to a diner that was brewing some strong smelling coffee.

He sat down at the counter and made no attempt to hide the cat in his bag. The cook gave him an odd look. The man obviously considered throwing Seiichiro out but after sizing up the Reaper he decided to let it slide.

"Don't let that thing on the counter," Was his only warning before he started on Seiichiro's order.

Seiichiro smirked to himself after the cook turned his back. I've still got it, he thought. The cat climbed out of the bag onto Seiichiro's lap and sniffed at the scent of sausage. It licked its lips, looked up at Seiichiro, and yowled with longing. He scratched the cat's head. The animal was a handsome thing with a soft fluffy coat. His face and body were white, but the rest of the cat's head, its tail, and the "socks" on his front legs were black. His ears were tall and he had and intelligent golden eyes that somehow always perfectly communicated what he was thinking. Seiichiro hoped that Beki would get some comfort from the return of her cat, he just prayed Hiashi wouldn't mind the sudden addition.

After the cook had given him his food, Seiichiro proceeded to eat his meal. Every so often he would slip a hunk of sausage to the cat, who purred in appreciation. Now all that's left is to see Beki, Seiichiro thought as he packed up the cat and paid.

…

Beki was cleaning and polishing her mother's gauntlets at the kitchen table. Hinata preferred it when she did so outside "because of the fumes," she said. So, Beki waited for her to be out running errands and left the windows cracked while she worked. She had already done this procedure three times without Hinata noticing. It was rude, but so was asking Beki to stand outside in the numbing cold and try to clean blades. That was a recipe for death or dismemberment.

A firm knock at the door startled her so hard she almost took her finger off. Beki sighed and plopped the gauntlet next to its mate on the towel. "Coming."

The great hulking shadow on the other side of the door could only be one person.

"Dad?" Beki said as she opened the door.

"Surprise," Her father held up the cat.

"Why do you have Socks?" Beki cried.

Seiichiro walked inside and plopped the cat on the floor. "I figured you missed your cat."

Beki scooped Socks up and shoved him back in her father's arms. "He isn't my cat! He's Reika's!" Seiichiro shoved the cat back at her and he mewed pitifully.

"He always liked you better than her," Seiichiro took a seat at the table and surveyed Beki's work on the gauntlets. It was better than it had been, but she lacked Yuki's ability to clean it in all the hard to reach places. Here and there, chunks of dried blood were still caked in the notches and grooves of the metal.

"She's going to put a curse on us or something," Beki grumbled as she scratched the cat behind the ears. Socks gave a soft purr in response.

"I didn't just come here to give you the cat," Seiichiro reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew the letter from the King. Beki looked at it in confusion, the gold and indigo of the imperial crest shining in the cold morning light. Seiichiro watched her face as she read the letter, her trepidation quickly brightening to delight.

"DAD!" Beki sprang up and hugged him. "I'M A CHUNIN!"

"I know, kiddo," Seiichiro patted her back. "Congratulations. I hear you made your village proud."

"I kicked Shinichi's ass," Beki stepped back and looked her father in the eye. "But barely. I need to talk to you about something."

Seiichiro eyed her suspiciously. "What? Is there something I should know?"

Beki stared him down. "What is the Kishin style?"

Of course, Seiichiro thought. How could I have forgotten to warn her? Then again, last time Seiichiro had seen Shinichi, he was a toddler. It wouldn't have even crossed his mind that the twerp had gotten older and learned the Kishin style.

"How much do you already know?" Seiichiro sighed.

Beki sat down across from him and started packing up her cleaning supplies. "I know that it's a counter style to the Maidens."

Seiichiro tapped his fingers on the table. "The Kishin style was developed shortly after the passing of the original Maidens. Their sons recognized that although they had been just, their powers had been out of control. They came up with counters specific to each Maiden: lightning for the Drowned, wind for the Hanged, and water for the Burned."

"Well, it works," Beki rested her chin in her hands. "Shinichi wiped me out."

"Clearly he didn't," Seiichiro ruffled her hair. "You must have outsmarted him."

Beki got up and put the kettle on for tea. "Only because I learned a couple fire techniques."

Seiichiro smiled at her back. That's my girl, he thought.

"Because of the responsibility associated with it, all three stances of the Kishin are passed on to each of the male heirs," Seiichiro explained. "Starting with their family's counter."

"Dad, it isn't fair," Beki pulled the cups out of the cabinet. "No matter what I do, there is going to be a perfect counter to me. I got away this time, but if Shinichi ever decides to…"

Seiichiro watched her silently. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to learn it," Beki poured the tea. "I want to understand it so I can stop it."

Seiichiro scraped his nail on a bit of syrup that had dried on the table. "I can give you something better."

Beki looked at him in surprise. "What? How?"

"I may not have been the clan heir, but I was lightyears smarter than my oldest brother," Seiichiro explained. "He took almost twenty years to learn the three forms of the Kishin. I learned it in five."

Beki blinked. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"To be honest, it isn't the 'true' style. It's one of my own creation," Seiichiro accepted his cup of tea. "The three separate styles were designed for endurance against a specific Maiden consisting of pinpoint moves and ninjutsu. Mine is a simple, single short burst of power combining all three." Seiichiro set down the cup and looked at the gauntlets. "Its how I beat your mother in the chunin exams. I call it the Raijin style."

Beki remembered the pain and the humiliation of Shinichi's use of the Kishin style. It had made her uncertain about her future ever since, the knowledge that out there existed a style specifically designed to neuter her. She clenched her fists as the ghost of the electricity coursing through her veins swept over her.

"Teach me," She said.

Seiichiro looked at the determination in Beki's eyes and hesitated. The Kishin and his own Raijin styles were designed to keep out of control Maidens in check. It had been the only thing capable of stopping her mother's rampage all those years ago, and if Seiichiro taught it to Beki, what would stop her if she got out of hand?

Then again, Yukihana had always been a predator. There was a cruel glimmer in her eyes even when she wasn't in her Maiden form. She tested limits constantly and held no value for human life. Beki was gentler in nature and lacked her mother's cruelty, however for all intents and purposes, she was a child. What was safe to teach her now could prove deadly knowledge in the future.

"If I teach you this, and you lose control," Seiichiro's voice was dark. "Nothing can stop you. Friends and foes will be mowed down in equal measure."

Beki watching him cautiously and he held up a hand for attention.

"You may be thinking, 'that would never happen to me," Seiichiro cautioned. "But these things are a process. You'll use this technique to defeat your enemies and it will make it so easy it'll be your default process. As the number of victories grows, the civilian casualties that result from the technique will seem less and less important. Before you know it there will be nothing but bodies in your wake and the person you knew as 'Beki' will be gone forever. All that will remain is a ruthless killer that wants nothing more than another notch on their belt."

Beki looked at her feet. "I just don't want to feel so vulnerable anymore. I don't want to win, dad. I just don't want to lose when it counts."

"Then let's get started," Seiichiro said as he rose from the table. "You have a lot to learn."


	49. A Happy Distraction

**Hi everyone, I know its been a while. Know that I am still here and I am still working on/going to post my story. This time of year is very busy for me both professionally and personally so thank you for bearing with me. That being said, I had a lot of fun working on this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. I appreciate hearing from you all and the reviews are very encouraging (and/or extremely funny). I love hearing your knee-jerk reactions and in a sick way I like reading your predictions/questions about the story. I get to cackle and say "If only they knew...". Then I go bother Tallman to write. So TLDR; sending me PMs and Reviews makes Tallman write more. True facts. That's enough of that, and look forward to hearing from me hopefully again this weekend. If not, I'll have something out by next week. Till then!**

* * *

If the training location were any more remote, Beki would have been convinced her father planned on burying her there. The woods were so dense the light and warmth of sunlight barely broke through the canopy. Beki was sure that if it got any cooler she would be able to see her breath. The more concerning aspect of the location Seiichiro had chosen was the steep drop off that looked over a wide valley of trees below. When they had first arrived, she bad kicked a rock over the side. It took what seemed like a full minute for it to clack against the rocky bottom below.

"Do you remember how hard the fire jutsu training was for you?" Seiichiro asked as he set down his things over the hump of a fallen tree.

"Yeah," Beki sighed. Arguably she had been studying fire jutsu unsuccessfully all her life up until right before the chunin exams. It had taken all of her discipline and perseverance to create the tiniest spark in her hands.

"This is going to make that look like a pop quiz at the academy," Seiichiro folded his arms. "This is equal parts body, brain, and spirit."

Uh oh, Beki thought. Her father wasn't a big talker but he had gone into full lecture mode. That could only mean one thing: this was going to suck.

"You've managed to break the water seal, the yang seal, and the fire seal," Seiichiro said. "Now not only will you have to figure out how to break the wind seal, but you'll have to run it with the water and fire simultaneously."

Beki shook her head in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Running three chakra types all at once?! How am I supposed to do that?!"

"First," Seiichiro held up a finger for patience. "You will work on breaking the wind seal. Then, you will try to run while in Drowned Maiden form."

"Why?" Beki tossed her gauntlets over the log and her father visibly winced. It was only right he gave her all they had left of Yukihana but Beki was young and lacked the reverence for the gauntlets Seiichiro thought she should have. Don't be a grouchy old man, Seiichiro, he thought.

"Water has always been easy for you," Seiichiro explained. "Even before you unlocked the Drowned Maiden you were a gifted water ninjutsu user. My thought process is that being in Maiden form will allow you to 'cheat' running two seals at once. You'll learn how to do it, how to feel for it, and establish the necessary endurance to sustain it. Then we'll try two jutsu at once."

Well, Beki thought as her skin paled and her hair dampened. This is going to be a long day.

…

"Easy…easy," Seiichiro's voice was barely discernible through the roar of the air rushing around Beki's head. "Now just cast the fire jutsu."

Beki kept her eyes closed as she carefully raised her hands to her stomach and began to form the first hand sign. Maintaining Drowned Maiden form and casting the wind jutsu had taken her almost a month to figure out and was incredibly difficult for her to maintain. This was the first time in a week that it hadn't immediately dissipated after casting.

Easy, Beki repeated her father's words in her head. Easy now.

As she began to form the second hand sign Beki felt her hold weakening. It was like a thread being pulled at the back of her head so tightly it began to fray. Beki tried to strengthen her focus but as she formed the final hand sign for the fire jutsu, the wind jutsu dissipated.

"Dammit!" Beki socked a nearby tree, splitting open her knuckles. She was so frustrated she didn't feel the throb of the split flesh and bruised bone.

Seiichiro sighed and crossed his arms. "Calm down, cupcake. It's not uncommon for people to hit a plateau in their training."

"It's so easy for you to say," Beki grumbled. "When's the last time you learned something new? Huh?"

"I don't have to learn new things," Seiichiro grinned. "I just think of ways to do old things better."

Beki noticed her knuckles and began picking at the scabbing skin. "Oh really? Like what?"

"Like learning the Raijin technique," Seiichiro explained. "I already learned it, so I can teach you a faster way to go. Unfortunately, I think you've hit a point where all you can do is grind." The sour expressing Beki shot Seiichiro made him chuckle. "Sorry kiddo. Until you can run all three at once I can't help you any further."

"So, what, you're just going to leave now?" Beki stared in disbelief as her father began packing up his belongings. "You can't, Dad! We're in the middle of this!"

"Look, Beki," Seiichiro sighed. "I have to head back to Getsu tonight. Keep at it and I'm sure by the next time I visit you'll have this down."

Beki watched her father pack silently while she bit at the skin on her knuckles. Her father had nothing but confidence in her but Beki had a sinking feeling about her training. The fire jutsu had been a miraculous breakthrough for her. What Seiichiro was asking her to do was a whole other level from breaking a single seal. She had nothing better to do in Konoha than grind at a technique, but there was a hopelessness she couldn't shake.

"Alright dad, if you say so."

…

The acorn that popped Beki on the head had been tossed in a flawless arc over the wind jutsu she had cast. She groaned in frustration and looked up at her assailant with a face that could melt glass.

"This came in the mail for you," Hanabi held up a crate the size of her head. "It looks fancy. What is it?"

"I don't know," Beki's anger was immediately replaced with curiosity as she walked over. "Let's see. Who dropped it off?"

"Some terrified genin punk," Hanabi looked at the label. "It says its from Suna."

Beki took the package with a shrug. "Well, there's a fifty/fifty chance this is a gift or a bomb."

Hanabi squinted her eyes at the Byakugan activated. "Not a bomb."

"What is it, then?" Beki bonked her on the head. Hanabi rubbed the spot on her scalp and stuck out her tongue.

"I bomb scanned it for you. I'm not going to ruin the surprise."

Beki sighed and pried open the crate with a kunai. A smaller box had been packed inside and snuggled safely in a nest of crinkly brown paper. She reached inside and extracted it. The box was made of darkly lacquered wood and featured brightly painted scenes on each side. It would have been beautiful, but all of the scenes looked off.

"No, you're kidding," Beki's expression darkened upon closer inspection. "It's a damned puzzle box."

"Haha, have fun," Hanabi socked Beki in the middle of the top of her thigh, sending waves of pain all the way to her knees.

"Dammit, Hanabi," Beki winced. "Don't think I won't toss you in a river for this!"

Her aggressor was long gone, however. Beki looked down at the box again. Each face had a puzzle, and each puzzle involved correcting the picture. One was a sliding picture, one featured concentric circles, and one had some parts sticking up off the box and the rest were pressed into it. A few of the faces Beki couldn't even figure out what the puzzle portion was. She sat down on the ground and started to work at it. The hours slowly slipped away as Beki was absorbed in unlocking the box's mysteries. It wasn't until the sun had almost completely set that Beki noticed how her day had run from her. She sighed in frustration. The fruits of her labor had amounted to a single solved puzzle. That one face of the box was now a lovely map of constellations. How appropriate, Beki thought, that the heavens are in order and everything else is in chaos.

Beki rose and began walking home. Maybe Hinata could help her figure it out.

…

"The plumbers say it was age," Neji shuffled awkwardly on the kitchen tile. "They'll fix it tomorrow."

Hinata shook her head. "Don't concern yourself, Neji. I've got more than enough house to go around."

"If I didn't have to report in for a mission tomorrow morning I wouldn't bother you," Neji apologized.

"You won't be bothering anyone," Hinata said as she picked her bag up off of the counter. "I'm going to dinner with Kurenai sensei, and Beki stays out training late these days. You'll have the whole place to yourself."

"Thank you again, Lady Hinata," Neji gave her a polite bow. Before she left the house, Hinata handed Neji a set of freshly laundered towels that smelled faintly of lemons. He headed up the stairs towards the bedrooms and heard the click of the door behind Hinata as she left.

Thank goodness they'll both be out, Neji thought and sighed with relief. If Lady Hinata had been home the whole time, it would have been awkward but bearable. The thing that had terrified him the most when he realized he needed to come over to shower was the possibility of Beki's presence. Neji had worked hard to ignore his feelings for her and focus on just being Beki's friend. Knowing he would be naked in the same house as her, however, and knowing that at one point he had seen her naked would fluster him. He did his absolute best to pretend that event had never happened but the memory still creeped into his thoughts. Since Neji had realized his feelings for Beki, he found it more difficult to ignore.

The bathroom besides Hinata's and Beki's bedrooms had been winterized. Neji thought it would be foolish to waste time waiting for the pipes to warm up in the unused restrooms so he turned on the water in Hinata's shower. Hinata knew what he was doing, after all, and it wasn't worth the risk to use Beki's. As he climbed in and ducked into the stream of hot water Neji focused his thoughts on the days ahead.

…

The house was quiet as Beki walked through the kitchen door. Beki listened for any signs of life and heard the soft rattle of water pipes in the walls. As she took off her shoes with one hand Beki held the puzzle box in the other and stared down the next puzzle. Normally Beki would let Hinata have her space but the puzzle box was driving her crazy.

First of all, who would send her a damn puzzle box? Second, how did she solve some of these puzzles? These were insights that could only be gained by cheating with the aid of a Byakugan.

Beki walked up the stairs, her kunoichi training in silent movement active even though she was absent-mindedly prodding at the box. She figured after Hinata finished up she could work on the box while Beki made them something to eat. That or Beki would hop in the shower after her if Hinata wanted to cook. She kicked off her pants and threw them in the hamper on the way into Hinata's room. Beki had spent too many hours sitting in the grass in those pants and they were wrinkled and uncomfortable.

As Beki stepped through the door to the bathroom she saw Hinata was washing her hair. Even though her own hair was nice in its way, Beki couldn't help but feel jealous of Hinata's long flowing locks. It was even pretty wet. Beki's dry hair was platinum but when it was wet it was the color of rotting wheat.

"Hey, Hinata," Beki held up the box and smiled. "Look what I got in the mail today."

A cold chill of pure terror ran down Neji's spine. He felt like he had been cornered by a bear. Praying that he had imagined that voice, Neji slowly turned his head to face the speaker. It took a moment for the friendly smile to slide off her face and turn into one of shock. Worst of all, he noticed, Beki wasn't wearing pants.

"N-Neji?!" Beki stood frozen to the spot. "What are you doing in here?!"

"I'm showering here because mine is broken," Neji said uncertainly. As he spoke, Beki's eyes fell to his nethers and he suddenly became aware of his nakedness. Instantly his hands shot to his crotch and he felt a flush creep up his neck to his face. "Can you leave?"

"My God, Neji, what was that?!" Beki held the box up to her face protectively.

"What?!" Neji looked around and readied himself. "Was it a spider?!"

"NO!" Beki pointed at him. "That!"

Neji followed the path of her finger and then covered himself again. "We are not having this conversation."

"I'm sorry, I'm just going to-" Beki closed her eyes tight and began trying to feel her way out of the bathroom. "I'm gonna go. Sorry."

"No, I'm done," Neji turned off the stream of water and took his towel off the door. "I'll leave."

Beki was obviously disoriented by the whole experience and was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. Neji wrapped himself in the towel and grabbed his change of clothes. Beki heard him moving around and went for the door to the bedroom with her eyes closed, relying on her memory of the house to guide her. In her blind fumble for the door Beki slipped on one of the puddles Neji left behind.

Beki's feet went out from under her and Neji instantly reacted by reaching out to catch her. He intercepted her as she fell and pulled her back to her feet, the momentum carrying her into him. In her panic, Beki clutched onto him to try to steady herself. As she regained her composure Beki realized it was Neji's bare shoulders she was clutching.

Neji's heart was pounding in his ears from both the sudden intrusion in the shower and Beki's near spill. Through the haze he realized he was feeling her hands against his bare flesh and holding her in his arms, albeit by the elbows. Neji knew he should let go but his body had locked up in terror. Beki opened her eyes in surprise at almost the exact moment as the towel slipped off his hips to the floor.

Beki's eyes grew wider and immediately dropped down to where the towel used to be. Neji instantly released her, almost forcefully enough to knock her over again. Beki ran out of the bathroom completely flustered and Neji heard her footsteps as they thundered down the stairs. He buried his face in his hands and breathed deeply for a moment to try to recover his composure. Neji could never look Beki in the face again. He grabbed his clothes off of the counter and put them on as quickly as possible with the intent of heading back to his room immediately. Whether he ran away from home after that depended on how he felt once he was safely away from Beki.

…

"I'm back-" Hinata called out as she came through the door and almost collided with Beki. "Oh, I'm sorry Beki," Hinata gave her a friendly smile and then immediately grew concerned. Beki looked disturbed like she had seen a ghost. Her face was red, her eyes were wide, and she was acting like a panicked animal. "Beki, what's wrong."

"ALL YOU HYUGAS LOOK THE SAME, YOU KNOW THAT?!" Beki practically screamed as her eyes welled up. "HOW THE HELL IS A PERSON SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU PEOPLE APART FROM BEHIND?!"

Without another word, Beki grabbed her coat off the rung by the door and pushed past Hinata. She ran out into the night, leaving the box on the kitchen table as she passed it. Hinata turned to call after her but her attention was drawn back to the stairs. Neji was descending them with the urgency of a person evading a house fire. At the sight of Hinata, Neji nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Oh, Lady Hinata," Neji's hair was still damp and his clothes clung to him like he had put them on before he had fully dried off. "I was just on my way out."

Hinata gestured after Beki. "What happened? She was so upset and she wasn't wearing pants."

"Well, um," Neji's eyes darted around the room as his face slowly turned pink. "Beki came home early from training and was surprised to find me alone in the house. It startled her, I suppose."

Hinata looked over Neji's disheveled appearance and then gazed out the window after Beki. The two of them had been dancing around each other for quite some time and incidents like this would make even the most trusting person suspicious. Hinata was certain nothing truly indecent had happened yet but if the two of them kept up like this it was sure to spell disaster.

"Neji, if something is going on between you two-" Hinata began slowly, her face flushing at the uncomfortable conversation she knew was to come.

"It isn't like that Hinata," Neji said frantically. "It isn't what it looks like-"

"It doesn't bother me," Hinata looked at her hands. "If you two get married, I'll always have two of my best friends nearby."

Hinata's words caught Neji off guard. This whole time he had been fixated on how complicated things would become if he struck up a relationship with Beki. Hearing how happy it would make Hinata made him realize that there could be some benefits to it as well.

"Naruto has been gone a long time," Hinata continued slowly, still fixated on watching her fingers move. "I…I don't know when he's coming back. Beki is my best friend, and if she leaves too I'll be all alone again."

Neji saw the tears welling up in her eyes and felt helpless to do anything to comfort her. "Hinata, Naruto is coming back. He'll be home in no time. You'll see."

"Will he, Neji?" Hinata's eyes welled up. "Or will he stay away forever? I don't know when he's coming home. It's been a year and a half already."

He was forced to watch as her tears spilled over. "I'M GOING TO DIE A SPINSTER!" She sobbed into her hands.

"I-I'm going to go find Beki for you," Neji gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze and ran for the door. "I'll go get Beki and she'll help you!"

He ran outside and closed the door on Hinata's pathetic cries. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, he thought as he set out after the only person in town he would pay money not to run into again. Lady Hinata needed help, however, and it was his duty to see that she was taken care of.

Beki was hovering awkwardly by the koi pond and was staring blankly into its depths. Neji cleared his throat. She didn't turn to face him but he saw her head dip in his direction in a gesture of acknowledgement.

"Hinata is," Neji sighed. "She's having a bad night."

"Aren't we all," Beki raised her hands in a gesture of resignation. She took stock of his embarrassed expression and sighed. "I'll go in and help her in a minute."

They stood there in an uneasy silence. _This is foolish_ , Neji thought. _Beki is my friend. The smartest thing for me to do right now is to act as I normally would._ "Weren't you raised by a single father?"

"Yeah," Beki shot him a suspicious look. "What about it?"

"Didn't you two ever go to a bath together or anything?" Neji asked. "You acted like you'd never seen one of… _those_ before."

Beki rolled her eyes. "Of course I have, Neji. I've seen enough by accident to know that what I saw today wasn't normal."

"What does that mean?" Neji asked defensively.

"Is there some kind of secret Hyuga supplement or something you're all taking to have giant boobs and…that?" Beki gestured in exasperation. "I can't imagine what it's like for you when you're around other guys. They must treat you like a freak. I mean, being around Hinata makes me feel as flat as a board, so I can't imagine how insecure you must make everyone else."

"You're pretty just how you are, Beki," Neji folded his arms. He watched as her eyes widened in realization and he instantly prepared to negate the compliment he had given her. Neji guessed it would be awkward to be called pretty by a man who had basically hugged you naked a short time before.

"That's why my ass is getting so big!" Beki cried in realization. "It's that secret Hyuga frigging ointment Hinata is always pawning off on me. I _knew_ I shouldn't have let her rub that on me after I fell into that briar patch!"

Neji sighed. _I give up._ He thought. He was never going to figure Beki out.

"Wait, if my ass is getting big because the ointment got rubbed on it, that means…" Beki narrowed her eyes at him. "Ew."

"NO!" Neji cried a little too loudly for the hour it was. "Absolutely not!"

"EW," Beki cried behind her as she ran back to Hinata's.

Neji felt his face growing red again, this time from both embarrassment and frustration. _No,_ Neji thought. _I'm not dealing with this anymore tonight. I'll deal with this tomorrow._ He stalked back to his bedroom and climbed into his bed knowing full well he wouldn't fall asleep. He had too much embarrassment and self-loathing to dwell on for that. Worse yet, he had a whole new set of reasons why he couldn't get over his feelings for his cousin's roommate.

…

"Are you okay?" Hinata and Beki said in unison as Beki walked through the door. Beki watched Hinata with concern. Hinata had made herself a cup of tea and sighed. It was clear from the pink swelling in her face that she had cried recently. Beki took up the seat next to her friend and tapped the wood with her fingernails.

"So…" Beki looked around for a change of subject and her eyes fell on the lacquered box. She leaned across the table and dragged it over to them. "I got this in the mail today."

"I was looking at it," Hinata commented as she dried her eyes. "It's very pretty."

"It didn't come with a note but the packaging said it was sent from Suna," Beki absent mindedly poked at the nearest puzzle face. "I'm hoping it's from Gaara and not that crazy blonde chick who knocked my shoes into oblivion."

Hinata activated her Byakugan and peered into the box. A small smile pulled across her lips and she shyly deactivated her kekke.

"What?" Beki gave her a confused look.

"Whoever they are, they know you're with Hyuga," Hinata smiled as she sipped her tea. "There's a note in there that says to let you figure it out on your own."

"Trolls," Beki grumbled into the box.

Hinata took the box and looked over the faces. "You know who is really good at this sort of thing?"

"Who?" Beki asked suspiciously.

"Shikamaru," Hinata handed the box back to her. "He might be able to give you some advice on how to proceed, at least."

Beki glared at the table. "Shikamaru thinks I'm annoying."

"He thinks that about all girls," Hinata shook her head. "Chouji likes you, though. If you approach him when Chouji is there he'll have to play nice."

Beki gave Hinata a surprised look. "Hinata, I'm surprised at you. That was almost manipulative."

"Only for you," Hinata patted Beki's hand and rose to put her cup in the sink. "You and Naruto-kun." Afterwards, Hinata started for the stairs.

"Going to bed already?" Beki asked and Hinata nodded. "Goodnight, then. I have some baking to do."

…

Chouji and Shikamaru were on their way to meet Ino for training with Asuma sensei. It was a bright, beautiful winter morning that had a foggy look to it, as if at any moment it would start to snow. The silvery sky was so close it felt like they could just reach out and touch it.

"I didn't have a big enough breakfast," Chouji grumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Shikamaru gave him the side eye. "You had two breakfasts."

Chouji shrugged. "In cold weather like this it's more work for my body to stay warm. I need more wood for the fire."

Shikamaru sighed. "We'll probably get food after we train. You can hold out till then."

They approached their turn down Canal Street when a familiar face popped out in front of them bearing a suspicious grin.

"Hey guys," Beki beamed. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Run," Shikamaru said instantly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he turned to dart in the other direction. Chouji grabbed Shikamaru's sleeve and spun him back around.

"Hey Beki," Chouji grinned. "What's up?"

Beki held out a pie tin wrapped in cellophane. It was stacked with perfect rows of chocolate chip cookies that were a sunny golden brown even in the cold light of day. "I might have baked too many cookies last night and thought I would share."

"Don't take them," Shikamaru gave Chouji a warning look. "Beware women bearing gifts. She either needs a favor or they're poisoned."

"Come on," Chouji gave him a gentle shove as he took the pie tin. "It's Beki, dude. She's cool."

"So I got this in the mail," Beki reached into her bag and held up the box. "And I am just having the damndest time with it."

Shikamaru eyed the puzzle box, instantly recognizing what it was. He looked at her with disgust. "You bribe my friend to get my help. Classy."

"Look, I've figured two of them out on my own," Beki held it out to him forcefully. "I know you're the smartest guy in town, so it'll take the least time for you to help me solve them. The sooner you do that, the sooner we all go on our way."

"We have to get to training," Shikamaru shoved the box back towards her and grabbed Chouji's sleeve, dragging him around the corner. Resting against the wall that ran the length of the canal, Asuma and Ino were picking through an almost identical pie tin of what looked like white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

"Hey Shikamaru, hey Chouji," Asuma said through a bite of cookie. "These are good, huh?"

"Hey, I want to trade some!" Chouji pushed past Shikamaru with the tray of chocolate chips and started switching some out.

"I'm so pissed because I'm on a strict diet right now," Ino grumbled. "I never find good white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, though. I'll just run harder today."

Shikamaru watched his entire team get distracted by such a cheap tactic and his expression soured. "What a drag," He grumbled as he turned around and snatched the box. Shikamaru felt Beki's eyes on him the whole time and he did his best to ignore her expectant aura. "Look, two of these you're just going to have to grind through," He said, pointing to the slider puzzle and the puzzle where some were popped out and some were pressed in. "This one and this one are about perspective, it'll make sense if you just look at it differently," He rotated the box again and looked at the last two. "This one has secret pictures on it. You probably just have to find them all. This last one isn't a puzzle at all. It's the box lid."

"Sweet," Beki grinned as she took the box. "So how do I-"

"No," Shikamaru glared at her.

"But you just-" Beki gave him a confused look.

"I told you what the puzzles were so you have a place to start," Shikmaru said as he turned back to his teammates. "Figure the rest out yourself."

"God, you're almost as bad as that Suna kunoichi who jumped me in the woods," Beki grumbled as she walked away.

Shikamaru stopped at that and winced. He had a bad feeling he knew exactly who Beki was talking about.

…

"FINALLY!" Beki cried out as she heard the lid of the puzzle box click. She had spent the entire afternoon and the better part of the evening laying on her bed in the fading light trying to figure out the different faces. Shikamaru's advice had been helpful, but the damn slider and popper puzzles had taken a lot of time to push through. She rolled back over onto her stomach and propped up the box on the bed. The well trained kunoichi part of her was leery of opening it so callously, but the rest of Beki could not wait to crack that sucker open.

Inside was a smaller box with a paper wrapped around it. Beki removed that first and examined it. On the outside was the note Hinata had mentioned the night before. In neat, measured letters it read "Please let her figure this out on her own." She bit her lip. Other than a couple helpful hints, Beki had worked through the box on her own. At least she could feel proud of that. Her attention then turned to the simple box. Upon closer inspection it was light and made of thin cardboard covered in decorative red paper. Beki had boxes like this one that she kept her earrings in, however this one was much prettier.

Feeling confident that it wouldn't explode in her face based on its size and its weight, Beki opened the box. Inside was a tiny bottle made of seafoam green glass. It was shaped like a teardrop, the tiny neck of which held a cork that was attached to a simple leather cord. As carefully as she could, Beki uncorked the bottle and emptied a small bit of its contents into her hand. The sand that spilled forth was so fine it almost felt like powder in her palm. The box that had held this necklace had been inside all day but the sand felt as warm as if it had been out in the sun. A small smile formed on her lips as she put the sand back in the bottle. Beki looked for a note even though she already knew who it was from.

After a few moments, she picked up the note requesting she solve the puzzles herself. When Beki turned it over she found the message she had been searching for:

"Now I can be with you wherever you are- Gaara."

Beki put the leather cord around her neck and let the bottle rest against her skin under her shirt. _I wasn't imagining it,_ Beki thought as she felt the warmth of the sand radiate through the glass. She looked out the window and saw the first flakes of what she hoped would be the last snow of the winter. Beki was ready for things to warm up after such a long cold season.


	50. Please Read!

As of this next chapter, Love, Hinata and Tale of the Three Maidens will be two sides of the same story. From here on in, the timelines between our stories are intertwined. I would recommend reading both of our series if you do not do so already, as events in his story will affect mine and vice versa. People who only read one or the other will find themselves very confused. For those of you who haven't already read Tallman0029's works, here's the link to Love, Hinata: www. fanfiction s/4939760/24/Love-Hinata

Now for some house keeping: if you message me and it contains an email address or a phone number, fanfiction .net automatically removes those items from messages so I never see them. The best way to contact me with any questions or comments, especially if you are a guest, is through the reviews. I do my best to answer any story-relevant questions that come in via reviews in the preludes to each chapter.

If you were curious about the long delay in posting, Tallman and I have been very busy and I have been experiencing a lot of technical difficulties (my computer was out of commission for about three weeks and I had to do a factory reset, several technical support calls, and several on site repair visits). Thank you for your patience and your kind words through this process. That being said, know if I go a while without posting, which this was the first time that ever happened, there is a good reason. I am not going to just quit writing this story.

Thank you all for sticking it out with me this long. I appreciate all of the support you have shown me since April, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the story as it develops from here.


	51. Enter the Uzumaki

"Beki chan, you're going to be late for training," Hinata shook her friend, who was rolled like a burrito in her blankets. Beki groaned and curled more tightly into her refuge.

"I don't wanna train with Ebisu sensei anymore," Beki grumbled. "I'm a chunin now. I shouldn't have to train with him."

Hinata sighed and gently patted Beki's side. "You've discussed this with me before. Remember how you told me just last week you can't break the third seal? It's been over a year since you began trying to learn your father's Raijin style but-"

"I haven't made progress in months," Beki opened her eyes only to glare at the ceiling. "I find it really hard to believe that Ebisu sensei will be able to help me break the code."

"You've told me yourself, as annoying as he is, you usually get results with him," Hinata offered as she began rolling back the blankets. "Besides, if you stayed home today you would be all alone. I have lots of errands to run out in town."

Beki made a small growling noise as she unfurled herself from the covers. "Did you make coffee?"

"Yes, it's already waiting for you downstairs," Hinata said as she rose and headed for the door. She had already dressed for the day in a light lavender sweater and a long cream colored skirt. Beki looked enviously at Hinata's pretty suede boots. It had been forever since Beki had been able to go shopping for new clothes and her stuff was starting to look threadbare. The next time her dad came into town she would have to strong arm him into either coughing up the cash or coming along while she got herself some new clothes.

"The worst part of leaving the house is I have to put on pants," Beki grumbled as she pulled on a pair of basketball shorts that had accidentally wound up in her clean laundry pile. She had absolutely no idea where they came from and Hinata never mentioned them, so Beki just considered it cosmic repayment for all of the clothing Hanabi had absconded with over the years.

"I'm perfectly okay with you not wearing pants around the house," Hinata sighed. "I would really prefer it if you didn't keep spare pairs of shorts stowed away around the house, though."

Beki shrugged. "What am I supposed to do if someone is at the door and I'm not wearing pants? It's easier if I pull out the shorts stowed under the couch cushions or grab the pair I keep in the freezer."

"You are a shinobi, Beki," Hinata said. "I'm sure you are fast enough to get upstairs, put a pair of pants on, and answer the door before someone would be impatient enough to leave."

Beki shook her head. Hinata had been raised by a single father as well but she had also been surrounded by a collective of older female relatives. That henhouse mentality would of course staunch the pragmatic genius of freezer pants.

Hinata headed downstairs to run her errands while Beki finished getting dressed. All that was clean was a sky blue t-shirt with a cartoon kitty face on it. She usually wore it for a sleeping shirt but hopefully the adorable but unsettling eyes of the kitten would throw off Ebisu sensei during their training session.

True to her word, Hinata had left the coffee on the counter for Beki. Knowing Ebisu sensei would probably make her do a billion crunches, she decided a big breakfast was a bad idea. She made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and ate half with her coffee. The rest she put away for later.

It was still fairly early, so Beki left the house without checking the mirror. She let loose her hair and then began to rebraid it as best she could blind. It would be sloppy and lopsided but it didn't matter. The only person she would see before practice was Ebisu and he didn't count as a person.

Ebisu sensei was waiting under a tree while reviewing some notes on a clipboard. Beki hated that damn clipboard almost as much as she hated his sunglasses.

"You're late," He said without taking his eyes off the board.

"Sorry I'm late," Beki said. "I didn't want to come."

Ebisu narrowed his eyes at her and lowered the clipboard. "Do you think I have nothing better to do than to stand around, waiting for you to decide to show up?"

Beki narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you?"

"I have students, you know," Ebisu fixed his glasses.

"What, like Konohamaru and his friends?" Beki folded her arms. "Then why aren't you training with them? It's my dad's money, isn't it?"

Ebisu opened his mouth to reply but she stopped him. "You didn't think I would notice, would you? The differences were very subtle, I will admit. I have a trained eye in these matters, however, which will prove to be your downfall."

"What are you talking about?" Ebisu shook his head. "You aren't making any sense."

"Ebisu sensei," Beki looked him dead in the eye. "How many pairs of sunglasses do you own?"

Momentarily, Beki saw the composure slip from Ebisu's face. There was a quiet panic there as if one of his darkest secrets had been brought to light. Almost immediately he snapped back to attention and adjusted his glasses.

"We've wasted enough time already," Ebisu said. "Let's get to training."

…

All of the satisfaction Beki had gained by making fun of Ebisu's sunglasses collection had been boiled away by the unsuccessful training session. No matter how much she concentrated, Beki couldn't make any progress towards breaking the third seal.

"The first thing you have to do when you can't master a technique is to take a long hard look at your process," Ebisu called out to her after her fourth failed attempt. Beki sat on the ground, panting from the effort. She was developing a headache from the wind jutsu rushing in her ears. Her desperation to learn the Raijin style and to nerf her clansman's hold over her forever added to her present irritability. When Ebisu opened his mouth to continue on his long winded lecture, Beki hawked a dirt clod at him.

"Cut to the chase!" Beki growled. Ebisu narrowed his eyes at her and the two sat in silence, unwilling to give into each other's attitudes. At some point Ebisu remembered he was a full grown man and in control of the situation. He took a deep breath and said in a measured tone: "Change the order."

Beki narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head slightly. "What?"

"Up until now, you've tried water, wind, fire," Ebisu explained, using the same almost condescending tone. "This time, do water, fire, wind."

Beki furrowed her brow. As much as she hated to admit it, Ebisu's idea wasn't so bad. She heaved a sigh and put herself into position. Slowly, she closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply, allowing the Drowned Maiden chakra to wash over and engulf her. Soon her skin was cold and ashen and her hair was slick and inky as crude oil. Deep down inside Beki felt for that tiny spark that connected her to the fire seal. Beki had become so adept at taking on her Drowned Maiden form that it took almost no concentration to maintain, which allowed her to focus on that tiny warm spark. She fed her chakra to the flames, visualizing the cool blue-silver energy turn the reds and oranges of a blaze.

There was a nagging feeling of dread pulling at the back of her mind as she broke the fire seal. Beki ignored it at first as her own self doubt and desire for Ebisu's idea to fail holding her back. Within moments, however, she realized something was definitely physically wrong. A wave of nausea and she was struck with mind numbing dizziness. Beki felt like her body was a house on fire and that she was locked inside, unable to escape. Panic slowly set in as she realized it was difficult to speak, her words slurring incoherently as Ebisu watched curiously. Her vision was blurring when concern began to draw his face at last. He stepped forward and opened his mouth to speak but by that point Beki was already blacking out. The last thing she remembered was the soft thud she made as her body collapsed on the grassy earth.

It seemed like either seconds or an eternity before consciousness slowly intruded on the blackness of the void. Beki's head swam violently at the slightest movement but she felt the comforting presence of a hand on her head. Beki opened her eyes ready to thank her helper only to find Ebisu dangerously close to kissing her. Revulsion swept her entire body and forced her fully awake. With all the strength in her body, Beki swung a right hook into Ebisu's face. The force of the impact of her attack knocked him off of her and rolled him flat on his face.

Beki sat up, panting for breath as the adrenaline rushed through her system. Ebisu shakily pushed himself up on an elbow and glared at her. "You had stopped breathing!" He cried. "I was going to perform CPR!"

"Ew," Beki shuddered. "Next time just let me die."

Ebisu pulled himself back up onto his feet. "You are absolutely ridiculous, you know that?! What is your problem with authority?!"

"It's not a problem with authority," Beki said. "I have no problems with Hinata's dad, or the Hokage, or my dad. I just don't like you."

"Let's just call it a day, shall we?" Ebisu rubbed his aching jaw. Beki had a right hook like a grown man. He was definitely going to have some swelling and a bruise he didn't want to have to explain to his peers. Then again, it was a well known fact that Beki was a beast. He watched her stagger to her feet and head off toward town. If she hadn't just decked him Ebisu might have been kind enough to walk her home but he wasn't a fan of encouraging her violent and defiant tendencies.

….

Beki sighed and rubbed her head as she walked home. Her head felt like someone was trying to mine their way out from the inside. More than the physical pain she was experiencing, Beki was tormented by what had gone so wrong with the training. Was it just jinxed from the start because it was Ebisu's idea, or was her reaction caused by the combination she used? The only thing Beki could figure was that the rapid temperature change from cold to hot triggered her fainting spell. That's what she told herself, anyway. The truth of the matter was that as Beki activated the fire seal it almost felt as if the Drowned Maiden reacted violently to the presence of the fire chakra.

As she stewed over the possibilities, Beki noticed she had a hangnail and tore at it with her teeth. The bit of nail gave way with a bite and she spat it out into the bushes. A small drop of blood pooled between her nail and her cuticle. There was an answer somewhere in there, something Beki was sure would be obvious if she just considered it in the right way. Why didn't the Drowned Maiden like fire? Duh, Beki thought. Because it probably counters the effects of the water jutsu. Then again, The Kishin counter for water was lightning, so what was the deal?

Beki almost plowed right into Konohamaru and his teammates. His face instantly lit up at the sight of her.

"Beki nee san!"Konohamaru hugged her. "I feel like I never see you anymore."

"I've been training a lot," Beki ruffled his hair. "You guys going to meet up with Ebisu sensei?"

"Yeah," Moegi said. "He says we have to start training for the chunin exams."

Beki gave a good hearted chuckle. "Don't rush it." No matter what Beki tried, whenever she saw Moegi all she could think was that the girl's hair looked like a pair of boobs. Udon wasn't far behind in the awkward factor. That kid looked like a cross between Shino and Lee without their respective mystery or confidence. Not to mention the kid was named after a type of noodle. How much more lackluster could a person be? If Beki had another summer cooped up the Hyuga mansion, she decided that year's project would be straightening these kids out. Or at least teaching Moegi how to do pigtails that didn't come out looking lewd.

"Easy for you to say," Konohamaru smiled. "You were awesome in the chunin exams last year."

Beki's expression darkened. "You, uh, you didn't read about that in the papers, did you?" Between the ninja info cards and the doctored up photographs the newspapers used, Beki's performance in the finals against her cousin depicted her as downright trampy. She'd started receiving the occasional awkward fan letter, one or two of which were random marriage proposals. The last thing she wanted to find out was that she had inspired Moegi's hair choices.

"No," Udon shook his head. "All the adults were talking about it, though."

Beki heaved a sigh of relief. At least they were saying nice things about her. "Alright you three, you've stalled long enough. Get moving."

"Bye, Beki nee san!" Konohamaru called out as the three ran off ahead.

Beki watched the three run off and felt a strange pang in her chest. When Konohamaru hugged her, she noticed he had grown a few inches taller over the summer. She swore the last time she had hugged him his head was level with her chest, but now his forehead was to her chin. Beki was tall for a girl but she didn't know how she would react to Konohamaru eventually being taller than her. It was surreal and unnatural the way facing adulthood always was. People that were smaller than her would eventually be taller, people who were her age would get old, and people older than her would get older. This realization added to the lingering nausea the fainting spell had caused. Just as she turned to head into town, someone bumped into her.

"Whoa, sorry!" The boy called out as he ran away. Beki gave it nothing more than a glance before turning back towards the path. It was just some blonde kid her age.

Whatever, Beki thought as she headed on her way. People just don't have manners anymore.

…

For the length of the summer, Beki had been forced to wallow around the Hyuga mansion, hovering around either Team Gai or Team 8 when they were available to keep herself in condition. When they were both gone, she had watched movies, read books and gossip magazines if she was desperate, and wrote Gaara. He had been too tied up to visit her much. Her boredom combined with the frustration of failing at making progress in her training, leaving Beki with a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction. Now that summer was over, the school year would start soon. That meant she could take her position back up helping out at the preschool at the Konoha Ninja Academy.

That is, of course, if they'll take me, Beki thought. It had been a three ring circus between her father, the Hokage, and Iruka for Beki to get the position in the first place. Some people were genuinely upset about a foreign national working at the preschool. Even though Beki had been allowed to hold the position two years in a row, it was always made clear to her any day could be her last. Considering how long Beki had been a resident of Konoha, however, that risk dropped everyday. This year the tiger moms probably wouldn't even bat an eye at her.

True to her instincts, several of the teachers were already hard at work putting their classrooms together. Beki invited herself in and made her way to Iruka's room. She knocked softly on the door, and hearing no protest stuck her nose inside.

"Hi," She called into the room. Iruka was hard at work putting up posters that listed out the class rules, vocabulary terms, and infographics about basic ninja gear. At the sound of her voice he turned and gave her a warm smile.

"Come on in, Beki," He pointed at a pennant banner sitting on his desk. "You're just in time to help me string that up."

Beki picked up one of the ends of the coil. Each pennant had the name of a future student and the Konoha village emblem in meticulously neat puffy paint characters. "Your handwriting is criminally neat."

"To be fair, I do more writing than the average person," Iruka chuckled as he took his end of the pennant. "And I have to write so people can read it easily."

Beki pulled up a chair and helped tack her end of the banner above the chalkboard. "Decent sized class this year. First years again?"

"Yes," Iruka nodded. "I used to work with the older kids, but I need a break."

"I like the babies better, too," Beki sighed. "That's actually why I'm here. Do we know if I have a job yet?"

Iruka shrugged. "I haven't heard anything to the contrary. The kids will certainly be happy to see you again."

"I tell you what, Iruka, if I don't have something to keep me busy I'll go mad," Beki folded her arms. "The summer almost did me in. I was to the point I was reading pulp fiction, and I think if I dropped in on another Team hangout they were going to bury me alive."

Iruka sighed. "I understand what a tough spot you're in. You essentially relocated to Konoha but you can't fully access it, not the way a local can."

"Not to mention the inability to do the job I've been trained for since I was knee-high," Beki sighed. "Sorry, I'm complaining. I'm just really happy to get to come back to work, I guess."

"We appreciate the enthusiasm," Iruka smiled reassuringly. "To you, this may seem like a stand in for real shinobi work. I have to tell you, though, it's actually good inter-village relationship building for you. Someday you'll take over your dad's job and end up working professionally people here in Konoha whose lives you'd touched. Its harder to have negative opinions about someone when they worked with your little brother in preschool."

Beki nodded. "I guess that's true. Thanks for the pep talk, Iruka sensei."

"Be here bright and early Wednesday morning," Iruka said in a flawless teacher voice. "We'll be going over the daily schedules and duties. If you're late, you know you'll have to do lunch duty with the fifth graders."

"I'll be here at dawn," Beki said with feigned terror. Iruka waved her off good naturedly and she headed out into the hall. Right as she turned the corner for the front door, she was rammed into by a passing figure.

"Sorry!" The boy called out and Beki narrowed her eyes. The world was just full of impatient jerks today, it seemed.

…

Neji closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt the energy around him vibrating in the air, focused his strength, and lashed out into the space in front of him in a single perfect strike. The air rushed out of the way with a satisfying whoosh and Neji returned to position.

Silver eyes.

 _Stop it, he thought_ , pushing the image of Beki out of his mind. _This sort of distraction will get you killed in the field._ Worse yet, it could get Lady Hinata killed. Neji's body and mind had to be perfectly in tune with the world around him. He had to be able to completely concentrate on a single point or everywhere at once without losing his focus. It wasn't enough to see everything, he had to be able to process it simultaneously. Neji chastised himself in his mind, disappointed in his own lack of discipline. Before he could even finish the thought, Beki was back. She was squeezed between him and Lee in the booth of a barbecue restaurant laughing louder than a young lady should. Then she was a few feet in front of him, walking backwards through the woods so they could face each other as they spoke. The cautious but familiar movements of her feet were a perfect contrast against the careless unkempt state of her hair with its dusting of leaf bits and the occasional twig. Neji's heart ached with a bittersweet joy. He remembered how the last time they had all gone out as a group Beki wore the comb he bought her.

Neji realized he had lost his focus and his stance had shifted. He adjusted his feet and tried to regain his previous mental state. Every time he came close, those silver eyes looked back at him in his mind and threw him off.

"Dammit!" Neji lashed out in frustration, sending a less than perfect strike into the space in front of him. Instead of hearing the air whoosh away, he heard the grunt of air being knocked out of lungs as his hand met flesh that crumpled around it. Instantly his eyes snapped open and Beki was before him, doubled over and coughing. Neji held out his hands in front of him in a helpless gesture and gave a frustrated sigh. "How many times have we gone over this, Beki? Don't sneak up on a Hyuga!"

Beki coughed and spat. "See, I don't think I'm sneaking up on you. Maybe your vision is so good that your hearing is weak by comparison."

"It's hard to take the high ground when you're doubled over and it's your own fault," Neji folded his arms, trying to bury his concern behind a cool exterior.

"I'm not wearing the bell, Neji," Beki stood up, her face still pink. "I'm not a cat."

Neji sighed. "If you wore the bell, we'd hear you coming and you wouldn't get hit."

"That was only like, the fourth time this week," Beki shrugged. "It's not like you guys are breaking bones or anything. My tenketsu just gets jacked for a day or two."

Neji observed her uncomfortably. Beki had sustained so many blocks and unblocks to her tenketsu flow that it was losing effect. The first time they had used the Gentle Fist style on her, Beki had still somehow had the willpower to crawl a few feet. After two years of accidental exposure, a strike like the one Neji just used would only put her down for a moment or two. A normal person would be off their feet for at least a day. He really hoped that wouldn't have some kind of long term negative effect on her health.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you it looks like they still have a job for me at the school," Beki folded her arms. "I might not be able to do late night karaoke with you and the rest of the Team during the week anymore."

"I'm glad to hear it," Neji sighed. "Maybe if you're not going I can talk my way out of it."

"Aw, Neji," Beki patted his shoulder. "You're too young to be so old."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Some of us like a full night's sleep, Beki."

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," She looked around the yard. "So I was thinking, for family game night…"

"I'm not going to knock you out, for the twelfth time," Neji folded his arms. "I know how injurious it is to your pride to lose children's games to four year olds, but you're part of a team."

"Its normally cute when people tell you in a roundabout way you're part of the family, but I have to tell you, Hyuga family game night makes me feel like the ugly bastard child no one wants around," Beki explained. "If it was just us, I'd crack jokes and stuff, but with Hiashi there I feel like I need to try my damndest to actually win. He has this weird aura where you just want him to approve of you but you also are very aware that's nearly impossible."

Neji stood there silently for a moment before responding: "I know exactly what you're talking about."

Beki tapped her toes subconsciously. "So, double KO?"

Neji sighed. "Just shut up and show up."

Beki rolled her eyes and gave him a sarcastic salute. "Alright, Captain Hardass. I'll see you back at the main house at 7 sharp."

Neji watched her walk away and sighed to himself. Would it be better if he did what she wanted? No, he thought. There was a very good chance she came to him and made such ridiculous requests because Beki knew Neji would react the way he did. If all of a sudden he started being complicit she would grow suspicious. In a strange way he did sort of enjoy the rapport they had going. Beki didn't really rough house with other people the way she did with him. It wasn't much but at least he knew that was his alone. His eyes wandered back over to Beki as she walked away and he nearly jumped in surprise. A pair of his shorts had gone missing in the wash a few weeks ago, and lo and behold Beki was wearing them.

"Beki," Neji called out and she turned. "Where did you get those shorts?"

"The universe," Beki said cryptically as she headed back for the house.

What base is it when a girl steals your pants? Neji thought to himself, his face contorted in confusion.

…

Beki headed off towards Hinata's house. She had certainly had enough physical abuse for a single day and was longing for the soothing heat of a bath. Maybe if she asked nicely Hinata would make cookies. It was a chocolate chip kind of night. Beki salivated at the memory of the last batch Hinata had made. They had been for Kurenai sensei but Beki had swiped a couple while they were cooling on the counter. She was knocked out of her happy reminisce by a body knocking her almost to the ground.

"Watch it!" She cried in surprise.

"Sorry about that!" The boy's voice was already fading by the time Beki got back to her feet. _What the hell,_ she thought. _I definitely need to get home._

…

Hinata wasn't home yet. Beki could immediately tell by the empty space on the counter where she usually put her bag. She began peeling off her clothes as soon as the door closed behind her. To try to help Hinata out, Beki tossed her clothes in the wash with the rest of the darks in the hamper. She headed upstairs and decided to go with a steamy shower over a soak. Beki had to comb out the tangles from her hair and pick out bits of leaves as she washed her tresses. She used a sugar scrub to slough off her dead skin. To her chagrin, her callouses were getting worse. Oh, the sweet contradictions of being a kunoichi, she thought. To be soft and feminine while powerful and strong was nearly impossible. Oh well, Beki thought. I guess I'd rather be strong.

After she toweled off, Beki put on a soft cotton sleeping bra and a shirt Hinata had handed down to her. She was chestier than Beki, so it was a little stretched out but the worn in softness made up for that plenty. Knowing Hinata wouldn't be home any time soon, Beki headed back downstairs in just her shirt and her undies. She put a kettle on the stove and stuck her nose in the fridge. Her sandwich had somehow slid off the back of the shelf, so Beki leaned over and reached deep into the recesses of the two door.

A key turned in the lock and Beki called out as the footsteps entered the kitchen.

"Hey," she said into the back of the fridge as the sandwich wrapper evaded her.

There was a brief silence before a male voice surprised her:

"Hinata, you look even better than I remember."

Beki slid out of the fridge and turned to face the intruder. He was tall, almost as tall as her father, with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. His face marks gave him away-Hinata had shoved enough photos of this boy in Beki's face that she would know him anywhere. Clearly puberty had done a number on him, but those face marks and eyes didn't change.

"So you're Naruto?" Beki asked, sandwich in hand.

Naruto blinked at her in surprise. "You're the roommate? Beki?"

"Yeah," Beki opened up the freezer and took out the pair of shorts she kept stashed in there. Naruto gave her a strange look.

"Why did you have pants in the freezer?"

"For situations like this," Beki said as she put on the icy cold trunks. Naruto nodded.

"Oh, I get it. That's actually pretty smart."

See Hinata? Beki thought smugly. Freezer pants are a good idea.

"So Hinata is out running errands," Beki said as she took a couple of cups out of the cupboard. "Sorry, this is weird for me. I don't know if I should be offering you stuff. Its your house, after all."

Naruto laughed. It was an honest laugh, clear like a bell. Beki could see why he was so well liked. He had a naturally warm inviting nature. "We'll figure it out."

"You were away training, right?" Beki handed him a cup of tea. "So what did you learn out there in the world?"

"A lot, actually," Naruto rubbed the back of his head and looked up at the ceiling as if he was trying to recall it all. "I made a lot of progress with a couple of my techniques: the multiple shadow clone technique, the rasengan…"

"Konohamaru said you taught him some stuff," Beki said as she sipped her tea.

Naruto's face brightened and he snapped. "That's what I was forgetting. Watch this!" He formed hand signs and his body was enveloped in smoke. As the smoke dispersed, Naruto was left standing there fully transformed into a beautiful woman. Beki nodded and sipped her tea.

"Konohamaru's been working on that one too," Beki said. "I think he's made some pretty good progress with it."

The sound of another key in the door pulled both of their attention. Hinata stepped through the door looking slightly exhausted by her day. She looked up at the two of them and her eyes widened in surprise. The telltale flush crept up Hinata's neck and Beki noticed her swallow nervously.

"Hey Hinata!" Naked girl Naruto smiled at her. "There you are!"

Without a word, Hinata ran forward at full speed and tackled Naruto to the ground. With a loud pop, the transformation broke and he was himself again. Beki sipped her tea and watched out of the corner of her eye as the conversation quickly dissolved into long kisses. The second hands started to wander Beki knew they had completely forgotten about her and put her cup on the counter.

 _That's my cue to leave_ , Beki thought. She slipped out the door quietly and stepped out into the night. Sunset had come and gone, but the sky was still bright with stars. A cool fall breeze played with the ends of her still wet hair. Beki shivered and hugged herself. It looked like she would be heading to family game night all by her lonesome.

…

Hanabi gave Beki a disapproving side eye. "You didn't even bother drying your hair?"

Beki rolled her eyes. "Naruto just got home and I kind of had to get out of there fast."

"Hinata must be elated," Neji sighed. "She had to wait for him for so long."

"Two years is an awfully long time," Beki said.

"Hinata's been obsessed with him since the womb," Hanabi scoffed. "We'll be lucky if we ever see her again now that Naruto's back."

Beki shrugged and gave Hanabi her best attempt at an understanding smile. The truth of it was, Beki had no idea what to do and was just going to play it by ear. _Be brave, Beki,_ she told herself. _Tsukimori hold the line._

* * *

 **There it is, ladies and gentleman, the return of Naruto Uzumaki. I hope you understand that I had to establish Beki's character and her relationships before his return for the story to work. I would love to hear your thoughts on our first collab chapter! Feel free to PM me or leave a review. This is something new we're trying out and feedback would be much appreciated! Till next time, Ponchoninjax3.**


	52. The Escapade

**Hi all, I know it's been a bit. I got really sick and then we had to split the holidays between 3 families and visiting friends and such. Tallman has been diligently working on a new chapter (it's worth the wait. I promise) but progress has been slow because of issues with school/work. His interview for his doctorate program is this weekend. He's had a lot of paperwork and such to do in preparation for that. I have a backlog of chapters I've been pecking away at in the meantime as we coordinate the crossovers. Even though our stories now interconnect, there won't be a direct 1:1 ratio. I will more than likely post more frequently than he will. I know those of you who have been here since the beginning were pretty spoiled with the 2x a week uploads. That being said, I appreciate your patience and the messages/reviews you have been sending me in the meantime. It's good to know people are still interested. Keep them coming, and please enjoy!**

* * *

As the soft giggles of the love-struck couple drifted down the hall, Beki sighed wearily. There weren't enough words for Beki to express how happy she was that Hinata had her lover back but at the same time it shone a spotlight on Beki's loneliness. The two girls had been sisters in arms in the war that was long distance relationships. Now that Naruto had returned, Hinata had left Beki to fight all on her own. Not to mention how oblivious the two of them were in their joy, and how much that sheer unadulterated happiness bummed other people out.

Beki snuck down the stairs for the billionth time so as not to disturb them. _One of these days I'm going to stop being so considerate,_ Beki thought to herself as she headed for the door. Ebisu was off on a mission with his squad so Beki had the week off of training with him. She had spent the last couple of days grinding away at the Raijin jutsu with no success, so Beki decided to take the next few days off training all together. That was why she looked halfway decent that morning. The weather decent and knowing she wouldn't have to get sweaty and gross. Beki was delighted at the opportunity to finally bust out one of her sundresses. It was still hot for late summer and Beki hoped to pick up just a little more of a tan to hold her over through the long winter. She did everything she could to combat her ghostly complexion.

The dress she picked was a rosy floral in bright blues, reds, pinks, and greens. The strong colors made her look more alive and made her silvery eyes appear bluer. Beki had figured out a long time ago that putting a little effort into her appearance when she was feeling gloomy had a positive effect on her. It was an extra layer of protection, like thin plate armor, one more thing that the day's bullshit would have to get through before it could bother her. She could say to herself, "Yeah today sucks, but at least I look fine."

Since her social life had taken such a serious hit, Beki had decided to go to the bookstore for some fictional companionship. The windows of the bookshop were full of advertisements for the perverted Make Out series. Beki spotted Sakura hovering near the window while shaking her head.

"I don't know what the appeal is," Sakura sighed.

"To what, softcore lit porn?" Beki interjected. Sakura turned and shot her a dirty look, but after recognizing Beki her face softened.

"Kakashi sensei's birthday is coming up and I'd like to get him a gift. I was thinking about ordering him the special edition of it but I don't know if it's worth the cost," Sakura sighed. "Besides, I hate to be seen buying such a thing…"

Beki laughed. "The only difference between the 'special edition' and the regular edition is the inclusion of two alternate endings. Naruto was talking the other night about how Jiraiya made him read through three different endings and pick which one he thought was best. So the official ending is that the heroine was put into cryogenic sleep until a cure for the neurodegenerative virus was found, and the alternate endings are that the heroine dies poetically in the hero's arms and the other ending is that the hero discovers that the heroine was actually a set of twins and gets to be with the healthy twin in the end."

"I don't even need to know the plot to think those endings are contrived-" Sakura started to say when the girls both noticed a high-pitched squealing noise, like a tea kettle boiling over. They turned to face the source and saw a grown man as red as a turnip. He had crushed the paper coffee cup in his hand and the steaming liquid was dripping down his gloved hand.

"Kakashi sensei!" Sakura blinked. "I didn't hear you walk up."

"Spoilers…" His one visible eye was wide and after a stunned moment he turned his maddened gaze upon Beki. "Did you really just spoil a book that hasn't even come out yet?"

"Oops?" Beki scratched the back of her head. "You know, I could be remembering it wrong. It might be different."

"No," Kakashi threw his coffee cup in the trash. "Now it's ruined."

"Don't tell me you actually read these things for the plot?!" Beki scoffed.

"You just don't understand!" Kakashi stomped his foot and turned on his heel.

Beki watched in uncomfortable silence as the man trudged away muttering to himself. "That's your sensei?"

Sakura shrugged and smiled awkwardly. "I told you, he _really_ likes those books and he _really_ hates spoilers. And being on time. For anything. Ever."

Beki couldn't help but think that the old man seemed unstable, but he was Sakura and Naruto's sensei, not hers. If Kakashi and Ebisu were examples of some of the best Konoha had to offer, it was no wonder that the best went ronin to get away from the crazy. Sakura walked inside the store and Beki followed. The girls parted ways to take care of their respective business. Beki picked out a couple of crime novels and the first book in some long series about a vengeful dragon princess.

As she walked out of the shop she held up the dragon princess novel and one of the crime fiction books. _What kind of mood am I in?_ She asked herself. _Dragons or murder?_

There was a soft tug on the hem of her skirt. Beki looked down expecting to see one of the kindergarteners she worked with. Instead, she saw a hand made out of sand slinking out of sight into the alley beside the bookshop. Beki nearly threw her books down in excitement. As she stuffed them back in the bag Beki ran full speed into the alley. There was no need to be cautious, she thought. There was only one person that could be.

"Gaara?!" She hissed in an excited whisper.

The Kazekage stood mostly in shadow but even in the dark he commanded attention. A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. Gaara barely had time to hold his arms out in front of him before Beki pressed herself against him and threw her arms around his neck. She breathed deeply, inhaling the familiar scent of sandalwood and sunshine. A weight Beki was unaware she had been carrying was lifted off her. The subsequent feeling of relief that washed over her was euphoric. Beki felt that just by physically being there Gaara made everything better.

"I missed you," Beki's voice came out as little more than a whisper. Gaara laced his fingers through her hair and kissed the crown of her head.

"It's getting to the point where being separated from you causes me physical discomfort," He rested his head on top of hers. "It's like a hunger that doesn't go away until I'm with you."

"I know what you mean," Beki said as she ran her fingers through his hair, gently tracing her nails along his scalp. Beki slowed her breathing and focused on the sound of his heart beat. A small wave of shock went through her a few moments later as she felt her own heartbeat change to match his. It was moments like this that she knew her feelings for him weren't all in her head. Beki's body and her subconscious reached out for Gaara whenever he near, almost as thought it was trying to memorize him. It was Beki's self-defense mechanism against loneliness: a series of ever more concrete memories of the Kazekage to hold onto in his absence.

Gaara pulled away and tipped her chin up. Beki gave him the mischievous grin he was looking for and he kissed her long and hard. It always surprised him how much he enjoyed kissing her. It wasn't just the smell of her skin or the taste of her lips: the best part of kissing was feeling how much Beki wanted him. The second best part was that it was a foolproof way for Gaara to show Beki how much he loved her. Sometimes when he tried to tell her the words fell short and came out sounding flat. He pulled her closer and Beki locked her arms around his waist.

As Beki leaned into the kiss she felt Gaara's lips pull back into a smile. Kage or not, she thought he was the cutest person she had ever met. Sure, on the outside he looked like the drummer for a metal steampunk band, but on the inside he was just as nervous and excited as she was. She was enjoying herself immensely but Beki couldn't help herself from getting into some mischief. She slid her hands down from between his shoulder blades along the curve of his back. Just before they reached their target, Gaara pulled away and looked her dead in the eye with his forehead pressed against hers.

"Getting frisky in public, Miss Tsukimori?" Beki had finally known Gaara long enough to catch the tiny glint in his eye when he was joking. "Your father would be ashamed."

"I'm just doing recon," Beki leaned around him and tried to fish under his jacket for his backside. "I've never seen your butt. The coat is always covering it so I'm kind of suspicious that you don't actually have one."

Sand hands seeped out of his gourd and took ahold of Beki's hands, pinning them up by her ears.

"Normally, I'm a man of peace," Gaara sighed. "In situations like this I'm forced to believe in an eye for an eye."

"No!" Beki squirmed playfully as he reached around behind her. Instead of taking ahold of her bottom like she expected him to, Gaara started to tickle her ribs. Beki squealed and kicked her feet like a cornered child. The sand hands were powerful and sustained her weight as she crunched herself in a ball in a futile attempt to protect her ribs with her knees. Having finished with his fun, Gaara held out his arms and the sand hands lowered her into his embrace. Beki was still laughing as she leaned into him. Gaara couldn't help but smile at the sight of her infectious joy and her adorable lopsided smile. As he looked her over, his eyes fell on the rise and fall of her chest and Gaara felt a flush creeping into his cheeks.

"Beki, I want you to come away with me," He watched her face for a reaction, half expecting revulsion or anger. Time and time again Beki had made it clear she was genuinely infatuated with him but years of rejection took time to undo.

"You're cute," Beki pat his cheek as she lowered herself onto the ground. She kept her arms wrapped around his neck and pressed her forehead against his. "Where are we running away to?"

Gaara shook his head. "We aren't running away, not truly," Beki cocked an eyebrow and he continued. "You and I never get any time alone together."

"Oh? What do you call this?" Beki jerked her head further down the abandoned alley.

"I call it a half measure," Gaara held her waist and felt the softness of her skin through her cotton dress. Beki was powerful and had a muscular physique. When she wore dresses, however, they softened her lines and emphasized the smallness of her waist, the slope of her breasts, and the curve of her rear. Beki was always lovely but on days like this she was downright gorgeous. It was hard for him to think when he was around her. He was overwhelmed by the sight, the smell, and the feel of her. _Focus, Gaara_ , he thought.

"There is a house on the beach," Gaara shook his head to clear it. "To call it a 'house' is generous. It's a shack, really, but it belongs to my family. We used to go there when we were children. I want to take you."

"That's a sweet idea," Beki cocked her head. "Someday when I've got a little more freedom-"

"I meant now," Gaara slid his hands along her arms and took her hands out from behind his neck. He held both of her hands against his heart as he continued. "We've been together for almost two years now, Beki. Most of out in person visits have gone less than perfectly. Everything is always interrupting us: our friends, our jobs, our families." Gaara looked her dead in the eye. "I want to be alone with you."

Something about his gaze sent shivers of excitement down Beki's spine. Gaara's tone and the intensity of his gaze made Beki feel like they were crossing into uncharted waters. There was a physical craving there that she had never felt from him before. Then again, Gaara may have just been too shy before. Up until this point, their relationship had felt like a formal courtship. All their "dates" had been in public places or within spitting distance of his brother or other nosy parties. The letters, the dinners, and the roses had made it all feel like a fairy tale. Beki half believed that it was a story she was reading, that it wasn't really her life. Nothing had happened that made Beki feel like she was permanent, as if at any point someone else could have switched her with another girl and nothing would change. Now she had her confirmation: Gaara wanted to be alone with Beki. He _wanted_ Beki.

Warmth started to rise within Beki and she flushed. Over time, Beki had gotten pretty good at hassling Gaara to cover her own insecurities about their relationship. She teased him about being shy and proper. Now he was calling her bluff. The growing silence was stretching from thoughtful into awkward territory when Beki finally found her voice. She slid her hands up his chest until her arms were locked around his neck again.

"Gaara, I would love that," Beki shook her head. "But I can't just disappear for two days. It's not like I can go to the Hokage and say 'Hey, I'm going on a vacation with my boyfriend, the Kazekage, for a few days. See you later'. If my father didn't kill you on the spot it would still cause a scandal for three villages."

Gaara gently pulled her closer to him. "I have a plan. No one will know you're gone and we'll be back before you know it."

"What kind of plan?" Beki narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Are you going to leave a sand clone?"

Gaara chuckled softly. "No, it's more convincing than that. Ye of little faith. I'm the Kazekage; I should be able to kidnap you for a few days successfully. I run a village, after all."

"Speaking of which, who will run things while you're gone?" Beki asked.

"I've arranged things so they'll run themselves for a few days," Gaara explained. "My brother can take care of anything serious that pops up while I'm gone."

Beki shuffled awkwardly in his arms and looked at her feet self-consciously. "Beki, it's a simple yes or no question. Will you go to the beach with me?" Gaara held her shoulders and positioned himself so she was forced to look him in the eye.

Beki immediately began to think of all the reasons why she couldn't run off so suddenly but then she got caught in the deep pools of Gaara's green eyes. Her train of thought derailed. She thought to herself all that she wanted was to be with him if only for a little longer. With a sigh, Beki gave in and said:

"Alright. I'll go home and pack. I swear if we get busted, though, you're taking the heat."

Gaara held up his right hand. "I solemnly swear your dignity will remain intact and any and all repercussions will be mine to deal with"

"I don't care about my dignity," Beki kissed him. "That's yours to do with as you wish."

Gaara's eyes grew wide at her forwardness and he swallowed nervously. Unable to find a response, he took her hand and kissed it. "I'll come pick you up later." As he turned to leave, Beki grabbed his hand and yanked him back to her. She planted a hard kiss on his lips that sent a chill down his spine.

"See ya, Kazekage sama," Beki spun on her heel and skipped off down the alley. She was already mentally trying to put together what she could pack for such a spontaneous romantic getaway, knowing full well the whole time she made her retreat his eyes were on her butt.

…

"I thought I would find you here," Gaara said as he took the stool beside Naruto.

Naruto's head snapped up from his bowl of ramen, the noodles dangling from his mouth slapping against his cheek with the violent motion. "Oh! Gaara! I didn't know you were in town!" He sucked up the noodles and smiled. One of the noodles had broken and so the nub was plastered to Naruto's cheek. Gaara chose not to mention it to him.

"I know we seldom see each other but I had a favor to ask of you," Gaara motioned at Teuchi. "He can have another bowl on me."

"Well, gosh, Gaara," Naruto smiled. "Thanks buddy. What can I help you with?"

"Beki and I would like to spend some time alone together away from the public eye," Gaara's voice was too low for a passerby to hear and his tone so disinterested no one would think to eavesdrop. "I've made arrangements so my absence won't disrupt anything in Suna."

"That's no problem," Naruto shook his head. "I'll tell Hinata what's going on and-"

Gaara folded his arms. "Hinata may not have a problem with my relationship with Beki because she sees us as two regular people. The rest of the world sees us as the Kazekage and the daughter of a Getsu ambassador."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "So, you're afraid people will gossip?" Gaara stared at the counter, trying to find the words to express his feelings on the matter. "Oh," Naruto smiled sheepishly. "You don't want her dad to find out, huh?"

Gaara's eyes grew wide and he nodded. "If he finds out I'm a dead man."

"I get it, I get it, my future father-in-law is a scary guy, too," Naruto took a bite of his noodles. "What you want me to do is make it like Beki never left?"

"That would be best," Gaara said. "The less people who know about it the fewer loose ends to we'll have to deal with later."

"It'll be easy," Naruto waved dismissively. "Beki can just tell Hinata she'll be busy training. We all live together so it would be simple for me to transform into her and make some cameos around town."

"I really appreciate this, Naruto," Gaara said. "You of all people can understand how hard it is to build meaningful relationships when you have a history like ours. I feel like I have a chance at true happiness with Beki but it's such a long and delicate process."

"You're a rock star, Gaara," Naruto chuckled. "You made Kazekage at fifteen. You don't have anything to worry about it."

"That's just it, Naruto," Gaara explained. "As a shinobi I excel, but I have never learned the social skills required to make and keep friends. Let alone a girlfriend. So far, Beki has been patient with me in spite of all my transgressions. That's why I believe if we get to spend some time alone together away from the politics and our work we can make some headway as a couple."

Naruto nodded. "I would say Hinata and I didn't get to do much growing as a couple until we started living together. It always amazed me how doing stuff like grocery shopping or doing housework with someone could be so intimate."

Gaara cracked the tiniest smile. "The first time I talked to Beki alone she was grocery shopping. I carried her bags."

"See what I mean?!" Naruto clapped him on the shoulder. "You don't need me giving you any hints. You intuitively know what to do. Follow your gut."

"Thank you, Naruto," Gaara said as he stood and placed his money on the counter. "I'll see you around."

"Good luck, ya slayer!" Naruto smiled. Gaara stopped dead and gave him an odd look.

"Have I given you the impression I plan to kill Beki?" Gaara's eyes widened slightly with concern. "I hope that isn't what Beki thinks. I suppose this was rather sudden and I'm taking her somewhere isolated-"

"No, Gaara," Naruto sighed. "I mean that you're successful with the ladies."

The look on Gaara's face worsened. "Who has been spreading these rumors?"

Naruto shook his head. "Forget it Gaara. Have fun."

After he had left, Naruto started on his second bowl of ramen. Maybe if Gaara got laid he would learn to relax a little. _It's up to you, Beki_ , Naruto thought.

…

When Naruto got home Beki was ready to walk out the door with a suitcase. "Oh, hey Naruto," Beki's eyes darted from side to side. "I was just, uh,"

Naruto held up a hand and smiled conspiratorially. "Gaara already talked to me. I know what's going on."

Beki heaved a sigh and grew visibly more relaxed. "So you're going to help us?"

Naruto formed hand signs and turned into a perfect replica of Beki. "See? I've got this."

Beki nodded, staring at a suspiciously perfect copy of her own breasts. "Just make sure you put on some clothes before you go out."

Oh," "Naruto flushed. "Sorry, habit. Beki, wait"

"What's up?" She asked her hand on the doorknob.

"Be gentle with him, okay?" Naruto gave her a worried look. "Gaara is a really great guy but he's not so good with knowing how to do, eh," Naruto struggled to find the right words without sounding mean. "He doesn't know how to behave, well, like a normal person. He didn't really get to see how friends or couples act, you know?"

Beki laughed. "I've figured out that much by now. On our first date he talked about the noise an eyeball makes when it pops."

Naruto watched Beki walk out the door and shook his head. He was glad that Gaara's strange behavior didn't scare Beki off. In an odd, mismatched sort of way, Naruto thought the two of them would be a pretty good couple. Gaara was serious and was always eager to learn new things. Beki was patient and had a good sense of humor. Naruto smiled to himself. If this went well, they would have the best double dates ever because Gaara and Naruto were best friends and Beki and Hinata were best friends. They would be a really cool, really small gang.

With those hopeful thoughts, Naruto went upstairs. He threw on an outfit he had seen Beki wear before and instantly hated the construction of a bra. How did women wear these things all the time? He decided to putter around Beki's room until Hinata got home, tell her that Naruto was out training and that Beki was going to bed. After Hinata wished her goodnight, Naruto would hop out of the window, transform back into himself, and enjoy a night alone with his wife to be. _Flawless, Naruto_ , he smiled smugly to himself. _You are a genius!_


	53. A Shack on the Beach

**Here's the next chapter from the stockpile I've built up. I appreciate all the support you are sending my way. If you enjoy this story, or there is a specific scene you liked, be sure to let me know! Its good to hear from you all and encourages me to keep going. Without further ado, here is the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this," Beki whispered even though there was no one around for miles. Gaara turned his head and gave her a shy grin. He never did anything spontaneous and the prospect of this mini-vacation together was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. His biggest hang up had been what would happen if there was an emergency in Suna while he was away. Kankuro assured Gaara, however, that if something serious happened he would send for his brother. It was the family bungalow they would be staying in, after all, and it was only a few hours from Suna.

"So, I've been wondering," Beki rested her chin on his shoulder. "How does a Kage get away with playing hooky for the weekend?"

"I rescheduled all my meetings," Gaara explained. "Otherwise the place can run itself for a few days with Kankuro at the helm."

"Isn't that, I don't know, a little irresponsible?" Beki asked, her tone curious and not critical.

"What can I say," Gaara reached up and stroked her hair. "You make me irresponsible."

Beki could tell by the way he was looking at her that Gaara wanted to kiss her. Knowing that the person she was so attracted to desired her gave Beki a thrill. Being so free and alone together sent her usual thoughts of discretion and propriety drifting away. Instead, she was tangled up in him. It was easy to forget the small details about a person when they were away for so long. She suddenly became acutely aware of how much she missed him in his absence. Part of her worried how she could handle the separation after being alone with Gaara for a whole weekend; the longer they were together the harder the parting became.

Gaara had been sure Beki would agree to the visit so he took the liberty of stocking the place with some food and cleaning the bungalow up beforehand. The place was fairly secluded on an unused stretch of beach. His family had brought him there when he was almost too young to remember it. On the fraying edges of his memory he could vaguely recall playing with the sand and holding Temari and Kankuro's hands as they walked along the surf. He prayed that this visit with Beki would let them build some good memories together, fleeting though they may be.

It was almost sunset when the bungalow came into view. The wind coming in off the ocean was cold and unbroken upon Gaara's sand cloud, so Beki clung to him tightly for warmth. As they came in for a landing, Gaara' put up a small wall of sand around her to protect her from the icy wind rushing up to meet them. He set them down right outside the small bungalow. Gaara watched her expression out of the corner of his eye. She said nothing until he opened the door and let her inside.

"This place is cute," Beki said as she surveyed the shack. It was the size of an inner-city apartment with two bedrooms barely large enough for the double beds they held, a kitchenette, and right off the entrance was the narrowest bathroom Beki had ever seen. They would be climbing over each other to as they moved through the house and would probably be catching each other's elbows along the way. On the other hand, Beki thought being forced into such close quarters together was intimate and sort of charming.

"Are you hungry?" Gaara asked as he put their bags in the marginally larger of the two bedrooms.

"I'm okay for now," Beki said as she opened the fridge. "Oh, we're doing tacos?"

"Is that alright?" Beki couldn't see him but she could hear the slightest hint of worry in his voice.

"Yes, Gaara, that's fine," Beki chuckled to herself and gave him an impish look. "I love how you ask if tacos are okay but you just _assume_ we'll be sharing a bed tonight."

Gaara stopped dead and started to apologize but her laughing stopped him in his tracks. _She was just joking,_ Gaara thought with relief.

It always amazed Beki how someone as badass as the Kazekage was so meek in her presence. She pulled off her shirt and pants and laid them over one of the two chairs at the at the kitchen table. Beki had worn her swimsuit underneath her outfit because she couldn't wait to get in the water. It had been a long time since she had visited a beach, and the idea of running around with someone who controlled sand was thrilling to say the least.

Gaara walked out and stopped at the sight of her. His eyes widened Beki's breasts, which were barely contained by the flowery fabric. "Sorry," Beki chuckled. "I brought this one with me from Getsu and I guess it's too small on me now. I didn't have time to buy a new one on such short notice."

He shook his head almost violently. "I-Its fine. Really, I think it's quite attractive on you." He did his best to keep his eyes on her face as he spoke but it was as if those pale peachy mounds had their own gravitational pull.

"So, are we going to go play or what?" Beki asked as she walked towards the door.

"Yes," the faintest hint of pink had creeped into Gaara's cheeks as his gaze dropped to her butt. The bikini bottoms were too small on her as well; almost half of her plump rear was exposed under the ruffles. This was the most of Beki he had ever seen. Not that he had ever found any flaws in her physically, but after witnessing the grandeur of her body Gaara was convinced he couldn't have designed a more perfect woman.

Beki turned her head and looked at him after the long pause, catching him in the act of ogling her. She raised an eyebrow and his gaze dropped to the rug. "I'll go change."

In his absence, Beki stole a look at herself in the bathroom mirror. A flush crept up her neck as she saw how downright scandalous her swimsuit was. Everything interesting was barely covered as it was but if one good wave swept by Gaara would catch an eyeful. Beki hugged herself self-consciously. For a moment, she considered covering back up with her t shirt. _Then again, Gaara seemed to have liked what he saw_ , she thought. Beki unfolded her arms and surveyed her body more objectively. She didn't have anything to be ashamed of. Gaara catching an eyeful of her goods would be exactly the sort of thing that should happen on a romantic getaway. A soft knock on the bathroom door snapped Beki back to attention.

"Are you ready?" Gaara's voice was soft and almost sounded vulnerable. Beki opened the door and immediately wondered how someone like him could ever feel defenseless. Between his regular training and carrying around the goliath gourd, Gaara was cut like a diamond. Beki caught her gaze lingering on the tight ripples of his body and felt a heat rising inside her. _Damn_ , she thought as she surveyed the Kazekage. _He's one hell of a catch. Forget his past, he could still be a dangerous murderer and I'd still have a hard time keeping my eyes off him._

"Yeah," Beki finally managed to squeak as Gaara led her out the door onto the beach.

"The reason I wanted to bring you out here was because I screwed it up last time," Gaara explained. "When you were on the beach with the Konoha shinobi and I put you in time out."

"You didn't screw that up, I did," Beki sighed. "I got too competitive and let the Drowned Maiden take over."

Gaara shook his head. "No. I ruined that time we had together and I won't do that again."

"So, what does a sand user do on the beach?" Beki shielded her eyes from the bright afternoon sun.

"I'm a master sandcastle builder," Gaara said with a matter of fact tone. "Give me a building and I can make it."

Beki's eyes lit up. "Can you build me a mech and then fly me around in it?!"

Gaara sighed. He shouldn't have expected anything else from Beki. "I don't need people calling in reports about a giant robot flying around. Our secret tryst would be discovered without a doubt."

"Fine," Beki pouted. "Then, Mr. Master Castle Builder, I want your finest fortress!"

"Alright," Gaara took a few steps back and held up his hands self-consciously. "Stay still."

"Okay," Beki put her hands on her hips. "Why?"

Before Gaara gave her an answer, the sand under Beki's feet began to move. It gathered quickly and raised her in the air with such suddenness that she almost fell off the platform. Walls grew up the platform around her until she was completely boxed in. Beki didn't have time to cry out before arrow slits and a window formed in the wall. Instinctively, she walked over to it and looked down at Gaara. A chill crept down her back. Beki couldn't tell if that was from the stony glare on Gaara's face or the sudden absence of the sun on her back. He had completed the roof on the "room" he had raised around her.

As fascinating as it was watching the rest of the castle walls sprout up out of the beach like daisies, Beki caught herself staring at Gaara. She had never seen him at work. Gaara had used his sand around her plenty of times to do small things but she had never witnessed his power to this scale. Her father's words echoed in her head: _He popped people. Like balloons._

It was easy for her to imagine that Gaara was capable of such a feat now that she had witnessed a demonstration of his true power. As kind, quiet, and considerate as he was, Gaara had earned his position as Kazekage. He was in a league of his own, possibly stronger than her father. Beki wondered if it was the same case with Tsunade. She had never really thought about how powerful the Hokage must be but if Gaara was setting the standard Beki thought it might be wise to not tease the Hokage anymore.

In a way, this revelation was exciting. Beki smiled to herself as she watched Gaara. This amazing person, this incredible shinobi, was hers.

She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, "I WANT A MOAT!" His concentration was lost and Beki saw the portcullis he was installing buckle. It held its shape but Gaara gave a sigh.

"I imagine you'll want water in this moat?" He didn't raise his voice up to her. Beki had to lean out the window to hear him and in the process nearly exposed her breasts. She set them back into place and looked around the room.

"How do I get down?" Beki's eyes searched the walls and the floor for a trapdoor. Was she supposed to dig her way out? Would that mess with the structural integrity and bring this whole monstrosity down on her?

"You don't," Gaara's voice was casual as he removed a massive ring of sand around the entire castle with a hand gesture like he was picking up a frying pan. Beki swallowed nervously as he used the sand to make the walls even higher. Her vantage point was high, but Beki couldn't see him anymore.

"I'm your prisoner now?" Beki was mostly joking along with him. She had always been a little claustrophobic. Even though the room was twice as big as Beki's bedroom at Hinata's house, the knowledge she couldn't leave of her own accord was upsetting. Gaara's unresponsiveness was adding to her feeling of unease. "Gaara?"

Beki looked back out the window to see water coming in a canal built under the walls. It flowed steadily into the moat, slowly but evenly raising the water level all around the castle. Gaara reappeared on his sand cloud as he came over the outermost wall.

"If you were talking to me I was redirecting the ocean water," Gaara said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"It's okay, I was just wondering how I was supposed to escape my sand prison," Beki flicked a clod out the window. The wall beside her parted like a curtain and Gaara held out his hand to her.

"Are you ready to see your castle?"

Beki took his hand, grateful to get outside again. The breeze had picked back up and Beki shivered. She pressed herself against Gaara as he flew her in a ring around his masterpiece. The more time Beki spent with Gaara the more aware she became of his temperature. He ran a lot hotter than she did; hotter than most people she had known. She figured it had something to do with his sand armor retaining his body heat or reflecting the sun. Any way she looked at it, though, the sensation of his warm skin against hers was comforting.

"I have to admit this is pretty cool," Beki smiled up at him. "What a fun way to use your gifts."

Gaara gave her an affectionate squeeze. "If only I'd thought of it when I was younger."

Every so often when Gaara was with Beki he would get a dark expression on his face. Seiichiro had worn the same world weary look many times. In her experiences with her dad, Beki knew the best course of action was distraction. "Hey, there's a sandbar in the moat," Beki hip bumped him. "It kind of looks like a rock in the middle of the water."

Gaara was silent for a moment as he observed the small island in the moat. "And every rock needs a king."

…

"Okay, same rules as last time," Beki rolled her shoulders. "Well, I mean, this time no jutsu."

"Afraid you'll lose?" Gaara's face was passive but there was a spark of challenge in his eyes.

Beki's fingers twitched but she kept herself from forming fists. _He's trying to goad you into allowing jutsu. If it was anyone else you would have this in the bag, Beki, but he's a kage. You'll have to be tricky to win this one._

Beki shook her head. "Not falling for it, nice try. Anyone stupid enough to agree to let you use sand in any fight is just asking for an ass kicking."

"If you say so," Gaara put his hands behind his back, seemingly at ease. Beki knew better. He would be ready to react at any moment with power and speed. This early into the tussle Gaara would be testing her out, seeing what she would fall for.

"Whenever you're ready," Beki got into a starting stance, crouching slightly and her arms cautiously at her sides. This would be her toughest match of King of the Rock ever.

"Begin," Gaara said as he folded his arms.

 _I'm at a loss here,_ Beki thought. _He's seen me fight in the chunin exams but I have no idea what his combat style is like. Anything goes, I guess._

Beki started at him the way she came at her father during training. It was a full-frontal assault that at the last moment before impact she would drop low for a tackle. If Gaara dodged, it was easy enough to use her momentum to tuck into a roll. If she successfully landed the hit, he would be knocked into the water. He watched her approach casually as if her method was boring and predictable. When Beki tucked into her tackle, however, he barely managed to step out of the way. As she rolled back onto her feet Beki smiled to herself. On the ground without his sand to support him Gaara was out of sorts.

Before she could finish her thought Gaara was beside her and giving her a gentle shove towards the waterline mere inches away. Beki spun and caught his wrist to pull herself back safely onto the sand. He grabbed her other wrist in retribution. Beki tried to simultaneously free her trapped wrist and get a good hold on Gaara. Her attempts were going nowhere fast, so Beki snapped her trapped wrist free and shoved him away to gain some space. Gaara grabbed at her blindly as he lost his balance. His fingers caught hold of the strap of Beki's bikini top and it snapped free. A brief pang of panic tugged at Beki's chest but she reminded herself she was technically in a fight. Gaara, on the other hand, was instantly distracted by her exposed breast.

"S-sorry, I-" He stammered, averting his gaze awkwardly as his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Beki took the opportunity to shove him as hard as she could. Gaara fell into the water with a loud splash, the water swallowing him all at once. Beki stood triumphantly on the sandbar with her hands on her hips. When he surfaced she smiled down at him smugly.

" _I'm_ King of the Rock."

Suddenly the sand beneath Beki's feet slid out from under her, sending her flat on her back. Before she had a chance to sit up Gaara was on top of her, pinning her in place.

"You cheated!" Beki glared at him as she struggled against his hold.

"So did you," Gaara didn't give her an inch.

Beki tried to kick his legs out from under him but Gaara held steady with rocklike resolve. "How did I cheat?

"Flashing is a cheap tactic," Gaara pressed his forehead to hers.

"It did a good job distracting you," Beki knocked her head against his playfully. "I could have pushed you over with a leaf."

"You knocked me over by pushing me," Gaara's brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you saying you've learned some sort of knockdown jutsu from the Konoha shinobi? Do they know?"

Beki sighed to herself. _The Kazekage's train of thought is derailed by another lethally placed metaphor._ She kissed Gaara, knowing full well that had been his original intention when he swept her off her feet. He froze up at the surprise lip to lip contact. Beki wrapped her arms around Gaara and he began to relax into her embrace. She tasted of salt and the warmth of her kiss starkly contrasted against Beki's cold skin. He ran his fingers along the curve of her waist, smiling to himself as goosebumps formed at his touch. Beki pulled away suddenly, wincing as if in pain. Gaara immediately gave her space, afraid that he had somehow hurt her.

Beki caught sight of his concerned expression and pouted. "You're mean,"

A chill went through him. This was it. He had hurt her.

"Don't tickle me when we're kissing," Beki folded her arms. "That is definitely cheating. I am vulnerable and you're taking advantage."

Gaara let out a soft sigh of relief and pressed his forehead to hers. He needed to learn how to relax around her. It wouldn't happen right away, but the Kazekage was sure if he kept up his jumpy, frightened animal act it would put Beki off.

"You're cold?" He raised his hands and the sand beneath Beki's feet stirred. "I could put a sand armor on you to keep you warm."

Beki waved her hand dismissively as she pulled herself up into a sitting position. "No, it's okay. We should go inside and start dinner."

It was inefficient to walk back to the cottage from their impromptu castle but Gaara liked walking with Beki. What had begun as a friendly interest in Beki's company had grown into almost a physical need for Gaara to have her by his side. As terrified as he was of messing up around her, Beki's presence had a calming effect on him. Somehow all his other responsibilities and worries faded away into white noise in the background. As they strolled along, Beki reached out and took ahold of his hand. It was an unconscious gesture, like the way she would occasionally reach up and brush her hair out of her face. Gaara could feel the warmth of her touch radiating in his hand and considered how nicely her hand fit in his.

Once they reached the cottage, Beki let go of his hand to open the door. Gaara bit back a protest knowing how childish it would be to ask her to keep holding on. They both headed to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. It was small and claustrophobic when one person was trying to work in there, so when the two teenagers attempted to work in tandem it turned into a sea of elbows and knees. Gaara backed up to avoid a grease splatter, knocking into Beki, who almost dropped the freshly chopped lettuce and tomatoes all over the floor.

"Gaara, I can handle making some tacos," Beki said as she set down the cutting board. She gently put a hand on his shoulder and the other around the spatula in his hand to muscle him out of the kitchen. "Why don't you go get cleaned up while I finish with dinner?"

As Beki strong armed him away from the stove Gaara felt the need to protest. Beki was his guest and he was incredibly uncomfortable with having her make dinner. The last thing Gaara wanted was for Beki to think he expected her to cook for him or worse yet that he was incapable of taking care of her. He watched Beki silently for a moment as she almost absentmindedly stirred the meat. Gaara concluded Beki wanted to help, possibly to demonstrate her domestic prowess, and conceded to her will.

The rucksack with his belongings was on the floor near the entrance to the bedroom. Gaara stuck his hand inside and fished out clean clothes. Before he had brought Beki out to the cottage, Gaara had ensured that the bathroom was stocked with all the essential toiletries. The smell of spiced meat cooking and the sound of it sizzling in the pan followed him into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and let it run for a moment. The water heater was old and seldom used so it took some time for the water to get warm. Now that Gaara was alone, he felt safe enough to let out a sigh of relief. _So far so good, Gaara. Just a few more happily uneventful hours and we can call this trip a success._

Gaara stuck his hand under the water to test the temperature. He shook the tepid droplets off and leaned against the wall as he reflected on the day so far. Beki had been so feisty with him, which he knew meant she was feeling comfortable and confident around Gaara. It was strange for Gaara to be treated that way. It seemed to be typical behavior for young adults to hassle their friends; he had seen teenagers in his village behave that way. The only person who had ever felt brave enough to sass Gaara was Kankuro. A dark shadow crossed over Gaara's face as he realized Kankuro had only started teasing him after he became Kazekage. He shook his head. That meant Gaara had made a lot of progress and hopefully others would feel that comfortable around him as well.

His memories took him to their match of King of the Hill. Gaara had tried to appeal to Beki's sense of pride so he could use his sand but she hadn't fallen for it. Gaara had come to understand Beki's periodic challenges to his authority was a method of bonding. In part, he imagined that it was also borne from a desire to demonstrate the ability to hold her own against him because he was the Kazekage.

The water was finally warm enough to climb in. Gaara tossed his still damp trunks in the sink and climbed gratefully into the steaming shower. He continued reliving the memory as the water gradually warmed him up. His mind's eye locked on the image of Beki's swimsuit top snapping. Gaara mentally slowed down the moment as the fabric fell and exposed her milky breast. Without skipping a beat, Beki had turned the accident to her advantage. She had thrown Gaara in the water like a chump, never once thinking to cover herself _. Beki didn't mind me seeing her_ , he thought.

Soon his thoughts wandered and the memories became less concrete. They ran together and blended into something better than reality. The feeling of Beki's body pressed against this, the warmth of her kiss, how she had writhed against him as they wrestled merged with that memory of how she had looked in that swimsuit. Gaara's brain tried to piece together what he had seen with what he hadn't seen yet. He imagined what Beki would look like completely naked and swallowed hard. There was a physical urge rising inside him that had been quiet at first but now was on the brink of becoming a primal need.

 _We never get to see each other,_ he thought. _There's no telling when we'll have an opportunity like this again. I want this. Maybe she wants this, too._

The heat from the shower wasn't pairing well with the mass exodus of blood from Gaara's head to his lower body. He reached up and cranked back the heat. _No,_ Gaara shook his head and put his face in his hands. He took a deep breath. _I don't want Beki to think that's the only reason I made time for her. I won't pressure her into anything._ Gaara let the water run over him and focused on his breathing to get the feeling to pass. He was so fixated on pulling himself together that he didn't hear the door open.


	54. Revenge at Last

**Hi everyone! Okay, this chapter is something I've never really done before. I know that Tallman is the master of romance, so I'd really appreciate you all telling me how I did with this chapter. I've been enjoying hearing from you all, and I know it takes some extra time to send me a PM or leave a review but I can't tell you how much it brightens my day to hear from you. That being said, please enjoy this chapter!**

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Beki slid into the shower as smooth as silk. For a moment, Gaara's eyes couldn't process what he was witnessing. Beki was before him and she was more glorious than his imagination had given her credit. She smiled at him almost innocently, as if climbing into the shower with him was as natural as could be.

"Beki?!" He blurted in surprise.

"Dinner's ready," Beki said as she squeezed under the water beside him. It was a compact space to begin with, so Beki's intrusion meant the two of them were pressed against each other. Beki's eyes drifted down his body until they rested on his excitement. "You were thinking about me, right?" Beki pressed up against him playfully and Gaara felt himself blushing.

"So you're a cheat and a tease," Gaara's voice wavered; he was barely holding it together. He had almost gotten his physical desire for Beki to pass and now here she was practically presenting herself on a silver platter.

"I'm not a tease," Beki gave him a foxy smile. She pressed him up against the wall and kissed him on the mouth, her tongue gently parting his teeth. Gaara closed his eyes and returned her kiss as his hands found their way to her back. Beki ran her nails over his scalp, sending tiny electric sparks down his neck and spine. Her skin was incredibly soft. Beki always seemed so tough; Gaara would have never guessed her skin was so silky. He got caught up in the longing of her kiss and the feeling of her gentle curves in his hands, so he didn't notice Beki's other hand slipping out of sight.

Gaara jumped at the sudden contact of her cold fingers on his boys. Beki immediately pulled away with a look of concern. "Sorry," Beki smiled apologetically as she slid her hands up to the neutral zone of his shoulders. The unexpected grope had thrown off the rhythm of their kissing, and now that it was broken it seemed impossible to restore. Gaara wrapped his arms around Beki's back and he pulled her into a comforting embrace. He would never admit it to Beki, but he was a little disappointed with the awkward way their make out session had ended.

"I've never been naked with a boy before," Beki's looked up at Gaara so her chin was resting on his chest. "Other than my dad when he took me to bath houses as a kid, but I don't think that counts."

That wasn't the part Gaara held on to. "When have you been naked with other girls?"

Beki laughed. "I've gone to the hot spring in Konoha with Hinata and the other girls."

Instantly the image of Beki's divine naked body in a hot steamy room with a bunch of other attractive girls splashing each other and giggling popped into his head. Gaara gulped and shook his head. He would never get his gun holstered at this rate.

"What about you?" Beki asked.

Gaara sighed. "Are you kidding, Beki? With how many times I've made a fool of myself, you really think I've been naked with another woman before?"

"You're the Kazekage," Beki chuckled. "I imagine it wouldn't be very hard for you to get some action if you really felt like it."

Gaara put his head on top of hers and gave her a gentle squeeze. "I am with the only girl I have ever wanted to be naked with."

He felt the muscles in her face pull and Gaara knew Beki was smiling. They stood there for a little while and Gaara felt the water getting colder by the minute. Beki sighed.

"I guess we have to get out," she said as she turned off the water. "Dinner's probably cold by now anyway."

Gaara gave her a small smile. "I don't mind."

…

There was something oddly intimate about sharing the dry-off/get dressed phase of post shower shenanigans that Beki found herself hung up on. She had gotten dressed around her dad, Hinata, and all the other girls in Konoha. When Beki decided she was going to hop in the shower and molest the Kazekage, part of her had expected it to be some wild sexy escapade from start to finish. Things had been heading in that direction until she jumped the gun and cupped his junk a little too soon. After the initial embarrassment and horror of her misstep had worn off, the encounter had become cozy. Gaara had held Beki and they had talked until it was time to get out. He stepped out of the cramped shower into the equally compact bathroom. As Gaara picked up his towel, Beki reached for the spare hanging on the hook across from the toilet. Before her hand caught hold of the fabric, Gaara wrapped her like a burrito in his towel.

"Got you," Gaara kissed her forehead. Beki furrowed her brow and pouted playfully.

"You've got a thing for bondage, you know that?"

Gaara balked in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Every move you've ever used around me involves people getting physically confined in some sort of way," Beki pressed her forehead against his as her arms were hopelessly towel bound. "So, my question is: fetish or control issue?"

Gaara stared at her blankly. After a moment of soul searching, all he could do was give her a shrug. "Tough call. Let's go get those tacos."

They walked into the bedroom and began to dress, watching each other closely. Beki had always found Gaara physically attractive. Admittedly part of it was due to his mystique as one of the youngest Kage in history. Subconsciously she had believed that everything about him must be somehow better than everyone else, more impressive in some way. Seeing him awkwardly step into his boxers while boxed in by the bed and a wall destroyed that belief. Instead of making Beki like him less, it endeared Gaara to her. He was normal, he was vulnerable, and Beki was probably the only person to ever see this side of him. To her that was more valuable than being with someone that was perfect all the time. Not to mention, he was getting to be a good kisser.

Beki caught Gaara giving her the side eye as she slid on her underwear. _It's been a whole ten minutes since I messed with him,_ Beki thought. _We're long overdue._

"Hey, you wanna feel them?" Beki cupped her boobs in her hands and pushed them together so they defied gravity. She had to remind herself not to smile as she saw his eyes widen and pink creep into his cheeks.

"Sure," Gaara kept his voice steady as he walked over. _Be cool,_ he thought. _You were just naked with Beki. Touching her breasts should be no big deal._

The tiniest smirk pulled at Beki's lips as Gaara awkwardly took ahold of her girls. "So?" Beki asked. "What do you think?"

Gaara shook his head. "I didn't think they would feel like this…" He squeezed them gently. Beki felt the pull as her breasts changed shape in response to his touch. He was shy at first, doing little more than being a living bra, but soon Gaara's curiosity overwhelmed him. Beki watched with amusement as he stared intently at how her breasts bounced, jiggled, and shook in his hands. After about five minutes she chucked his chin.

"Having fun there, ace?"

Gaara looked up at her, his hands never leaving her chest. "These are amazing."

"Want me let you in on a secret?" Beki put her hands over his. "Girls play with their boobs all the time for that exact reason."

Gaara blinked in disbelief. "All girls?"

"All girls have played with their own boobs at least once," Beki smiled. "Now I had better put these away before you forget what my name is."

"Sorry Miss Tsukimori," Gaara retracted his grasp and held his hands behind his back to resist temptation.

Beki shot him a dirty look. "What was that?"

"Bike, I mean Beki," Gaara stared her down with equal intensity.

"You're a riot, you know that?" Beki swatted at him with her shirt. She followed him into the kitchen and sat on the counter while he warmed up the tacos. "I'll have a lot to brag about, you know," Beki swung her legs. "Not every day a girl has a Kage fix her tacos."

"You're one of three to share that honor," Gaara said as he handed her a plate.

"Who are the other two girls?" Beki tried to pick up the taco but it was too hot, so she started blowing on the tortilla.

"Temari and Kankuro," Gaara shot back without hesitation.

"Damn," Beki snorted. "He isn't even here and you're roasting your brother."

"He doesn't stop making fun of me when I'm not around," Gaara looked at the counter and weighed the appropriateness of joining Beki. She watched him weigh a lifetime of suitable behavior against the freedom and levity of being alone with his lover. Gaara set his plate carefully beside Beki and pulled himself up on the countertop.

"Look at you," Beki punched his shoulder encouragingly. "Getting all hip and acting your age."

"It just seems unsanitary," Gaara said as he took a bite of his taco.

"No, it's not," Beki wiped her fingers on a wadded-up paper towel. "We just showered."

"I'm not talking about now," Gaara's voice was almost passive. "I'm talking about what will happen after we finish eating."

Beki blinked in surprise and gave him a questioning look. "What?"

Gaara shrugged. "It seems sturdy enough. It'll be up to you if you want to brace yourself against it or-"

Beki tossed the wadded-up paper towel at his face. "You're just messing with me again."

"I've never seen you so surprised," Gaara deflected the papery onslaught with a casual backhand. "I would never guess a girl who corners men in showers to be so adorably proper."

"It's not that I'm proper, it's just if we tried anything in this kitchen we'd end up with splinters and possibly tetanus," Beki spat back.

Gaara chuckled. "Lockjaw? Are you not up to date on your shots, Miss Tsukimori?"

Beki narrowed her eyes at him and took a suspicious bite of her taco. "Have you even had shots, Kazekage sama?"

"I don't need shots, I have sand armor," Gaara put his empty plate in the sink beside him, suddenly appreciating the practicality of dining on the counter.

"Which is effective unless you get hit with a bag of flour," Beki held out her empty plate to him which he took begrudgingly.

"You know, I never really did get my payback for that," Gaara gave her a dark look. It was predatory and sent a thrill through Beki. As the length of the stare increased, Beki's anticipation grew to the point it was unbearable. It seemed there was only one logical course of action: to run.

In one liquid motion, Beki launched herself off the counter and ran into the bedroom. She turned to see if he had followed and Gaara was there, suddenly and silently in front of her. Beki let out a small squeal of surprise. Gaara tackled her to the bed and pinned her down as Beki writhed. "What are you going to do?" Beki feigned fear with a high-pitched voice.

"I would kiss you," Gaara leered down at her. "But you would like that. I don't want to reward you."

"What are you going to do instead?" Beki's heart was pounding in her chest so hard she was surprised Gaara couldn't hear it. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating off of his body and it excited her.

"There's only one thing I can do that I'll like and you won't," He pinned her two wrists together in one hand so his other hand was free. Adrenaline rushed through Beki's system as his hand crept up her shirt and-

"NO!" Beki squealed as Gaara tickled her ribs. "NO STOP!"

Gaara let go of her other hand and straddled her so she could fight back. He had an uncanny gift for being able to weasel his way through her defenses. Beki kicked her legs and swatted at his hands as they found their way under her arms, on the sensitive skin of her hips, and the ticklish curve of her waist.

"This is what happens to those who cross the Kazekage!" Gaara said as he rotated around and caught hold of her feet.

"NO!" Beki squirmed under his bulk but he had an iron grip on her ankle. He slowly ran his nail along the instep of Beki's foot. It was the closest thing to torture Beki had ever experienced. She rolled around on the bed until she caught ahold of a pillow and she started to beat him with it. Beki clipped his face and he started laughing. It was so soft that Beki almost missed it, but Gaara was laughing aloud. It was probably the sweetest thing she had ever heard but Beki couldn't miss the opportunity. He had slowed his assault in the face of pillowy retribution so Beki yanked her feet out from under him. "I'm not going down without a fight!" Beki howled as she threw herself on top of him, hands up and ready to tickle.

Gaara moved so quickly Beki wasn't sure what had happened. A moment before she was poised and ready to tickle him, and now she was locked in Gaara's arms as he spooned her.

"What just happened?" Beki asked, dumbfounded.

Gaara chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I snatched you out of the air."

"You say that like it's normal," Beki squirmed but her efforts were futile. "I guess this is comfortable." Beki slid her leg back so it was between his. Gaara slid his bottom arm up under his head for comfort and Beki relaxed into him. Gaara's free hand found its way up Beki's shirt and she smiled to herself. She had made a monster.

The warmth of his body against Beki's was comforting and made her feel safer than she ever remembered. Her father made her feel safe, but not like this. Beki felt at peace in Gaara's arms as if there wasn't a single thing to fear in the world. Suddenly the threats of Orochimaru, of bandits, and of political upheaval in her homeland no longer existed. All there was in the world was a beach and this cottage. As Beki wondered if any of the rest of it had ever existed, she dozed off.

…

Beki's eyes shot open. Years of sleeping out in the open had taught her how to be wide awake at the slightest movement. She turned her head and found the space Gaara had occupied empty and growing cooler by the moment. Beki's anxiety abated. _He's probably just going to the bathroom._ Beki thought as she rolled over onto her opposite side. Her eyes grew heavy and she let them droop. Beki had nearly drifted off again when she heard a growl. Except it wasn't a growl. It was a guttural cross between a moan and a snarl that instantly set her hair on end. Her kunoichi training kicked in and Beki silently got out of bed, praying it was all just her imagination.

The front door had been thrown open. From Beki's viewpoint as she peered around the doorframe, she saw a strange and terrible shape in silhouette against the moonlight. The thing stepped outside, its gait awkward and labored. It made that sound again and Beki shivered involuntarily. She looked at her hair and it was already turning. Beki's body had already figured out what she was too slow to recognize: she was in danger, so much so the Maiden was ready to fight. Beki followed after it carefully, hoping Gaara had been out for some air and would return soon.

 _Is it just my imagination, or is it getting bigger?_ Beki asked herself as her eyes adjusted to the bright light of the full moon. It was chilly outside and Beki was underdressed but she couldn't risk going back for a sweater now. The creature was walking away from the cottage and it never shrank from Beki's perspective. _That proves it,_ Beki grimaced. _It is getting bigger._

The thing growled again, but this time it came out in distinct bursts. Beki narrowed her eyes as she tried to decipher its meaning. Was it trying to talk? Was it in pain?

The monster seemed to sense something off in the direction of the ocean and it turned to face the crashing waves. Beki's heart panged in fear. The monster had Gaara.


	55. Smoke and Bruises

**Hi everyone! I'm really proud of this chapter. I wrote most of it between 1 and 3 AM a couple of weeks ago, so it needed some serious editing. That aside, this is one of my better chapters. I want to thank those of you who have been messaging me and leaving reviews. I know I'm always saying how happy it makes me, but I am always so happy to hear from you guys. It makes Tallman happy to hear about the support I'm getting, too. Some of you have been following him since the beginning, and he's glad to hear you guys are still around and involved in the Love,Hinata x ToTM crew. Please enjoy, and if you have a moment, please let me know what you think!**

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Throwing caution to the wind, Beki ran forward and cried out: "HEY! OVER HERE!"

The monster's gaze turned on her and Beki's resolve faltered. It's beige and veiny body was as big as a proper house now. It glared down at her with intelligent and malevolent eyes. Gaara's limp body was hanging out of its head from the waist up, his arms waving gently with the creature's movement.

"There you are," Its voice was nails on a chalkboard, shrill and angry. "I was wondering when you would come out."

"Let him go!" Beki stared it down, circling around to get closer to the water. It watched her easing into the waves, raised a fist, and tried to smash her. Beki launched herself backwards into the water. The icy embrace of the ocean woke her up and the pressure under the surface helped her awaken the Drowned Maiden's full form. She raised herself up out of the water on a pillar of water. The monster made that awful noise again, but louder.

 _He's laughing,_ Beki realized, a chill spreading through her.

"At least you'll make this fun," The monster swung at her again and Beki let the water pressure drop. She fell harmlessly out of range of his swipe while still maintaining her water movement advantage. Beki looked up at the monster's face and saw that Gaara was slowly being absorbed into it. Beki tried not to panic but the situation was looking dire. She cast her Watery Grave ninjutsu and watched as the ghastly arms grasped at the creature. It swung its massive tail and dispersed them.

"What are you?!" Beki cried out.

"I am the glorious One Tail, Shukaku," the tailed beast cried out. "And you're a child playing with powers you can't handle!"

It opened its mouth and a ball of energy began to form, aggregating quickly. Beki felt the tingle of the chakra around her rushing towards it, like pockets of hot air on a cool day. Shukaku shot the ball at her. Beki launched herself as far up in the air as the short warning would allow. She watched as the ball of energy hit the water where she had just been and cut through the ocean like a sword. The water boiled and filled the air with steam. As Beki began to fall back into the gaping maw the ocean was surging in to fill, she considered her options. The Drowned Maiden was mostly defensive and this thing was hell bent on killing her. She needed help. She needed Gaara.

Beki shot ice cold water at the One Tail's face, splattering Gaara in the process.

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE!?" The Shukaku cried out. Beki saw the giant hand reaching for her but was powerless to avoid it. In the air she was gravity's bitch, and in this fight that would cost her dearly. He caught her in midair in a hand as big as Beki was. Immediately Shukaku began to crush her, forcing the air out of her lungs and sending waves of sharp pain through her body. Beki cried out and looked up helplessly at Gaara, praying he would just wake up. She gasped for air and as the world grew dark Beki wondered if it was all just a dream. Would she wake up in Konoha or Getsu? Her hair faded to blonde as the Drowned Maiden gave out and all that was left was Beki being crushed to death by a monster in the middle of nowhere.

…

"Beki!"

Somewhere far away she could hear a familiar voice. Beki couldn't quite place it and she felt no need to seek it out. All she wanted was sleep.

"Beki, please wake up!"

They sounded afraid. Beki hated when people were scared for her. Seiichiro was always frightened something was going to happen and his attitude killed all the fun. Beki reached up and swatted at the person, hoping to connect with their cheek or shoulder for a reassuring pat. Instead the person grabbed ahold of her hand with a vice like grip. Their hands were cold and wet and Beki tried to pull away. They wouldn't let her. Soon her neck was being cradled in their cold wet hand. The chill it sent down her spine was waking her up, so at last she opened her eyes to tell them off.

Beki had been unconscious for some time. Gaara had watched in terror as the light of the rising sun revealed just how ashen she had become. _I've killed her,_ Gaara screamed inside. _She's breathing, but any moment now it will stop. She'll be gone and it's all my fault_. He had called her name, shook her, kissed her, and worst of all in his desperation, he had slapped her a few times. After what felt like an eternity in hell Beki was opening her eyes.

Gaara exhaled for the first time in over a minute. "Beki, I thought I'd lost you."

Beki gave him a dazed look, as though she recognized him but hadn't made the connection yet. When things did click into place, it was as if a switch had been flipped. Beki's eyes widened in fear. She shoved herself up onto her elbows kicked up sand as she shuffled backwards on the beach. Beki stopped after she had put about a foot of space between them. She winced in pain and gingerly took her left wrist in her right hand.

"You're hurt," Gaara reached out and she gazed at him with fear in her eyes. _It's happened. I'm a monster to her now._

"That was the One Tail?" After a moment, Beki cautiously held out her injured arm to him.

"Yes," shame crept into his voice. Gaara hadn't let Shukaku free for nearly four years. For him to lose control now, the first time he was alone with Beki, was devastating. Beki was watching his every moment. Gaara wondered if she could ever bring herself to trust him again. "Beki, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you're hurt and I'm sorry this happened." The look she gave him was complicated. Gaara detected betrayal mixed in with the horror that showed all over her face. Her uncertainty was father demonstrated in that Beki was letting him examine her wrist but with enough tension to telecast to Gaara if he made a wrong move, she would snatch it away instantly. Bile rose in his throat and he felt like crying. Their relationship was over and it had barely begun to take off; a bird that had fallen out of the nest before it learned to fly.

"Your wrist is just deeply bruised," Gaara released her hand, and clenching his own into fists. He forced himself up to his feet and looked off into the ocean. "I'll take you back to Konoha now." He kept his eyes on the ground as he held out an arm for her. _What am I doing?_ He thought. _She isn't going to want to touch me._

Beki shoved him hard and the unexpected impact sent Gaara stumbling. He looked up at her in confusion. Once again, his sand hadn't chosen to protect him from Beki and allowed him to experience the full brunt of her force.

"NO!" She cried out like a petulant child. Tears had formed in her eyes and her lip was quivering. "All this happens and you don't even want to talk about it?! You're just going to take me home and pretend like none of this happened?!"

"Beki, I-" Gaara blinked in surprise. "I told you I was a jinchuriki for the One Tail-"

"But you didn't tell me what that means!" Beki stomped her foot. "You didn't tell me that you occasionally turn into a monster the size of a house and try to murder people!"

"What did you think it meant?!" Gaara felt his own voice rising. Beki was so emotional and he was feeling so overwhelmed that it was all coming together, like pressure rising in a volcano. He couldn't help but feed into it. "Did you think having a Tailed Beast sealed inside us gives us amazing powers and people just hate us because they're jealous?!"

"No!" Beki shook her head. "I've tried to figure out as much as I can through what you and Hinata have told me, but this shit is locked up tight, Gaara! Getsu doesn't have a Tailed Beast, and most villages keep that kind of information as secrets of the state!"

"Tell me what I'm supposed to do, Beki," Gaara raised his hands in exasperation. "Tell you every gory detail of how if I lose control of my emotions or if I sleep too long the Shukaku takes over? You're a good person Beki, but I doubt you would have stuck around if I had told you all this."

"I don't care about any of that," Beki stared him down. "I care about you. When I woke up to that monst-sorry, to Shukaku, stumbling around in the night with you hanging out of its head like a damned ragdoll, I was terrified. I thought I was going to lose you and I had no idea how to save you. If you had shared more about this with me, we could have come up with a plan for when this happens."

"This doesn't just _happen_ , Beki," Gaara clenched his fists. "This is the first time in almost four years I've let him take over. The last time was at the chunin exams."

"I'd have to say that's a pretty good run, but this is a part of you Gaara," Beki sighed. "It'll happen again. All I want is for you to let me in and let me help you."

Beki was clearly exhausted. There were dark rings under her eyes that looked worse the higher the sun climbed into the sky. Her hair was a messy tangle, full of sand and seaweed. Her clothes were caked on and she had lost one of her shoes. Despite that, Gaara was struck by just how beautiful she was, and possibly batshit crazy. Anyone in their right mind who had squared off against the One Tail would be running for their life right now.

"Well?!" She screamed at him.

"I-I'm sorry," Gaara found himself humbled by how much she cared for him. "Where would you like me to start?"

Beki held up her arms and opened and closed her hands at him like a child hoping to be picked up. "Hold me, dammit."

"Hold you?" Gaara furrowed his nonexistent brow. "I thought we were fighting?"

Beki stormed over to him and pressed herself to his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I thought I was going to lose you. I was nearly scared me out of my skin. Everything is so confusing right now and I just need to feel safe for a minute. I feel safe here."

Not knowing what else to do, Gaara pulled her into his embrace and rested his chin on top of her head. He had expected her to be upset about the whole transformation but not like this. Spit in his face, insult his mother, call him "monster," yes. Ask him to hold her, no. After a few moments of soothing silence Beki turned her head and spat:

"I need another shower. A real shower, not a sexy one."

"I'll keep my hands to myself," Gaara gave her a small smile and brought her inside.

…

"I think I got it all," Beki ran her fingers through her wet hair. "Oops, missed one." She pulled a hunk of seaweed the length of her forearm out of her mass of blonde hair. "I'm probably going be finding these for a while, I guess."

Beki looked about fifty percent better. Some of the color was coming back into her skin and her hair no longer looked like she was trying out for Medusa in a school play. When she sat down on the bar stool, Gaara noticed too much color was coming into her skin. Bruises were exploding like fireworks on her arms and legs in every shade of the rainbow. Since all her clothes drying in the bathroom, Beki had put on the black shirt he wore yesterday. The short sleeves hung down to her elbows and the hem was long enough to be a scandalously brief nightgown. It was sexy in an endearing sort of way. As amazing as her body was and as thrilling as it was to catch the occasional glimpse of her scarlet lace panties, Gaara was much more attracted to how comfortable she was around him.

This trip had been full of milestones: their first shower together, the first time Beki wore his shirt, and less excitingly, their first fight and his first transformation into the One Tail around her. Their goal had been to grow closer as a couple. Even with the hurdles they had faced, Gaara felt closer to Beki than ever. _Mission accomplished,_ he thought to himself as he set a cup of coffee in front of her. _This is cause for celebration._

"I was thinking," Gaara leaned against the counter and watched Beki take her first sip. She winced a little and puckered her lips. _Damn. I made it too strong again._ "I don't want the rest of this trip to go to waste."

"What do you mean?" Beki was adding equal measures of milk and sugar to her mug, periodically having to sip on the rim to keep it from overfilling. Once it reached the right shade of beige, she took another sip.

"I hate to be the one to point this out but the romantic atmosphere is shot," Gaara folded his arms. "I can recognize when a situation isn't salvageable. We're better off starting over somewhere else."

"Like where?" The toaster popped and Beki jumped ever so subtly. Gaara didn't so much as flinch. _Damn, this guy is a stone-cold son of a bitch._ Beki thought to herself. _Even my dad jumps at the toaster._

"I want to take you to Suna," Gaara held up a hand before she could protest. "You deserve a real meal and a comfortable bed to sleep in after everything that happened last night."

"What happened to flying under the radar, Kazekage sama!?" Beki swatted at him in protest. "What are we going to tell people when you roll up with me riding bitch on your sand cloud? 'Oh, I just found her wandering in the desert and we're work acquaintances so I'm going to take her out for dinner and then she's going to sleep over at my house?!'"

"Beki, just let me handle it," Gaara reached out and put a hand on her head. He had meant it to be comforting but he had accidentally put too much force behind the gesture. His hand came down on her crown with a clap and the two just stared at each other awkwardly. "It's going to come out that we're an item eventually," Gaara sighed and retracted his hand. Beki tried to nip at it and almost caught his pinky in her jaws. "You're in a mood."

"Sorry, fight or flight mode hasn't fully disengaged," Beki swirled the dregs of her coffee in her mug. "I guess you're right. We might as well have a good time if we're going to get busted."

Gaara suppressed a smile. "I would recommend you put on pants. Better yet, change out of my clothes entirely. We don't want to be too obvious."

Beki rolled her eyes. "Really, Gaara? I thought I could wear your leather trench coat into town."

Gaara narrowed his eyes, considering the idea. If she looked so sexy in just his shirt, how would she look in just his coat? An enticing vision hung in his mind and he smiled. "You can wear my coat, but that's it. And only when we're alone."

"Pervert," Beki called over her shoulder as she pulled on her clothes. "The first thing we're doing is getting me a real cup of coffee."

"Don't I at least get points for trying?" Gaara asked as he washed the used mug in the sink.

"We're shinobi, Gaara," Beki scoffed. "We succeed or we die."

…

"I can't see it yet, are we getting close?" Beki was practically dangling off the side of the sand cloud. Gaara couldn't imagine how she could do that for so long without getting sick.

"I'm pretty sure I can catch you if given enough notice," Gaara watched her out of the corner of his eye. "Make sure you yell if you fall off."

"I will, thanks," Beki rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the desert below. "Hey, isn't that it up ahead?"

"Yes," Gaara heaved a sigh of relief as the walls of Suna came into view.

"Wait," Beki focused hard on the space above the city. "Is that smoke?"

Gaara followed her gaze. Long columns of black smoke floated up into the sky, writhing up into the heavens, their tendrils a telltale of bad news. "My God, what happened?" He had only been gone for two days. A day and a half, really. What could have happened in such a short amount of time? He leaned forward and pulled Beki into the center of the cloud, sending the sand toward town at triple speed. Beki sensed his distress and stayed perfectly still.

"What do you see?" Beki asked as she saw the blur of buildings rush past.

"There's a lot of damage," Gaara leered ahead. "It looks like Suna was attacked."

Beki bit her lip. She knew exactly what he was thinking. _He wasn't here to stop it._ A few moments later Gaara set the cloud down on the balcony of his office. He didn't even hesitate to help Beki off as he usually did. The cloud dissipated as it touched down and the sand receded into his gourd. Beki had anticipated that kind of a reaction, so she hopped off the cloud behind him. Not knowing what to do in this situation, she stayed outside the office door after he entered. _Whatever is going on, its none of my business,_ Beki thought. She looked out over the village. Hunks of buildings had crumbled into the streets below. Beki could see inside houses, like the cutaway books she used to read as a child would show her the inner workings of ships and machines. It looked like at any moment someone would walk into the room and start watching the TV. It sent a wave of nausea through her when she realized there was a good chance the occupants were dead, dragged to the ground and crushed by the debris of their own homes collapsing.

The whole scene was surreal. Beki had never witnessed carnage and destruction on this scale. She was completely fixated on the sight of it all, her brain desperately trying to process what it was witnessing. Once, when she twelve, she had stumbled across an inn that had been ransacked by bandits. Her father had tried to shield her from the sight of the blood and how the whole place had been torn apart. That had been traumatizing, and this was basically the same situation but on a village-wide scale. Every scream was a life, every destroyed building had been full of people, and every abandoned belonging had been orphaned.

It could have been a few minutes or it could have been an eternity when the door opened behind her. "Come inside," Kankuro's voice was joyless. Beki turned and followed him inside obediently. Gaara was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands, a pile of reports strewn haphazardly across it. Some of the papers had spilled over onto the floor. Beki saw photos and cringed. Casualties.

"The rest of your advisors have been summoned," Beki hadn't even noticed Temari by the door. "They'll be able to brief you on how the rescue efforts are coming along."

Beki wanted to ask what had happened but based on the look Temari shot her when she opened her mouth, Beki knew better than to try.

"You have to go home," Gaara didn't raise his head. "Temari, can you escort her-"

"I don't need an escort," Beki shook her head. "Is…how…" Beki's voice trailed off, unable to find words to suit the situation. "Can I help?"

"No," Gaara sighed. "No, there is nothing you can do. This is all my fault."

"How could you have known the village would be attacked?" Beki asked.

"It doesn't matter, Beki," Gaara lifted his head. His expression could be described as nothing less than distraught. "I wasn't here. People…the people I oversee suffered for it. They died for my selfishness. I wasn't here to protect them."

"Gaara, that isn't true-" Beki started but he held up a hand.

"Could you two give us a moment, please?" Kankuro and Temari both headed for the door without protest. Once the door clicked behind them Gaara turned and looked up at her. "Beki, I can't do this ever again."

Beki sighed. "I understand. From now on, we'll just see each other in town. We'll make it work-"

"I don't mean another vacation," Gaara looked down at his hands helplessly. "I mean, this." He looked her in the eye and she finally caught his drift.

"You're breaking up with me." Beki felt a cold chill creep down her spine.

"We need to take a break, until this whole situation settles," Gaara explained. "I haven't been kage long. I was already working on fixing everything my father ruined and now this. It will take time, but I have plenty of support. Please be patient."

Beki's legs were turning to jelly but she centered herself. She channeled her father's ambassador attitude. _I can't ever show weakness to a foreign power,_ she reminded herself. _Even if they're breaking my heart._ Gaara sensed her hesitation and felt forced to fill the silence. "If this is the last drawback, I only anticipate it taking a few years to get the village on track."

 _A few years?_ Beki thought. She had already spent the last two years waiting to get past sending each other letters and the occasional coffee date. There was no way she could stay in that limbo for another five years. "I can appreciate your situation, but I can't be your benchwarmer for an indefinite amount of time," Beki stared at his desk, avoiding his gaze. "I pray you find success in this situation. In future endeavors, I hope we can work together amicably."

In that moment, a curtain fell between them, separating them despite all the walls they had torn down to reach one another. It had taken years for them to be Beki and Gaara together and now they were right back to Kazekage and Getsu ambassador in training. A few more moments of silence followed as if both parties were hoping the other would reach out and try to mend the divide. Neither spoke, their responsibilities too great to be overcome by their personal happiness.

"These are dangerous times," Gaara said in a measured tone. "I'll have Temari escort you to the border-"

Beki gave a low, respectful bow. "With all due respect, Kazekage-sama, you have limited manpower. I'm a Getsu official and therefore an unlikely interest to the parties behind this. I appreciate the offer but I'm capable of making the journey home myself."

Gaara watched Beki as she rose again to her full height. She was tall for a girl and had strong broad shoulders. He remembered how soft she had been, almost delicate, in his arms just hours before. Now that seemed an eternity ago, a book forever closed to him. Beki would be fine, he decided as he surveyed the girl that he had given his heart to. She deserved better anyway. "At least take some rations," He managed to say at last. His voice was surprisingly steady considering the sinking feeling in his chest. "We can afford that."

"Thank you, Kazekage-sama," Beki gave another low bow and turned on her heel in a practiced fashion. The military-like precision of her movements was supposed to be both a reassurance to Gaara that Beki didn't need him to worry about her and a wall for Beki to hide behind. She had done the formal exit so many times that defaulting to it allowed Beki to go on autopilot. When she opened the door to his office, Kankuro and Temari looked at her expectantly. "He's ready for you now," Beki dipped into another polite bow. "May this all blow over soon."

Kankuro stepped inside without a word but Temari began to follow Beki down the steps. "You don't have to escort me," Beki sighed. "I know the way well enough."

"The Kazekage assigned me as your escort," Temari folded her arms. "I'm not one to defy orders."

"I'm not as valuable as he is," Beki jerked her head in the direction of the office. "He'll need your support."

Temari narrowed her eyes and watched Beki closely, sizing her up. _She blames me for all this,_ Beki thought. _She's right. This is my fault, and I'm paying for it dearly. I don't need any more punishment._

"Well, what can I do if you refuse the help?" Temari sighed. "Just make sure you don't get yourself killed on the way back to Konoha. Gaara doesn't need any more guilt on his conscience."

Beki nodded and turned for the exit without another word. The devastation she had been so fascinated with earlier barely registered anymore. She stepped over the debris and sidestepped rescue workers with people on stretchers without any conscious effort. Before too long, she was on her way out the front gates. The guards were busy consulting with others on how to tighten security and barely paid her any mind. It was a three-day trip back to Konoha and Beki had been too distracted to grab the rations Gaara had instructed her to take. She would be fine without water for a day, and Beki was experienced at foraging. Being hungry and thirsty couldn't compare to the agony in her chest. Three years of hard work, of longing, and the few moments of unparalleled joy Beki had experienced with Gaara had evaporated in seconds. It was over and Beki had no one to blame.

When her mother died, the clear culprit had been Orochimaru. When Hideki took Hinata and hurt her, he was the obvious bad guy. Yuu had tried to kill Ren, and Shinichi tried to oppress Beki. It was easy to know how to feel, to make decisions in those situations. This was complicated. Beki still cared for Gaara, knew all sorts of intimate details about him, and she was left holding them like tickets to a cancelled show. Beki couldn't hate him or resent him. She hurt. She wanted to be with him and now understood that could never happen. Rather than think about it anymore Beki turned her mind off. She zoned out and the landscape blurred together as she followed her internal compass home. Beki's feet knew the way well enough to give her poor overtired brain a break.


	56. Hard Call

**Hi everyone! Thank you all for the great feedback you've been giving me. I really appreciate it and I have been so happy to hear from you! I got the next chapter cleaned up and ready to go. I hope you guys are ready :D**

* * *

Konoha was only a few hours away. Beki's legs were weak from the journey; she hadn't totaled more than three hours of sleep a night since she left Suna. Her diet had also been poor. The foraging hadn't gone as well as Beki would have liked and the river fish she tried to catch all just slipped through her grasp. The issues compounded upon each other until Beki felt foggy and useless at everything.

Seiichiro had taught Beki a trick to keep her mind off the aches and pains that came with a hard journey. The first step was to make a laundry list in the exact order she wanted to take care of everything. Then all she had to do was keep reciting it to herself. _Number one: I'm going to throw all my clothes in the washer,_ Beki thought. _Then I'm going to take a long hot shower and get the last of the sand out of my hair._ It was a tough call between eating and sleeping from there. When starved for her two most basic needs, it came down to what she would die without first. Beki considered her present condition and decided she was more likely to burn the house down trying to cook herself a meal than if she napped first. _Sleep it is,_ Beki decided.

The guards at the gate hardly paid Beki any mind. For all they knew, she was just getting back from a hard training regimen. In other circumstances, Beki would have headed up to the Hokage's office to report the attack on Suna. She was certain, however, that the news had arrived long before she had. Beki dragged her feet all through town. If anyone called out to her, she didn't hear it. Somehow the colors in the world seemed duller and the sounds bled together until they were just shapeless noise.

It wasn't long before Beki was wiping her feet on the doormat of Hinata's house. She turned the key in the lock and walked inside to make a beeline for the laundry room.

 _Do the laundry._

Beki dumped the contents of her bag into the washing machine, taking care to fish out her bag of toiletries. She looked at the clothes she was currently wearing and shrugged. They weren't as soiled as she had expected them to be, but it made no sense to walk upstairs and strip just to have to bring the outfit down again to wash. She peeled off her shirt and leggings just to stand there and stare at them sadly. Beki had brought the leggings along because she knew they flattered her legs and her rear. The shirt she had packed because it was one of her favorites. It was made of soft brilliantly white cotton with shimmery strands of silver woven into the fabric. It gave the garment a subtle shine that reminded Beki of a dress she had as a young girl. Traveling the road had gotten it dirty and she prayed the stains would come out. She tossed the white shirt in the hamper to run with a light load later and started the dark wash. Just as she was about to pop the hooks on the back of her bra, she heard someone clear their throat.

"Uh, hi Beki," Naruto was standing in the kitchen, a slight flush in his cheeks and his eyes glued to the mug in his hands.

"Oh, sorry Naruto," Beki sighed. "I forget you live here now."

Naruto wrinkled his nose slightly to reflect his indecision in how to feel about that remark. "Welcome home. How was the trip?"

"I'm home now," Beki put her hands on her hips and sighed. "It doesn't matter."

"That great, huh?" Naruto laughed nervously. "What happened?"

Beki gave him a dismissive wave and headed for the stairs.

"I'm sorry your trip with Gaara didn't go so great," Naruto shrugged uncomfortably. "Hinata should be home soon from training."

"Cool," Beki shrugged as she walked up the stairs.

"Do you want me to go and get her?" Naruto walked over to the stairs and looked up at Beki on the landing.

"No, I'm fine," Beki grabbed a robe from her room and headed into her bathroom.

"Do you need anything till then?" Naruto called out. "Some water? A bowl of ramen?"

"No, thanks," Beki turned on the water and climbed in while it was still cold. The icy stream gave her goosebumps and set her shivering, but she was willing to do anything to get her space back. Once she was sure she was finally alone, Beki leaned against the back wall of the shower and let it support her for a moment. Her knees began to buckle and so Beki lowered herself down onto the cold tile floor, her muscles relaxing as the water warmed up to a comfortable temperature. In her exhaustion, Beki was left wondering if any of the previous few days' events had happened. Her boyfriend had whisked her away on a romantic getaway just to turn into a gargantuan murderous tanuki. He took her into town to make it up to her only to find the village had been devastated in an attack by persons unknown. Immediately afterwards, he had broken up with her in the most anticlimactic fashion Beki could imagine.

Beki ran her fingers through her hair and reached up on the shower shelf for the shampoo. _Start with the basics,_ she heard her father say in her head. _Take care of your needs from the bottom up and soon it will all feel better._ Once she was clean Beki's spirits had bolstered a bit. The heat from the shower made her feel her exhaustion even more, however, so her next stop was her bed. She walked back to her room in nothing more than her fluffy white bathrobe and crawled under the covers. The moment her head hit the pillow, Beki was out. Luckily it was a dreamless sleep. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

The gentle caress of a hand on Beki's head stirred her from her slumber. Beki looked up hopefully but it wasn't Gaara's face that greeted her.

"Hey Beki," Hinata pat Beki's head. "I hear you had a hard time on your trip."

"How did you know I was away?" Beki gave her a confused look. "We didn't tell anyone but…Naruto." Beki rolled her eyes. "He sold us out."

Hinata chuckled. "No, actually. His impressions of you were pretty spot on, but I've known you longer than he has. There were a few dead giveaways that it was him and not you."

Beki sat up and adjusted her bathrobe. It had fallen open in her sleep and it was nipsickle cold in there. "So where to start…"

Hinata picked up Beki's hand and gave the bruises a concerned once over. "You could start with how you got these."

As Beki told Hinata the story of how the whole trip shook out, Hinata held her hands. "That's too bad," Hinata sighed. "It sounds like otherwise it would have been a wonderful time."

"I don't know what I was expecting, dating a Kage," Beki squeezed Hinata's hands for support. "It's always been complicated and it will always be complicated."

"How do you feel about it?" Hinata brushed the hair out of Beki's face. "Do you want to be with Gaara?"

Beki looked down at the comforter. "I don't know anymore. I really like him. It isn't obvious, but Gaara has a good sense of humor and a kind heart. He's good looking, talented, and successful. The perfect package. Except for his job, that is."

"You think everything would be fine if he was just a regular shinobi?" Hinata asked.

"Yes," Beki explained. "There wouldn't be all the secrecy, the priority juggling, or the interruptions. That and he's married to it. If Naruto becomes Hokage, he will always put his friends first. The job won't keep him from being your husband or a parent to your kids."

Hinata momentarily got a dreamy look at the mention of "kids" but quickly snapped back to attention. "You don't think Gaara would?"

"He obviously wants a family," Beki sighed. "I just don't think he'd know what to do with one."

"Like that time you said you wanted an alpaca," Hinata scooched over on the bed so she was sitting up beside Beki. "And we took you to the farm and you got bitten,"

"Yes, exactly like that but less hilarious and more disappointing," Beki said.

"Where do we go from here?" Hinata asked. "Are you going to wait for him to write you or will you make the first move?"

Beki shook her head. "Like I said, I don't know if I want this much trouble, Hinata. Maybe it isn't meant to be and I should just let it go."

Hinata pulled Beki in for a hug and held her comfortingly. Beki rested in Hinata's arms and sighed. "Even the best relationships come with trouble, Beki," Hinata pet her hair again. "I'm not saying that this situation isn't difficult-"

"Just that no matter who I'm with there'll be trouble," Beki nodded. "I get it."

"I will support whatever decision you make," Hinata explained. "You should sleep on it first and then have a good breakfast. It's hard to make big decisions with nothing in your stomach."

"Thanks, Hina chan," Beki closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You would probably go to Neji," Hinata scooted out of the bed and tucked Beki back in. "He's always been your backup."

"Yeah, he has," Beki yawned. "I'm lucky to have you guys."

"Make sure to mention that to Neji once in a while," Hinata said as she turned out the light. "See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Hina chan," Beki said as the door closed. All at once darkness reclaimed the room. As soon as her eyes shut, Beki was so deeply asleep it was as if she had never been awakened. Peaceful sleep carried her through the night and early into the morning, dreaming happily of the salt spray of the sea and cloudy summer days.

"BEKI!"

The distress in Hinata's voice and the accompanying crash as Beki's bedroom door flung open set Beki on overdrive. Her feet were on the floor and her hand was wrapped around the hilt of a knife she kept on her nightstand before her eyes even opened. Instead of an assailant, Beki was met with a set of upset Hyuuga eyes and a nest of purple-black bedhead. The pale arms in the tangle of hair were clutching a sloppily written note. Beki unfurled her fingers from the hilt of the knife and took hold of the note instead. Hinata feebly released the paper, grateful to be relieved of its burden. The note was sloppily written, as if the author had composed it in the dark. She walked over to the blinds and pulled them open, washing the room in the blinding white light of the early morning sun.

"How can you even read this?" Beki squinted, her eyes stinging. "It looks like a drunken kindergartener was trying to write his Christmas list."

"It's from Naruto," Hinata began, the note of panic still in her voice. "A rescue squad was dispatched in the dead of night and they came to offer Naruto a spot on the team."

"What's going on?" Beki's eyes skimmed the childish peaks and valleys until they stuck on two words: "Gaara" and "kidnapped". The paper crackled as it folded into her vicelike grip as Beki's fists clenched in panic. Beki suddenly felt chilled and her mind raced so quickly that she was developing a headache.

"The terrorists that attacked Suna while you two were away came back," Hinata explained. "After a battle for the city in the sky, Gaara was overwhelmed and abducted."

"They asked Konoha to aid them because they were heading towards the border?" Beki asked.

Hinata nodded. "At least that's what I got out of Naruto's note."

Beki shook her head. It still amazed her how much Hinata could make out of the chicken scrawl Naruto called handwriting. "We have to go after them."

"I agree," Hinata squared her shoulders. "Whatever challenges Naruto faces, I want to be by his side."

"Despite the unstable ground our relationship is on right now, I can't stand idly by while Gaara's in the hands of these bastards." Beki sighed. "All that's left is to get ready."

…

Beki dressed silently in full view of the windows of her room. Modesty was a moot point in a compound full of people who could see through walls, but Beki dropped all pretense on this somber occasion. The Kazekage was in incredible danger and Konoha had elected to come to their aid. This created a tricky political situation for Beki as Getsu technically had no business interfering. If she should step in and the mission go amiss, the whole debacle could be put on her shoulders. Alternatively, if Beki was injured or killed in action, Getsugakure could come after Konoha or Suna for coercing her into acting outside her authority. Even if she left a note, it could be discredited as a forgery.

Beki put the politics out of her mind for a moment as she surveyed her options for mission gear. Over the last year, the family uniform Seiichiro had given Beki had fallen into disrepair. It had been tailored to Beki perfectly, which made it most suitable for training. That meant the garment had been torn and mended several dozen times, the bright embroidered family crest was faded from washing, and the treating of grass stains had left the knees discolored. Beki set it aside and picked up the outfit Yasahiro had given her for the chunin exams. It fit well, however the seam where she had mended the slice that had exposed her breasts during the finals was painfully obvious. It immediately drew the eye, like a subtle bullseye over her heart.

 _This is not what I should wear for heroic adventures,_ Beki thought bitterly as she tossed it aside. _With my luck, the seam would give out and I'd give everyone another eyeful._

At last Beki surrendered and picked up the box at the bottom of the closet. In a swell of birthday induced joy, Beki had decided to blow her bonus from her performance in the exams on a custom set of gear. It had eaten through her savings and even tapped into the money Seiichiro allotted her for expenses. His letters to her went long unanswered; Beki tried to compensate for the loss of funds by letting his letters pile up and then answering several of them at once in one awkwardly constructed series of one line answers. Seiichiro was furious, of course. Beki thought the outfit was worth the trouble yet the small pang of guilt at the memory of its cost kept her from breaking it out.

The outfit was mostly based on the one Beki wore for the chunin exams but it was designed in consideration for Beki's specific needs. The pants were the same silvery gray her Tsukimori uniform had been. They were hip high cargos just loose enough to allow for free movement but tight enough that they didn't catch on bushes, and they were cuffed at the bottom so they fit snugly over her boots. The bodysuit, made of the same snowy white wetsuit material as Beki's chunin outfit, had long fitted sleeves with thumb holes. Beki's favorite part of the whole ensemble was the iron gray vest that went over the bodysuit. The vest had a high collar to protect her throat and was constructed of a breastplate and a back plate with no shoulder pieces. It stopped right at her rib cage, which would protect her vitals but allow for free movement of her waist. After the close shave with Shinichi, Beki had opted for the protective piece and had gone as far as having a large hood sewn in. Now that Beki had a reputation as the Drowned Maiden, she had to take some pains to conceal her identity. The element of surprise was completely spoiled when a person could watch her hair and eyes change color.

Once she had finished putting on the outfit and her gray Getsu headband, Beki pulled up the hood and smiled slightly to herself. Completely anonymous shinobi. _Hell, if I play my cards right, people may not even know I was involved in this rescue mission,_ Beki thought.

"I'm ready," Hinata shuffled breathlessly into the room, a bag of perfectly packed provisions and gear in each hand. "I've got all the essentials in here."

Beki took her bag and looked. Hinata had packed light, which was smart. Rescue missions depended almost entirely on speed, so cumbersome "ready for anything" kits could spell defeat for even experienced shinobi. Beki looked up at Hinata's expectant face and a light switch went off inside.

 _Forget what happens if something happens to me acting on my own,_ Beki thought. _If Hinata comes along on this mission with me and something happens to her, I'll have a jinchuriki and Hiashi Hyuuga to deal with._

Beki stared her best friend in the face for a moment, weighed the wrath of two villages against the wrath of two men, and made her decision.

"Come on Hinata," Beki sighed. "Let's go."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Hold on, I think I forgot something."

Beki followed Hinata into her bedroom. She stepped into the bathroom and fished around in a drawer. Beki sat her bag on the floor and leaned against Naruto and Hinata's bed. A quick glance confirmed Hinata was still occupied, so Beki slid open the nightstand drawer just wide enough to survey its contents.

 _Bingo,_ Beki smirked as she slid her target into her pocket. By the time Hinata came back into the room Beki had completely replaced the drawer and was waiting for her by the door. Hinata grabbed her bag and followed Beki down the stairs.

"Hey," Beki turned around halfway to the kitchen. Hinata stopped and gave her a quizzical look:

"What is it, Beki? Did you forget something?"

Beki sighed. "Thank you for letting me know what was going on and giving me a chance to do something about it."

Hinata blinked in surprise and shook her head. "O-of course, Beki. You would do the same for me."

Beki looked down at the ground and then held her hands up in the air expectantly. Hinata eyed them cautiously.

"High five me, Hinata," Beki rolled her eyes at Hinata's confused expression. "Don't tell me you aren't pumped about this!? We're two bad bitches about to roll out and save the boys! Girl power!"

Hinata found it hard not to get swept up in Beki's enthusiasm. She held her hands up timidly, pulled back, and went in for the double high five. Just before their skin made contact, Beki reached into her pocket, whipped up out a pair of handcuffs, slapped a handcuff around Hinata's wrist, laced the handcuff around the solid spire of the bannister, grabbed Hinata's free wrist and latched it in the other handcuff. Hinata's eyes widened in horror as she tugged against her bindings.

"B-Beki?!"

Beki took Hinata's face in her hands and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry Hinata, but if Naruto didn't bring you along its because he doesn't want you to get hurt. If I take you out there and something happens, I'll have him AND your dad to deal with."

Realization dawned on Hinata's face like a black cloud. "BEKI! You can't leave me behind! I must go! I need to be with Naruto!"

"Sorry, baby," Beki said as she set Hinata's bag of provisions on the other side of the bannister so Hinata could easily access the food and water. "That's not a risk I'm willing to take."

Beki walked away feeling guilty. The clinks of Hinata's shackles followed her all the way to the door. Beki took ahold of the knob and looked at her crestfallen friend. "Don't worry about it. Someone will come by in no time, I'm sure."

"Beki, if you leave me here, I-" Hinata shook her head, tears forming in her eyes, equal parts rage and betrayal. "I won't forgive you!"

"Well, if you decide to," Beki opened the door and turned the knob repeatedly, marveling at how similar the sound was to the handcuffs. "Maybe you'll tell me why there were handcuffs in your bedside table."

She flashed Hinata one last mischievous grin and dipped outside, thrilled with her own prowess, and praying that she had made the right decision. Beki acted casual as she left the Hyuuga compound and headed for the village gates. Years of shenanigans had taught Beki that if she behaved as if nothing was amiss, no one would notice. The guards at the gate knew her well, so Beki flashed them a smile and waved. They chuckled and returned the wave, then one made a comment to the other that made him laugh. _Joke's on you,_ Beki thought. _If word gets out what I'm doing, your butts are on the line just as much as mine._

Beki had nearly reached the edge of the forest that composed Konoha's outer boundary when she heard someone call her name. A chill ran down her spine. Had she been caught so soon?

"Beki nee-san!" Konohamaru came running at her with Moegi and Udon in tail. "We just got back from our mission. Are you out training?"

 _Thank God,_ Beki thought. _They'll buy anything I tell them._

"Yes!" Beki punched the air enthusiastically." I'm taking this new gear for a test run!"

"It looks really cool," Moegi felt the fabric of Beki's sleeve. "It kind of feels like a wetsuit."

"It kind of is," Beki scratched her neck. "You know, when I turn into the Drowned Maiden things get really damp and cold. This should keep me from catching my death out there."

"After we check in with Granny Tsunade, can we help you train?" Konohamaru offered. "It would sure beat what Ebisu sensei has in store for us."

"Ebisu sensei?" Beki looked around suspiciously. That man could read her like a book. If he so much as caught sight of her, Ebisu would know Beki was up to no good. He would call her out and there would be no escaping him, since he had trained with her enough to know all her moves. "Is he out here with you guys?"

"Yes," Udon said. "He was right behind us. EBISU SENSEI!"

"SHHH," Beki covered his mouth. "Sorry," she released Udon and gave him an apologetic pat on the head. The trio all stared at her in confusion, so Beki leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially. "Can you three keep a secret?"

They instantly ate up the pretense, gathering closer and nodding like their little heads would fall off at any moment.

"See, the thing is, I'm sneaking off to do some training by myself," Beki explained. "Because my dad is the ambassador, no one ever lets me go off on my own. Could you guys not tell Ebisu sensei I was here? And if anyone asks if you've seen me- "

"We didn't see you," Konohamaru smiled knowingly. "We get it, Beki nee san."

"Your secret is safe with us!" Moegi winked.

"And kick Ebisu sensei in the shin for me," Beki smirked and ran off. "I owe you all one solid each!"

They watched her run off out of sight before any of them dared to speak and give away their position.

"What's a 'solid'?" Udon asked.

"It means she owes us each a favor," Moegi explained.

"There you three are!" Ebisu stormed out of the underbrush looking flustered. "You can't just run away from me when I'm explaining how to do something!"

The three shared a look of understanding and Moegi and Udon nodded at Konohamaru. Konohamaru approached Ebisu sensei, looked him dead in the eye, and kicked him in the shin as hard as he could. Ebisu yelped in surprise and the trio ran back the way Ebisu had come, leaving him spewing expletives in the road.

…

 _The journey to Suna takes three days,_ Beki recalled. _If I cut how long I sleep and minimize my breaks, I may be able to shave off half of a day_. In that amount of time, an untold number of things could happen. Gaara could escape on his own, Team Kakashi could rescue him, or the terrorists may demand a ransom for the captured kage. Beki had heard of the Akatsuki, a group of the worst ronin the world had to offer. Her father had discussed their activities with heads of state throughout the five nations. No one was quite sure how many members there were as only a few operated on the surface. Orochimaru had been a member at some point, but had broken off to operate on his own.

The Bingo Book contained pictures of the overt operatives of the organization. Beki could recall their faces: Deidara, Sasori, Kisame, and Itachi. The members had nothing in common: their physical appearances, nation of origin, ages, and specialties were unique. As far as Beki could tell, the only unifying factor were their cloaks: red clouds on a sea of black.

Beki was now in the deep woods, well on her way to the border of the Land of Fire. _My father would kill me if he knew,_ Beki thought. _What will I do if I need to fight the Akatsuki? They're all A and S rank shinobi._ Beki considered what her own rank would be if she were in the Bingo Book and decided she would be a solid "C". _I can't think about that now,_ Beki sighed. _I'll deal with how to fight them if it comes to it._

Several hours into her trek, Beki had let her mind run blank. She focused on her breathing, the feeling of her feet rhythmically pounding on grass and dirt, and the peaceful sounds of the forest around her. Her goal was to make it out of the woods before she made camp. Judging by the position of the sun Beki was making good time. The trouble would be finding a safe place to camp, since Beki was by herself and would be considerably vulnerable. _Could I just run through the night?_ She considered, but decided against it. The closer she came to Suna, the more exposed and out in the open she would be.

The sun was close to setting and Beki had nearly reached the tree line. She wandered off the trail into the woods a spell. There was a tree with nice thick foliage on low branches. If Beki camped out up there, it was unlikely she would be seen from below. Beki climbed up the tree, bypassing the lowest limbs and nestled into its crook. _I'll sleep well here,_ Beki thought. _It's peaceful and the air is fresh._ Beki felt around her neck for the pendant that held some of Gaara's sand. _If I sleep, that is._ Her mind spiraled to thoughts of him. What would Beki do if she didn't get there in time to save him? The last time they had seen each other, the two had been forced to part under less than desirable circumstances. After talking to Hinata, however, Beki was certain that if she got a chance to talk to him, they could work things out. If something happened to Gaara and they never got that chance to talk it out, Beki wasn't sure she could get over it.

Subconsciously she touched the pendant. _What if I can never talk to him again? To hear his voice or see his smile?_ A lump began to form in Beki's throat and she swallowed it away. There was no time to get emotional. She needed to sleep just through the darkest hours of the night and get back on the road again. She had a kage to save.


	57. Questionable Involvement

Hi, Ponchoninjax3 here, avoiding my adult responsibilities like a champion! I've loved hearing from you guys and I can't wait to know what you think of this next chapter! Enjoy!

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Suna looked far worse for wear than the last time Beki had laid eyes on it. What had been a few trails of smoke drifting through the air were now pillars, the entrance of the village looked like it had caved in, and she could hear people screaming from at least a mile out. Beki pulled her hood back as she approached; the last thing the villagers needed was a suspicious looking stranger speeding towards them. The guards went on alert when they laid eyes on Beki and came out to meet her.

"Sunagakure is not allowing access to outside shinobi at the moment," The oldest of the guards was staring her down. His voice was courteous but his gaze was suspicious.

Beki looked around for anyone familiar, someone who could vouch for her. She spotted Temari giving some orders to a bunch of genin with wheelbarrows and opened her mouth to call for her. Before she had a chance, a hand was clapped on her shoulder.

"It's all right. I recognize her," Baki waved the guards off and turned to Beki. "Miss Tsukimori, I'm afraid you've come to us at a bad time."

"I know, I heard," Beki gestured towards the guards. "Thanks, by the way."

Baki nodded in acknowledgement and sighed. "I shouldn't be surprised word got out so fast. We've been trying to keep it under wraps. I guess it was foolish of me to think something as big as the Kazekage being abducted could stay contained."

Beki wanted to comfort the clearly distressed man but she didn't want to give too much away. Baki was the closest thing the Sand siblings had to a parent and he was probably worried sick about Gaara. Not to mention, he was probably freaking out about how the rest of the shinobi world would react to the news of Gaara's kidnapping. It would the village look weak at best and at worst it would be vulnerable to further attack.

"I wouldn't be too concerned," Beki reassured him. "I'm stationed in Konoha where they dispatched the rescue team. I just happened to be in the vicinity when the first squad was deployed. They're keeping a tight lid on it, otherwise."

Baki cast his gaze on the ground at his feet. "That makes sense." When he raised his eyes back to Beki, he asked: "Then what brings you here?"

"I want to help," Beki said automatically. "Anything I can do to lend a hand?"

Baki stood there silently, expecting more of an explanation.

"No one sent me, but once I heard about what happened I knew this is where I needed to be," Beki explained. "This Akatsuki business affects the entire shinobi world. I may not be ambassador yet, but I can safely say if my dad knew what was up he would be standing right where I am."

"If you were anyone else I would turn you away," Baki nodded. "Because I am aware of the special relationship you share with the Kazekage, however, I know he would want me to accept your aide on his behalf."

It was everything Beki had not to heave a sigh of relief. If she had come all the way out to Suna just to get turned away at the door, there was no telling what she would have done to retaliate. "So, what do you have for me?"

"The team from Konoha is at the hospital. Haruno Sakura just saved Kankuro from Sasori's poison and has been working on developing an antivenom," Baki explained.

Beki nodded silently but a chill crawled down her spine. Gaara had been captured and Kankuro was almost killed while trying to save him. Moments like this reminded Beki she was in the big leagues now, no one was going to take it easy on her because she was a teenager. Baki waved over a genin. "Escort Miss Tsukimori to the rescue squad from Konoha," He turned his attention back to Beki. "Good luck, and be careful." He gestured to her headband. "Getsu technically has no business in this. You may want to conceal that."

"That may be true but there was no way I could sit this one out," Beki touched the headband self-consciously. "I'm not going to hide from the consequences, either."

Baki nodded and gave her a pat on the shoulder. As the genin waved for her to follow, Baki walked off to attend to other matters. The genin eagerly led Beki through the path the Suna shinobi had carved around the cave in. Beki lost herself to wondering how the conversation would go with Team 7. Naruto and Sakura probably wouldn't care so much that Beki had tagged along, but Kakashi would probably have something to say about it. He seemed a stickler-for-the-rules type. Beki considered what sorts of excuses she could give but ultimately decided to deliver the same speech she gave Baki. As the hospital came into view, it struck Beki how much smaller it was than the one in Konoha. A quick double take disproved that initial impression. The Sunagakure hospital wasn't necessarily smaller, it was just spread out as individual buildings instead of one multistory structure.

"They were just here," The genin said, looking around. "This is Lord Kankuro's room. They should be back here any minute."

"Thanks," Beki gave the kid a small bow and watched him hurry away. She waited patiently for a few minutes outside the door while soft groans drifted through the cracks. Doctors and nurses hurried past her, casting wary glances in Beki's direction. Her answer of "I'm waiting for someone," hardly seemed enough to waylay their fears. Knowing a visit from security would happen in the near future, Beki knocked on Kankuro's door.

"Come in," the voice was weak and Beki barely recognized it as Kankuro's. She stepped in slowly and made a point of talking before he could fully see her.

"I heard you got messed up pretty bad," Beki said with a friendly smile. "How are you feeling?"

Kankuro looked like death warmed over. His skin was ashen and pale. Deep dark circles ringed his eyes so much they rivaled Gaara's trademark patches. The way he was sunken into his pillows and bedding gave the look of extreme weakness and frailty. Without his makeup and his all black get up, Kankuro looked downright normal. One could even argue that he was forgettable. He had a mop of messy brown hair and beady brown eyes. His height was average, his build was average. It was clear that his siblings had soaked up all the good looks between them. That, and Kankuro's somewhat sour personality left something to be desired. At the sight of Beki, he inhaled in surprise, which set him off on a fit of coughing.

"Hey, hey," Beki ran over to his bedside to pour him a cup of water. "Take it easy!"

Kankuro snatched the cup and drank it down in one shot. After a few moments to catch his breath, he looked up at her almost scowling. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I heard about what happened to Gaara," Beki explained. "I had to come."

Kankuro put his hands over his eyes and sighed. "You're crazy."

Her patience was thin and his reaction to her good intentions set her off. Beki cried: "And you apparently suck as a solider!" She clapped the yellow plastic pitcher on the bedside table, splashing water everywhere. "Sasori is a puppet user. You got your ass kicked at your own game!"

"He cheated!" Kankuro swung at her blindly and started coughing again.

Beki grumbled and poured him another cup, which he drank grudgingly. "They were way the hell out of my league. I figured that out within seconds but I couldn't just let them take Gaara without a fight," He looked up at Beki. "Don't even try to take them on, kid. They'll chew you up and spit you out. You're better off warming the bench with me till the Konoha crew sorts it out."

"I came in here to pay you a nice visit and I am feeling so attacked right now," Beki folded her arms. "I'll have you know I'm a full-fledged shinobi with a chunin rank I earned fair and square and a kekke genkai scary enough to make grown men cry like babies-"

"And I'm a jounin with some of the goriest kills this village has ever seen under my belt," Kankuro interrupted. "They put me down in minutes. They put _Gaara_ down in less than an hour."

Beki sat there listening to him, trying to balance out her pride with the value of the advice he was giving her. Kankuro had gone off halfcocked against these guys and it had almost cost him his life.

"I know your heart is in the right place on this, but let the pros handle it, Tsukimori," Kankuro sighed. "I can probably guilt-trip Temari into letting you help out with the relief effort."

"So, you don't think I can help Team 7 get your brother back?" Beki asked.

"I think you've been cooped up being a playmate to an heiress for the last two years, the chunin exams excluded," Kankuro explained. "Then again, their structured nature disqualifies them as any real shinobi work, truth be told."

"So, no, you don't think I can handle it," Beki poured another cup of water. Kankuro reached out for it but Beki downed it and tossed the empty cup on the bed beside him.

"No, and so help me God, if Gaara gets back and you got hurt I'll never hear the end of it," Kankuro sighed, tossing the empty cup on the table.

"I think," Beki folded her arms, "That you're jealous that everyone gets to go off and fight and you're stuck here in a hospital bed. I think you're lonely and you're trying to talk me out of going because you want someone to hang around and be your nanny goat."

"I don't need to tell you how baked your ass is for what you're doing," Kankuro said. "You know better than to involve yourself in other villages' business. I won't have to kick your ass, because I've seen Tsukimori Seiichiro and I know he will do that for me. Hell, this might even get you yanked out of the warm, comforting embrace of the Leaflings. Make you live like a real shinobi for a while."

 _He is purposely trying to piss me off,_ Beki thought, narrowing her eyes. _But why?_

The footsteps coming down the hallway were instantly familiar to Beki.

"You son of a bitch," Beki socked Kankuro's shoulder, only pulling the force enough to keep from really hurting him.

"Sorry," Kankuro gave her a weak smile. "I can't let you get hurt."

"You're letting Temari loose on me?!" Beki looked around the room, desperate for an escape.

"No hard feelings," Kankuro gave her a small shrug. "Sometimes being a big brother means being the bad guy to keep everybody safe."

There was no choice but to face this head on. Beki pulled up her hood, dipped her head, and stepped out into the hall. Temari nearly collided with her, to which Beki mumbled a quick apology, and headed out into the city.

 _Shit,_ Beki thought. _Kankuro's going to blow the whistle on me. Once Temari knows I'm here, she'll hunt me down and probably hold me in a jail cell till this all gets sorted out._ Beki looked around and spotted the genin that had escorted her earlier. "Hey, have you seen the Konoha shinobi? They never showed at the hospital."

The genin looked up at her and nodded. "I guess Konoha sent another squad to help. Both squads headed out after the bad guys together a little while ago."

 _Great,_ Beki thought. _I'm behind again._ "Thanks," Beki ruffled his hair. "Stay safe."

He grumbled something after her but Beki was already on her way to the entrance. No one paid her much mind on the way out. Baki had moved on to something more important, and the villagers had made a lot of headway clearing the entrance. It wasn't much for Beki to squeeze out amidst the workers. Not wanting to bother anybody, Beki looked for tracks heading out into the desert. Shinobi of different villages all wore specialized shoes, so all Beki had to do was pick out the familiar Konoha tread amidst all the cubed Suna tracks. Beki was already discombobulated from being passed around from Baki to Kankuro to having to engage in the chase after the Konoha ninja. What little sleep she had been catching had been poor and wrought with nightmares. All she could do was pray that once she caught up that she would be a help and not a hindrance.


	58. The Shark and the Maiden

**Hi everyone! We're finally going to get to some action in this one! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I had fun writing it. I appreciate it when you guys take the time to leave reviews for these chapters, especially in these arc based ones. Its helpful to know what you like and it is fun to hear your thoughts and predictions. Keep em coming!**

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The trail split in two. Beki surveyed the site where both Team Gai and Team Kakashi had come to full stop. She counted ten sets of footprints, eight of which she recognized as the treads of her friends' shoes. The two additional sets were on the larger side, one of the two much larger and deeper than the other. It was safe to assume that they were men, and judging by how her friends had moved around them, these men weren't on their side.

A scuffle had ensued and the teams split, each following one of the two assailants. Beki narrowed her eyes and looked off in each direction. _What I wouldn't give for a Byakugan right now,_ she thought. There was no way of knowing which team went where or which set of people could use her assistance the most.

"In the choose your own adventure books, I always died if I picked right," Beki pondered aloud. "So, left it is."

The treads in the mud were fresh. Beki's heart pounded in her ears, adrenaline from both fear and excitement coursing through her veins. It took all her discipline to reign herself in. Not since the chunin exams had Beki gotten to feel the thrill of the fight, to put her skills to the ultimate test. Regardless, a shinobi had to keep a clear head going into a fight or they wouldn't live to see the end of it.

After a short run, Beki began to hear voices and she dropped down into a crouch before sneaking closer. She halted as soon as Team Gai came into view. Neji, Lee, and Tenten were all trapped in water prisons and Might Gai was posturing to fight. His opponent was a hulk of a man, around the same size as Seiichiro, carrying a sword nearly as tall as he was. His skin was pale blue and looked shiny from a distance. That and his spiky blue hair contrasted against the black cloak with red clouds that covered almost all his body. _It's Kisame,_ Beki clutched her fists as she crept closer. _Akatsuki really is behind all of this._

Three of Kisame's clones were holding her friends hostage, while the original was fixated on Gai-sensei. Beki took the opening and snuck up to the water prisons. Neji's prison was the closest, so Beki slipped into the water prison using her kekke genkai. Her skin instantly paled on contact with the icy water and her hair blackened until it floated in the orb like spilled ink. It came loose from the braid and unfurled, fanning out around the entire perimeter of the prison. The hair didn't completely obscure its contents, but the constant movement of the strands would veil any activity inside.

At the sight of the ink-like hair, Neji turned his head, his eyes widening in terror at the sight of her. After a moment, the fear subsided into shock, and soon after his eyebrows furrowed in anger. Beki gave him a ghoulish grin, vividly imagining all his chastisements in her head. Neji's face pulled in confusion as Beki laced her fingers through his hair and pulled him close. She pressed her lips to Neji's and he froze, clamping his jaw shut and ogling her in horror. She pulled away from him, narrowed her eyes, and let out a large bubble. As it floated towards the surface of the water prison, Beki pointed at the pocket of air and then at Neji. His expression relaxed and he nodded in understanding. Beki reached out once more and took Neji's face in her hands, pressing her mouth to his. This time his lips parted willingly. Neji tasted like sea salt from the water he was encased in and the warmth of his skin was a pleasant buffer against the chill. Not knowing what else to do with them, Neji had put his hands on Beki's hips to stabilize her as she breathed a fresh supply of air into his mouth. Beki pulled away and Neji looked at her, a slight flush to his cheeks, then jerked his head in Tenten's direction. Tenten was covering her mouth and had balled herself up inside the water prison. It was clear she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Beki nodded at Neji and passed out of the confines of the water prison, landing soundlessly and placing Neji between herself and Kisame. Her hair slowly came away with her, receding as gently and gradually as it had come.

Beki paused a moment and listened to confirm she hadn't been spotted. The clone watching Neji looked a little concerned, but Neji covered for her by making a show of securing his hair in a hair tie. Gai and the shark man were still posturing, so Beki slunk along behind Tenten's prison, took a deep breath, and slipped inside. She repeated the process, her hair surrounding them in a moving optical illusion. Beki was full Drowned Maiden, so it was no surprise that at the sight of her Tenten blurted out her last bubble of air in shock. Before the panic set in, Beki grabbed ahold of Tenten and pressed her mouth on hers. Tenten hadn't had time to close her mouth before she was blitzed, so she flailed against Beki for a moment until she realized Beki's intent. Tenten went still and turned beet red. Beki tried not to smile at her embarrassment. If they survived this, she would never let Tenten or Neji live this down. Beki gave Tenten's shoulders a reassuring squeeze. She tugged on Tenten's buns and she nodded in understanding. She took out her buns and shook her hair out to take up as much space in the water as possible, so as Beki made her exit the gradual removal of her hair could be attributed to Tenten's long unruly locks.

At last, Beki made her way to Lee. When the hair encased his water prison, the Kisame's clones sensed foul play. Instead of suspecting Lee, however, their attention turned to Neji and Tenten. As they inspected the other two water prisons, Lee turned to face Beki. He accepted her presence immediately and did not object to Beki sharing air with him. In fact, he sucked the air from Beki's lungs so forcefully she pulled away coughing. Lee furrowed his brow in determination and gave Beki a thumbs up. She returned the gesture weakly and dropped out of the prison.

Right as Beki's feet hit the ground she saw Kisame forming hand signs. Beki smiled. She recognized those hand signs, and they meant she had an opening.

…

Kisame was doubled over, spewing water onto the ground between him and Might Gai. Gai watched him carefully, focusing on keeping his stance perfectly neutral so he could attack or defend as needed. There was a strange stirring in the water below Kisame's spout and the shark man's eyes narrowed in confusion. Before he could react, a woman launched herself out of the water fist first, clocking the Akatsuki member square in the jaw. The blow took him by surprise and knocked him backward.

Kisame glared at the figure before him as the water fell away and the woman's form was revealed. She was young, but the girl looked like a corpse freshly pulled from the riverbank. Her lips were a sickening bluish purple and her milky white eyes bored into him from the recesses of their blackened lids. Her obsidian hair, which had initially looked like part of the water, clung to her face and body like an arcane shroud. The wicked grin she cast would have shaken other men, but Kisame merely composed himself and prepared for another opponent.

"I've got your back, Gai sensei," Beki flashed her terrifying smile in his direction. "It's been ages since I got to go toe to toe with another water shinobi."

Gai considered her for only a moment before giving her a nod of acceptance. "Give it all the passion of your youth, Tsukimori!" Gai cried out enthusiastically.

The shark man narrowed his eyes at Beki, as if searching for something familiar.

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

"I think I would recognize a giant blue shark man," Beki clutched her pale fists.

"No," Kisame straightened. The face wasn't quite right, he remembered it being softer, more feminine behind all the terrible trappings of the kekke genkai. "I've seen you somewhere before."

"Do you see what I mean?" Gai sensei sighed. "It's right on the tip of my tongue. I know you from somewhere, you know her from somewhere. It must be something in the water." Kisame scoffed and readied himself for the oncoming assault.

Beki let herself melt into the water, her hair fanning out under the surface like black blood. Gai sensei didn't hesitate to move in with Taijutsu, his nunchakus blazing. Kisame dodged the attacks effortlessly. Beki hovered in the water beneath him looking for an opening. Gai took a more powerful jab at Kisame and the shark man put more weight on his left foot as he leaned out of the way of the attack. Beki reached up and took ahold of his left foot, giving it a hard tug down into the water. Kisame stumbled and Gai connected a blow before Kisame blocked the next with his sword. Gai went to land a heavy blow to Kisame using a drop kick, but teeth suddenly jutted out of the wrappings on the blade.

They jumped back to put space between them and Beki positioned herself in the middle beneath the surface. Gai and Kisame began running parallel to one another, searching for an opening. Kisame cast a clone behind Gai to test him, which Gai promptly dispatched with his nunchakus. Beki formed hand signs and cast Watery Grave, sending ghastly arms reaching up out of the water to trip the Akatsuki member. He evaded their grasp and tossed his sword in the air. He formed hand signs and cast a giant water shark right at Might Gai. While he held off the attack, Kisame formed different hand signs and sent five sharks careening through the water towards Beki. The sharks honed in on her with frightening speed. Beki was forced to surface, barely evading the attack as they slammed into the spot she had just vacated.  
Kisame had already caught his sword and was landing a jump strike on Gai, who was barely holding it off with his nunchakus. Before Beki could move in to help, Kisame socked Gai sensei so hard he was sent plummeting into the depths.

 _I can buy him time to recover,_ Beki thought. _If this guy is too strong for Gai sensei, the best I can do is to be an annoyance._

Beki circled Kisame, whom clearly didn't regard her as much of a threat. He came at her with his sword and brought it down with incredible speed. Beki slammed her gauntlets into the blade sideways as hard as she could, canceling some of its momentum and deflecting the blow enough to give her some space to move. Kisame's eyes fell on the gauntlets and flickered with interest. Faster than Beki could track, Kisame had closed the space between them. He snatched her right wrist and held up the gauntlet into the light.

"These," He shook her wrist. "Where did you get these? Did you steal them?"

Beki swung her left arm at him to clip him with the other set of blades. Kisame casually deflected the blow and snatched up her other wrist, so Beki was suspended in the air. Beki's stint of resupplying Team Gai with air and going in guns blazing against the Akatsuki shinobi were taking their toll. Normally when Beki used Drowned Maiden it was just a scare tactic. Her lack of sleep over the last few days and the jutsu she had used in this fight left her feeling tapped out. She watched in horror as the hair in her face dried and lifted away from her skin, brightening rapidly as her reserves ran dry. The hands trapped in his grasp washed with color to a healthier hue. Kisame watched the transformation with what seemed like amusement.

"You are related to _her_ then," he let out a raspy noise, which Beki could only interpret as his form of laughter. "I never pictured that woman as the 'settling down' type."

Kisame raised Beki up until they were eye level with as much effort as anyone else would lift a cereal box. Beki was grateful he was holding her by the gauntlets, otherwise the delicate bones in wrists would have been crushed in the vicelike grip.

"I wonder if putting you down would warrant her attention," he smirked. "It was always hard to tell what would set her off."

The water around them began to hum and ripple. Powerful chakra rose from the deep, drawing both of their attention. Beki recovered, realizing the energy must be from Gai sensei, and kangaroo kicked Kisame as hard as she could. It caught him off guard enough that his grip broke and she stumbled away to safety. A whirlpool formed under Kisame's feet with Might Gai glowing with power in the eye of the swirling waves. Kisame surveyed the situation and destroyed the three clones holding Team Gai in place.

"I can't afford to babysit you three and fight him at this level," Kisame said half to himself.

Beki scrambled over to them with little regard for her pride. She had bitten off more than she could chew in that fight and was grateful Gai sensei was there to clean it up.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked as she collapsed down beside them.

"Yes," Lee gave her a somber thumbs up. "Thanks to you and Gai sensei."

Neji grabbed her by the collar and pulled her up until they were face to face. "What are you doing here?!"

"Clearly, I'm here to save you guys," Beki smiled sheepishly and Neji stared her down, unwavering. "Hey, that's my story. I'm sticking to it."

Neji's eyes widened with dread. "You didn't drag Lady Hinata along, did you?!"

Beki shook her head. "No, I…uh, well, I made sure she couldn't follow along after me."

Neji narrowed his eyes suspiciously and then released her. "Now isn't the time to discuss this."

Beki and Team Gai watched in awe as Gai sensei absolutely wasted Kisame. Gai moved so quickly it was hard to keep track of his movement. The flurry of blows Gai unleashed were so devastating the Akatsuki shinobi couldn't block a single strike, let alone return fire. Kisame landed in the water and his features began to transform. It was no longer the blue shark man, but some average shinobi without any identification.

"That wasn't the real thing?" Beki shook her head. "Damn, it was strong."

"It was a distraction," Gai sighed as he came down from releasing the gates. "It was meant to keep us off his comrade's trail while he made off with the Kazekage."

Neji had activated the Byakugan and was examining the body. "I've never seen anything like this."

"What is it?" Tenten asked.

"This is a completely different person," Neji shook his head in amazement. "His proportions, bone structure, everything is completely different from Kisame."

"Then how was he able to fight like the shark guy?" Beki asked. "And who is he?"

Neji shrugged. "Who knows. This is all just so strange."

Gai sensei nodded. "We need to keep our focus on recovering the Kazekage. Let's get moving."

…

The five of them were off, heading after their original targets. The group was silent in their pursuit but Neji kept throwing frustrated looks at Beki. After a short time, he couldn't take it anymore and dropped back to match her pace so they were running side by side.

"Beki, what are you _really_ doing here?" Neji asked. "You weren't assigned on this mission. This is technically espionage against the Leaf and the Sand, what you're doing right now."

Beki shrugged. "Look, Neji, I'm going to have to take over for my dad someday, right? I need to start acting like an ambassador. I can tell you right now if my dad were in the same position he would be right where I am."

"You mean chasing after the Kazekage?" Neji asked. "Or your boyfriend?"

Beki stared ahead, careful not to make a face. "He isn't my boyfriend."

An awkward silence passed between them. Neji knew he went too far and opened his mouth to apologize.

"The Kazekage is an important leader. He's progressive and wants a more peaceful and united shinobi world. If he dies, God only knows who would take his place." Beki explained. "As a representative for Getsugakure, I have to do what I can to maintain stability here on the mainland. Problems in the Big Five villages tend to trickle down and make life a living hell for us smaller shinobi villages. That's why I'm here."

Neji shut his mouth. He wasn't sure if he had hurt her or just pissed her off, but either way it was better to let the issue lie for now. Beki had never promoted that she was dating the Kazekage, but she never spoke of him in so formal of a manner. She had always referred to him as Gaara in conversation. The explanation she had given was diplomatic and dry, as though she had never met the man personally. Something had gone wrong between them and yet here Beki was, ready to risk her life to save him. Neji was left wondering whether Beki still had feelings for the Kazekage or if she was just doing what she said, protecting the stability of the ninja world.

"Why did Kisame act like he knew you?" Tenten asked over her shoulder. "I'm sorry to pry, but it's really been eating at me."

 _Bless your timing, Tenten,_ Neji thought to himself, grateful for the change of subject.

"I don't know," Beki shook her head. "He was going on about my gauntlets and kept using pronouns for days. 'Her, her, her,' he kept saying. I can only assume he meant my mother."

"What would your mom have to do with a member of the Akatsuki?" Tenten furrowed her brow.

Beki shrugged. "Search me. The more I learn about my mom the less I know her, and the less I want to know."

"Hey guys!" The familiar voice called out to them from up ahead. Team Kakashi had been pursuing the same trail and the teams had finally crossed paths. Naruto waved them down. "We got held up by Uchiha Itachi, but it wasn't Itachi. It was some different guy who had looked just like Itachi and then when he died he was somebody else." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, it's really confusing."

"We ran into the same issue while fighting Hoshigaki Kisame," Neji explained.

"Hopefully we're not too late," Kakashi sighed. "They held us up quite a while. They might have already extracted the shukaku."

Beki clenched her fists. _You can't be dead,_ Beki clenched her eyes shut and directed her thoughts to Gaara, hoping somehow that their connection would allow her to reach him. It was a desperate and baseless hope that she could talk to him psychically, but she had to try. _Gaara, we're coming to save you. You have to hold on. You need to stay alive._

"That looks like their hideout up ahead," Gai pointed. "But there's some kind of barrier on it."

"You four will need to remove four seals to take this barrier down," Kakashi explained. "We'll stay here so as soon as the barrier is broken we can go inside."

 _Great, one more stalling technique._ Beki fumed. _These Akatsuki assholes!_

Team Gai ran off to remove the seals, leaving Beki with an unfamiliar old woman, Sakura, Kakashi, and Naruto.

"Who is this?" The old woman asked, eyeing Beki over. "You're a long way from Getsu, young lady."

"She's the Kazekage's-" Naruto began and Beki elbowed him hard. He gave her a wounded look as she gave the old woman a polite bow.

"I'm Tsukimori Haruka, the ambassador in training for Getsugakure. You can call me Beki," Beki explained. "I couldn't stand by and do nothing when I heard the Kazekage was in trouble. We're friends."

"Friends?" Naruto gave her a surprised look. "I thought you guys were-"

Beki turned her head so only Naruto could see her face. Her eyes were milky white and her skin was pale and lifeless. "Zip it."

Naruto shrank instantly at the terrifying face and clamped his mouth shut.

"This is Granny Chiyo," Sakura introduced her. "She's going to help us rescue Gaara."

 _I don't know how,_ Beki thought. _She doesn't look like she can help much._

Kakashi was staring Beki down. It felt like because he had one eye covered, the intensity of his exposed eye was intensified. "I take it you're here of your own accord?" Kakashi asked carefully. "No one sent you?"

Beki sighed. "I took the initiative. If there had been time to ask for permission, I swear I would have done so. I didn't exactly have time to sit outside an office and wait for clearance."

Kakashi nodded. "We'll discuss this later, then."

The minutes ticked by and Beki wondered if Team Gai was okay. At last the barrier wavered and then broke, allowing Team Kakashi entrance into the cave.

"Miss Tsukimori," Kakashi held out an arm, barring her entrance into the cave. "You'll understand if I ask you to stay outside. We don't need two diplomats in danger."

"But-" Beki started but the way his stare bored into her stopped her in place. He gave a slight shake of his head, indicating there would be no discussion. "Yes, sir," Beki stepped aside and let them pass on inside without her. She knew when she had been beaten, and Beki didn't want to be on Kakashi's bad side. He acted all happy go lucky but anyone could tell he could bring on the hurt if he wanted.

Beki stared into the cavernous void before her, straining her eyes and her ears for any source of life. Faint sounds could be detected, but nothing that clearly indicated what was going on. The hair on her arms and neck stood up as an immense chakra suddenly manifested inside. A chill crept down her spine. Whatever it was that was making that chakra was bad news. Beki backed up from the cave and braced herself to face it in the light of day.

Suddenly, a great bird flew out of the top of the entrance. Beki watched the bird flying away, and saw that there was a man on top of its back and it held something in its talons. That terrible chakra came towards her out of the cave and she turned her attention to the entrance. Kakashi and Naruto emerged, his body surrounded by a fox like orange chakra armor. They blazed right past her in pursuit of the bird.

"Why didn't you say we were chasing it?!" Beki cried out as she ran after them.

"Stay back!" Kakashi yelled over his shoulder.

"To hell with that!" Beki yelled back. "That asshole has Gaara, doesn't he?! LET'S KICK HIS ASS!"

"I'm going to do a lot worse than kick his ass," Naruto gritted his teeth. "I'm going to kill him!"

Beki watched Naruto as they ran. Naruto was not the violent type. He never aimed to kill people. The look on his face, the dark power he was encased in, it all made sense.

 _Gaara is dead,_ Beki looked up at the body in the talons of the bird. Its arms and legs dangled lifelessly beneath it. _They killed him. He was fine, he was in my arms and he was fine just a few days ago. He was smiling and laughing, his body was warm and he smelled like sunshine and sandalwood._

Pure grief and desolation washed over her with the realization the Kazekage was no more. Tears burned Beki's eyes and she blinked them away, swallowing hard at the lump forming in her throat. "Yeah," Beki's voice was weak. "We're going to kill him."

Kakashi had pulled up his headband, revealing his scarred eye. Beki had never seen it before, and its red iris and strange pupil were intriguing but frightening looking. She would have to remember to ask Naruto about it later, if there was a later.

Kakashi was concentrating hard on the man on the bird. Beki watched as it looked like the space around him warped, and all of a sudden his arm was separated from his body. Beki looked back at Kakashi's eye. _Did he do that with his eye?!_

"Damn," Kakashi gritted his teeth. "I was going for his head. This thing is so hard to aim."

"Shit!" The blonde Akatsuki shinobi held his bloody stump with his remaining hand. "That's it, I'm out!"

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Naruto sped up and leapt through the air, closing the distance between him and the strange bird. "YOU AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE!"

The air around Naruto rushed into his hand and glowed. "RASENGAN!"

The glowing orb collided with the bird and it shattered, sending Gaara's body plummeting to the ground and forcing the injured Akatsuki shinobi to leap to safety. Kakashi and Naruto squared off with the blonde man and Beki ran over to Gaara's body. _This isn't my fight,_ Beki thought to herself as she considered helping them take down the wounded shinobi. She hoisted Gaara up and put him over her shoulder. His body was starting to stiffen and it seemed like it weighed three hundred pounds. Beki struggled to move away from the fight as the sounds of rushing air, screaming, and explosions echoed behind her. Once she was sure there was enough distance between them, Beki set Gaara back down on the ground.

"You can't be dead," Beki said to him. "Come on Gaara, wake up. It's me. It's Beki," She shook him gently. The Kazekage didn't respond, so she put her hand up to his nose. She felt no breath escaping him, so she put her fingers to his neck. She probed for what seemed like a minute, trying to find a pulse. He was growing colder.

 _We just missed him,_ Beki realized. _He was still alive a few minutes ago._

Beki sat there in shock, alone in a clearing with the body of the man she had loved. She knew she should be crying, but she couldn't believe that Gaara was dead. Any moment now he would wake up, having slipped into a coma or something from the trauma of having the shukaku removed. _He'll wake up and I'll be here for him,_ Beki told herself. _Sakura will get here and fix him up and we'll all go home._

Gaara's hair had gotten messed up during the chase. Beki reached out and brushed the strands out of his face. He looked peaceful. _Good,_ Beki thought. _He could use some sleep._ She reached out and took his hand in hers and waited.

There was a loud boom back in the direction Beki had left Naruto and Kakashi. "Maybe it's over," Beki said to Gaara. "They should be here any minute."

A few moments later, Team Kakashi and Team Gai appeared. They all looked exhausted. Sakura was covered with bruises, Team Gai looked like they had been run through a car wash, and Kakashi looked like he was moments away from collapsing. They hovered around Gaara's body for a moment, no one knowing what to say.

"Is he really…?" Sakura finally asked Beki.

Beki looked up at her and tried to speak but no words came out. It was as if her voice had been stolen from her. Tears streamed down her face freely yet still she couldn't make a sound. Beki felt helpless, feeling the cold stiff hand in hers and knowing that she couldn't save him. They all worked so hard and it hadn't been enough.

"Let's get him home," Naruto said as he hoisted Gaara up off the ground and over his shoulder.

Naruto began walking back towards Suna, and the group fell in line behind him. Beki was left sitting on the ground. She had grown so numb she couldn't have stood if she wanted to. Her legs and arms were rubber and remembering how to breathe took effort. A set of hands wrapped around each of her arms and Beki looked up to see Tenten on one side and Neji on the other.

"Come on," Tenten said gently as they hoisted her to her feet. "Can you walk?"

Beki's voice was still elsewhere, so she nodded. Her feet were made of lead and it took considerable effort to drag them along. The rest of the group was tired and they were trudging along slowly, but Beki couldn't even keep up with their limping gait. It was all for nothing, she realized. She had spent two years getting to know the Kazekage, learning all these tiny intimate details about him, like the way his eyelashes caught the light in the afternoon sun, and now he was gone. She clutched at the sand filled pendant he gave her and remembered the way he smiled when he saw her wearing it. Gaara was powerful and intimidating, yet he had always been gentle and kind to her.

The first sob caught her by surprise and Beki clamped her hands over her mouth in shock. Her voice had come back along with all those memories. Beki had held those moments dear, but each one that came bubbling to the surface was a dagger plunging into her heart. She was surrounded by people but Beki had never felt so alone.

Beki was glad that she was trailing behind everyone else. Even if they could hear her cry, at least she wasn't forced to see the pity on their face.


	59. Love Hurts

**Happy Valentine's Day! I really had a lot of fun with this chapter. Thank you for those of you who have checked in with the last few chapters, I really appreciate hearing from you! Please enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

There was a grassy field on the way to Suna that everyone subconsciously gravitated towards. Naruto set Gaara down on a patch of the soft grass and Sakura approached him.

"Let me examine him," Sakura gently put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Maybe there's still something we can do."

Naruto nodded his head and stepped back, giving Sakura some room. She crouched down and began meticulously checking his vitals.

"Well?" Naruto asked after a few hauntingly silent moments.

"I'm sorry," Sakura shook her head. "He's gone."

Naruto clenched his fists and bit his lip. Tears welled up in his eyes and he cried out: "It isn't fair!"

"We did the best we could, Naruto," Sakura offered, rising to her feet.

"Not that," Naruto shook his head. "Gaara had it so rough as a kid and he got himself through it. He worked his ass off and became Kazekage to make the world a better place, and look what happened! They killed him. They ripped the shukaku out of him like that's all he was, so all his hard work, everything that made him who he was, has been erased. All because they wanted the tailed beast that someone else put inside him!"

Chiyo laboriously stood up and hobbled over to Naruto. "He was a good man, then?"

"He was my friend. And yes," Naruto nodded. "He was a really good guy."

"I don't have much time left," Chiyo sighed. "I don't want my legacy to be all the destruction my family has caused. I'll bring your friend back."

Chiyo hovered over Gaara and her hands began to glow. The light grew weaker, then fizzled, then was gone. "I…I'm afraid I don't have enough left in me after that fight with my grandson."

"I'll help you!" Naruto put his hand on her shoulder. "I have plenty of chakra to spare."

"I haven't done much of anything today," Beki walked over to Chiyo's other side. "The least I can do is pitch in."

"It's okay, Beki," Naruto shook his head. "I've got more than enough on my own."

"I want to help," Beki's voice was soft and vulnerable. Naruto relented and gave her a nod of approval.

The pair stood there in silence as Chiyo did her work. "This is it," Chiyo said at last. "A life for a life. I can go in peace knowing I've set right some of my grandson's wrongs."

"Thank you, Granny," Naruto said and Beki echoed the sentiment, giving her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. The last of Chiyo's life force passed from her hands and the light died out. Naruto and Beki gently laid Chiyo back onto the grass. Within moments Gaara began to stir.

Naruto crouched over him and smiled with relief. "Hey, buddy,"

"Naruto?" Gaara attempted to sit up but Naruto pushed him back down.

"You should rest for a second." Naruto said.

"I was just…How long was I out?" Gaara winced. He felt like he had been hit with an anvil.

"Do you remember what happened?" Naruto asked.

"I…I thought I died. There was this incredible, indescribable pain. It felt like I was being torn apart from the inside out. My life flashed before my eyes and then everything went dark. I didn't feel anything for a long time," Gaara explained.

"You did," Naruto's voice was soft. "You were gone there for a little while. Granny Chiyo used a jutsu where she traded her life for yours to bring you back."

"You all saved me," Gaara slowly pulled himself up onto his elbows. "Thank you so much for-" His eyes had been moving across the group as he spoke, but he fell silent at the sight of Beki. Her clothes were caked in mud and the ugly red splotches on her face gave away that she had been crying. "Beki? What are you doing here?"

"I came to save you, dummy," Her voice was trembling.

Gaara swatted at Naruto to help him to his feet. He stumbled over to Beki with his arms outstretched. Beki's eyes welled up with tears and she reached out and socked him in the chest.

"BEKI!" The whole group cried in unison.

"YOU SCARED ME!" Beki socked his arm, this time with a lot less force. "YOU WERE DEAD. I HELD YOU IN MY ARMS AND YOU WERE DEAD!"

"Shh, shh," Gaara pulled her to him and cradled her gently. "I'm so happy to see you."

Beki hugged him back and burrowed her face into his chest.

"I was wrong, Beki," Gaara kissed the top of her head. "The last time I saw you, I was so caught up in what I thought was a priority I lost sight of what was truly important."

"It's okay," Beki's voice was muffled by his shirt. "I wasn't mad at you."

"Let's get married," Gaara gave her a small squeeze and she looked up at him in shock.

"Gaara, now is not the time to make jokes," Beki grumbled. "I'm traumatized right now."

"I'm dead serious," Gaara said and Beki cringed. "Sorry, bad choice of words. I mean it. I love you and today showed me that we could lose each other any time. I don't want to miss out on any more time with you. So, let's get married."

"I'm ordained," Gai raised his hand. "I could marry you right now."

"If you wouldn't mind," Gaara said with a bow.

"No!" Beki cried.

"I always keep this on me in case of emergencies," Gai sensei reached into his bag he pulled out a priest's collar, which he snapped on and turned to the group. "Does anyone have anything white for the bride?"

"I've got it Gai sensei!" Lee ripped the bandages out of his pack and handed an end to Beki. "Hold this!"

"Lee, what are you doing?" Beki asked, but before the words were even out of her mouth Lee was spinning her at high speed. When the momentum wore off she was left standing there, dizzy to the point of nausea, and wrapped up in the bandages like a mummy. She tried to move her arms but she was completely immobilized. "LEE!"

"This is getting ridiculous," Tenten tried to object but Lee covered her mouth.

"I know you feel like the old maid in the group, since both Beki and Sakura have someone special, so I'm going to save you from saying anything you'll regret later," Lee patted her head and stepped back. Tenten made a disgusted noise and began making quiet protests.

"I am not an old maid," Tenten grumbled. "I'm only seventeen! And if _someone_ would notice me, I wouldn't be single!"

"How's my hair?" Gaara turned to Naruto.

"It's good," Naruto fluffed it up on the sides and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Thanks," Gaara said as he straightened his coat.

"Sakura?" Beki turned to her for support but she was standing right by Beki's side with a wad of wildflowers clutched in her hands.

"I always wanted to be a bridesmaid!" Sakura hip bumped her gently. "Congrats!"

Gai cleared his throat and said in a deep, respectable tone: "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today-"

"NO!" Beki stomped her foot. "YOU WERE JUST DEAD AND YOU BROKE UP WITH ME TWO DAYS AGO," Tears were streaming down her face. "I'M SO HAPPY YOU ARE ALIVE BUT I AM SO DAMN CONFUSED RIGHT NOW!"

Gaara looked at her with sad puppy dog eyes. "You don't want to marry me?"

"NOW IS NOT A GOOD TIME!" Beki cried out. "Someone PLEASE cut me loose and rip that damned collar off Gai sensei!"

"I guess I have sprung this on you rather suddenly," Gaara said as he tore away the bandages. "I didn't want to waste any time."

"We need to get the Kazekage back to Suna," Neji interjected at last, eager to diffuse the situation that had snowballed out of control. He had been standing by, rendered speechless by the sudden proposal. Once it was clear Beki was an unwilling participant, Neji found the words to protest.

"My brother and sister are probably worried sick," Gaara sighed. He tried to walk forward but after a few feet his knees began to tremble and he swayed. Naruto and Lee caught him and supported him on either side.

Beki walked along behind him, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her chest. Gaara was alive and that was all that mattered. Neji and Tenten walked along on either side of her. Tenten was still grumbling about the "old maid" comment and Neji was silent. A mass of people had lined up outside the village and began to cheer when they saw Gaara. Temari and Kankuro were waiting out front. Kankuro looked like he had just crawled out of the hospital.

"Gaara, thank God you're okay," Temari heaved a sigh and smiled.

"I wasn't," Gaara shook his head. "Granny Chiyo sacrificed herself to bring me back."

"Poor woman," Temari frowned. "We're in her debt."

Gaara stepped forward on his own and turned towards the Konoha shinobi. "Thank you all. Please, get some rest. I'll see you all here in two hours."

"You know, in situations like this I don't usually have an appetite," Beki said to Tenten and Neji. "But I could eat an entire cow right now."

"It's the stress," Tenten sighed. "Let's go get something to eat."

"I hope they have 'entire cow' on the menu," Beki smiled, trying her hardest to feel normal again. The girls walked on ahead, discussing potential restaurant options, grabbing Sakura along the way. Gai sensei supported Kakashi as they walked into a nearby diner and Lee followed right on their heels. Naruto noticed Neji's hesitation and waved him over.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked. "You look so glum."

"You know I like her, Naruto," Neji sighed.

Naruto scratched his head. "You know, it's beyond me why you won't just tell her. One way or another, it's better than torturing yourself all the time."

"What's the point," Neji clenched his fists. "The guy just came back from the dead and asked her to marry him."

"She told him no," Naruto shrugged.

"That's not the point! I can't compete with that!" Neji grumbled. "How can 'I've had a crush on you for a while and I thought you ought to know' hold up against 'I died and realized that you're what's truly important. Let's be together forever'?"

"Look, if you don't buy a lottery ticket, you can't ever win, right?" Naruto patted his shoulder. "Now is probably not the best time, but go buy that ticket. You might not win, but at least you tried."

Neji shook his head. "Naruto, they almost got married right in front of me. I don't want to be a homewrecker."

"I'd rather be a happy homewrecker than miserable for the rest of my life," Naruto sniffed the air. "I'd love to keep talking but the ramen is calling me."

Neji waved him off. "Go on. Go make sweet love to your ramen bowl while I battle my inner demons."

"Thanks!" Naruto waved as he walked into a shop.

Standing there while the Kazekage proposed to Beki and then watching them almost get married had shaken Neji to the core. When Beki had refused to acknowledge Gaara as her boyfriend, Neji had taken it as a sign that maybe he had a chance with her. Now he understood that her refusal was simply because they were past the point of just being boyfriend and girlfriend, the same way Naruto and Hinata were all but married.

As he stood outside the restaurant waiting for Lee, Gai, and Kakashi to come out, he remembered Beki's appearance during the fight with Kisame. Neji had been worried that he was going to meet his maker in that water prison. Then Beki had floated in like a friendly nightmare to rescue him. For a moment, Neji thought he was dead when she took his face in his hands and kissed him. It was so unexpected he had made a fool of himself, only to realize she was there to help him breathe.

Neji folded his arms and tried his best to think about what he needed to do when he got home. There would be errands to run, cleaning to do, and so on.

 _She kissed me._

Stop it, he told himself. But there it was again, the memory of her body pressed against him, the way she held her face to his, and the sweet taste of her lips filling up his head and blocking out the world.

 _I guess if nothing else, that's the one good thing that came out of this trip,_ Neji thought.

"Boop!" Beki bopped him on top of the head gently. "Earth to Neji, come in Neji."

Neji shook his head and smiled at her. "Sorry, I was thinking about chores."

"Only you would be thinking about what chores with a smile," Tenten sighed. "Live a little, Neji."

"They're still not out yet?" Sakura furrowed her brow. "We need to get on the road. I have patients to see."

"I think that's them now," Beki said as footsteps approached them.

"Sorry," Gai sensei grinned. "Kakashi had a hard time getting out of the booth."

"My legs are turning to jelly," Kakashi grumbled quietly. "It's been a long day."

The group waited for Naruto, and once he had joined them they headed towards the entrance of the village. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro were waiting for them.

"There isn't a priest, is there?" Beki said under her breath as they approached.

"Nuh uh," Tenten shook her head. "I think you're clear."

"Thank God," Beki sighed. "I didn't want to reject the guy twice in one day."

The group spoke briefly and Gaara and his family thanked them all again for their time. Naruto and Gaara shook hands and the group turned to leave.

"Beki?" Gaara asked meekly.

The rest of the group stopped a few feet away to give them their space as Beki walked back over to him.

"Thank you for coming out to rescue me," He said. "I'm sorry to have worried you."

"You would have done the same for me," Beki shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"I meant everything I said. I want you to know that," Gaara explained. "Please think on it."

Beki hesitated, but she knew it wasn't the time for a discussion. "I will."

"I miss you already," Gaara took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I hope to see you soon, under less distressing circumstances."

Beki patted his cheek and began to walk towards the others. "Bye, Gaara." She rejoined the group and they set out without another word. As soon as they were out of sight of the village, Kakashi's legs gave out and he collapsed.

"Don't worry!" Gai said as he hoisted Kakashi on his back. "I'll run you all the way back to Konoha."

"Neji!" Lee bent over. "Hop on!"

"Absolutely not!" Neji stepped away, appalled.

Beki ran up past Neji and hopped on Lee's back. "Onward, noble steed!"

"It's a race, then!" Gai laughed. "Let's see if we can make the trip in a day!"

"Yes, Gai sensei!" Beki and Lee chimed in unison.

"Here we go again," Tenten sighed.

…

When they arrived in Konoha, they made their way towards the Hokage's mansion.

"Do you think I should just, like, preemptively dip?" Beki eyed the village entrance as they approached the mansion. "She's going to be furious."

"You should have thought of that before you went on this escapade," Neji grumbled.

"Yeah," Tenten agreed. "You should have seen this coming."

"Hey," Beki shrugged. "You two weren't complaining about me being there when I saved your asses in the water prison."

The two fell silent, their cheeks turning red at the memory.

"I was happy you were there!" Lee gave her a thumbs up.

"I knew you would be Lee," Beki said, more to make the others feel bad than to compliment him. "Because _you_ are a _good_ person."

They walked up the steps to her office and Beki's friend the door guard was there as always. He spotted Beki and gave her a mischievous grin.

"Somebody's in trouble," he sang at her.

"Shut up," Beki swatted at him. "Don't rub it in."

Shizune announced them, and the teams wearily entered her office.

"Good work, everyone. The mission was a success," Tsunade smiled. "I'm certain your reports will contain valuable insight into the Akatsuki threat, and your relations with Sunagakure have never been better. You all go home and get some rest. I'll expect your reports in two days. You're dismissed."

"There's one pressing issue," Sakura said. "As Sasori was dying, he mentioned he had a spy in Orochimaru's ranks. He was supposed to meet him in ten days."

Tsunade nodded. "Alright, go get cleaned up and come back. We'll develop a game plan."

Everyone began to file out the door.

"Except you, Miss Tsukimori." Tsunade's voice was steely and it felt like the room dropped a few degrees in temperature.

 _I knew this was coming,_ Beki sighed. _I said I would accept any punishment, so here it comes. Be a man, Beki._

She bowed respectfully. "Yes, Hokage sama?"

"You eavesdropped on plans for a top-secret mission and snuck out of my village to invite yourself along," Tsunade's question came out more like a statement.

"Yes, Hokage sama," Beki kept her head down. She was waiting for Tsunade to boil over.

"What would I have told your father if you had died?" Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk. "You are a ward of this village and you just decided to leave without telling anyone?"

"You would have forbidden it, Hokage sama," Beki kept her voice level, not wanting to anger her further.

"You're damn right I would have!" Tsunade stood up. "It was none of your business and you had no idea what you were walking into. Akatsuki! My God! Orochimaru was Akatsuki, and he killed your mother! Do you ever think about what your actions will do to other people?! Your father would have been devastated and I would have looked a fool! I can just see it now, 'Ma'am, Tsukimori Haruka is dead!' How? I would ask. 'Akatsuki members killed her in the Land of Wind,' What do you mean, she's in the Hyuuga compound safe and sound!"

Tsunade came around her desk and took Beki by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. "What possessed you to leave the safety of the village to go rescue the Kazekage? Delusions of grandeur? Some kind of mental disorder that prevents you from rational thought?!"

"I," Beki looked Tsunade in the eye. Instead of anger, she found frustration and concern. Running away had worried Tsunade, and Beki could sense it wasn't for political reasons. She had been concerned for Beki's safety. Beki sighed, knowing that it would add insult to injury to lie. "Gaara is very dear to me. I was really worried about him."

Tsunade released her but didn't give Beki any space. The Hokage folded her arms and stayed right in front of her. "Go on."

"I know it was selfish, but I can't just stand by and do nothing when people I care about are in trouble," Beki explained. "I'm sorry I put you in a difficult position."

Tsunade stared her down, a flicker of suspicion in her eye. "Tell the truth."

"What are you-?" Beki began to protest but Tsunade's glare silenced her.

"You're a teenage girl, and you've never been the 'throw it all away for a friend' type," Tsunade tapped her fingers on her folded arms. "The only other person you've risked so much for is Hinata. As far as I know, you've talked to the Kazekage all of three times in the last three years."

Beki floundered for a believable explanation. Tsunade's voice dropped dangerously low. "Fess. Up."

Knowing she was backed into a corner, Beki relented. "The Kazekage and I are dating. Kind of. It's a long-distance thing and it's super complicated."

"Teenagers always think their relationships are 'complicated'," Tsunade scoffed. "Not as complicated as the international incident you almost just caused." Tsunade sighed, satisfied with the explanation. "I'm assuming your father is unaware of this…relationship."

"We're keeping it secret for a lot of reasons," Beki shuffled uncomfortably. Tsunade had extracted that secret as painfully as a tooth with pliers."

"Your time here has been relatively uneventful," Tsunade paced in front of her desk. "I feel like up until now we have accommodated you and dealt with your transgressions gently."

"Yes, Hokage sama," Beki said like a defeated child.

"But this vigilante roguery needs a punishment as dire as its potential consequences," Tsunade leaned against her desk. "If you pull a stunt _half_ as risky as this one, I'll let your father know all about you and the Kazekage."

Beki's whole body tensed with apprehension. "He would kill him."

"And you would have to carry the burden of his death on your head for the rest of your life," Tsunade cocked her head. "They didn't make me Hokage because I pull punches, Tsukimori. Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"

Beki thought about all the trouble she could have caused for Tsunade and Konoha, for Gaara and Suna, and for her father and Getsu. She heaved a sigh and shrugged. "No, Hokage sama."

Tsunade approached her, invading her personal space once again. Beki held perfectly still, sensing impending doom. Tsunade stared her down and for a moment, Beki thought she was going to be struck. Tsunade raised her hand and flicked Beki's forehead. It stung a lot more than Beki would have thought. She raised her hand up to the sore spot and looked up at Tsunade in confusion.

"You," Tsunade pointed at her threateningly. "Are going to be watched night and day from now on. You go nowhere without a responsible escort."

Beki bowed, knowing protest was pointless. Objectively speaking, the Hokage had taken it easy on Beki. "Thank you, Hokage sama."

"You're dismissed." Tsunade waved her away. "Oh, and if you're so close to the Kazekage, tell him to get a haircut."

Beki gave her a weak smile and walked out. The door guard's grin slipped away when he saw Beki emerge mostly unscathed. Beki brushed invisible dirt off her shoulder and gave him a big smirk as she skipped down the stairs. The whole situation having worked out, all Beki wanted was a shower. She pranced along the road and ran into Naruto on his way back.

"Hey," Naruto's eyes immediately went to the spot on her forehead. "You got flicked?"

"Yeah," Beki subconsciously rubbed the spot. "I don't know why it smarts so bad."

"She held back on you, then," Naruto chuckled. "She can send a grown man flying with just the flick of her finger."

Beki blinked in surprise, her confidence shaken. "So, I just had a near death experience and didn't even know it."

"Yeah," Naruto beamed. "But Granny Tsunade is a softie, so you weren't in any real danger."

They arrived at the Hyuuga compound and began making their way up to Naruto and Hinata's house. As they approached the door, Beki slowed down.

"So, before we go in, just know that I can explain," Beki said.

Naruto narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Okay…?"

Beki opened the door. The handcuffs she had secured Hinata to the bannister with were laying harmlessly on the table.

Beki squealed in fear just before a massive gust of air shoved her backwards through the air, knocking her onto her rear. Without a moment's hesitation, Beki was on her feet and running for the gates like her life depended on it.

"Beki," Hinata's shrill voice carried through the air like a dagger. "You're going to pay for what you've done!"

Beki cursed loudly as she ran through the gates, slammed them shut behind her, and headed for town. An explosive sound from the direction of the gates cued Beki in that Hinata was still in hot pursuit. Once they got within the village proper, Beki began pulling carts into the road and leaping over stalls to put some distance between them. Beki stole a glance over her shoulder only to see that her attempts at slowing Hinata down had only made her more determined. She was just out of range for a devastating series of blows to her pressure points.

"HINATA, I'M SORRY!" Beki cried out behind her, not letting up speed.

"SORRY ISN'T ENOUGH!" Hinata cried.

Beki made a beeline for the Hokage mansion. She spotted Tsunade standing pensively on the roof, so Beki jumped up the stairs and grabbed for the rim of the roof. Tsunade's eyes met Beki's and she began to cry out for the Hokage just when a hand wrapped around her ankle.

"NO!" Beki cried, scrambling for the roof.

Hinata rotated through the air with Beki's ankle in her grasp and threw her bodily into the concrete below. Beki looked up at her friend falling toward her, Hinata's hands glowing purple.

"TWIN LION FISTS!" Hinata cried as she plummeted straight for Beki.

The impact knocked the air out of Beki's lungs and crushed the concrete beneath her. The pain was so incredible Beki was sure she would have a cracked rib. Then again, Hinata was too careful. She had struck Beki for maximum pain and minimum damage.

Hinata stood up and brushed the hair out of her face. "Well," she panted. "I guess this makes us even. I'll see you at home for dinner."

"Okay," Beki wheezed. "I'm just going to lie here in my indent for a while."

"Find your dignity while you're down there," Hinata threw over her shoulder as she walked away.

"I'll try," Beki said weakly, knowing now that she had suffered Hinata's revenge, Beki's mission was truly complete.


	60. Not So Sexy Jutsu

**Hi everyone! I'm coming up on the end of the back log of chapters I accrued while on hiatus. This means that its likely there will be a slowdown on how frequently I upload chapters. I would like to thank those of you who have taken the time to leave reviews and pm'd me about these last few chapters. I'm in the process of developing the next arc and your feedback is both encouraging and invaluable in the development process. With that out of the way, please enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

Blankets were strewn all over the furniture in the living room. Chairs had been dragged from the kitchen to prop some of them up, but they all had been haphazardly abandoned. The sewing supplies within the blast zone looked as though a passing storm had dropped them there. Hinata stood on the stairs overlooking the mess. She was at a complete loss as to where to begin to restore order amongst the chaos.

Since Tsunade had forbidden Beki from going anywhere unescorted, she was trapped inside the house more often than not. Hinata had cohabitated with Beki for more than two years but the incessant presence of her friend was taking its toll.

"Hey, Hinata!" Beki came galloping down the stairs in nothing more than her boy shorts, a pair of socks, and an oversized crew shirt. "Look what I found!"

Hinata did her best not to roll her eyes or heave a sigh. "Yes, Beki?"

Beki held up a familiar craft book. It had been given to Hinata as a birthday gift a few years before. Hinata's good natured smile fell, for the book bore ill portents.

"It's got like, 800 different craft projects in it," Beki beamed. "I already checked the closet, and you have most of the stuff we need. I can write you a list and while you're out, if you could pick up some matte glue and some googly eyes, I'm good to go for a week!"

Hinata's eyes fell on the already ruined living room. Beki's fort building activities had eaten up every blanket that wasn't tucked into a mattress in the house and every pillow that didn't have a head directly assigned to it. The idea of her camping out on the rug with glue, glitter, and googly eyes sent Hinata into a state of panic. It was a quiet clenching feeling in her chest that she imagined new mothers felt when they spotted their dearest baby holding a sharpie next to the couch.

"Hey, why don't you pick something for me to make you?" Beki beamed, completely unaware that Hinata had started discreetly hyperventilating behind her hand. "There are these really cute bookmarks in here with pandas on them!'

Hinata was prevented from squealing like a teakettle by the sound of Naruto's footfalls down the steps.

"Hey guys," Naruto smiled. He was in full training gear and casually made his way to the fridge. As he fished around inside for a lunch to pack, he said "I'm going to go train with Jiraiya. I should be out until after dark. I'll see you ladies around!"

"YOU'RE TAKING BEKI WITH YOU!" Hinata's voice broke, her volume coming out much louder than she intended. Anyone but the two people in the room with her would have noticed the absolute desperation in her tone, but Beki and Naruto stared at her in confusion.

"But Hinata, we're gonna do guy stuff!" Naruto slouched and kicked the ground. "Jiraiya will ream me if I bring Beki along to hang out."

"It's your turn," Hinata hissed quietly, pushing him towards the door. "Beki, you're training with Naruto today."

"I get to train with a Sanin? Awesome!" Beki skipped towards the door. "Maybe he can help me figure out how to get the Raijin style to work."

Hinata grabbed Beki by the collar before she could go outside and swung her bodily towards the stairs. Beki slid on the wood flooring and tumbled into the first few steps. She looked up at Hinata like a wounded dog. Hinata sighed, feeling guilty that she was sick to death of her best friend, but not guilty enough to let her stay home one more day. "PUT SOME DAMN PANTS ON!"

…

"Okay, there's a couple things you need to know about Pervy Sage," Naruto walked with his hands behind his head.

"Let me guess, he's a pervert," Beki grinned sheepishly.

Naruto laughed in his easy going way and nodded. "More than anything else. You know those books, the Icha Icha ones?"

"Yeah," Beki cocked her head.

Naruto shook his head. "He writes them."

Beki blinked in surprise. "So, he's the king of the perverts."

"And proud of it." Naruto sighed. "It was hell having to hang out with him while he did 'research', I tell you what."

"Cuz you're in a serious relationship with Hinata?" Beki asked.

Naruto cringed at the memory. "That, and I had to sit outside the seediest dives you could ever imagine so he could develop 'material' for his books."

Beki laughed. "I can relate. I used to have to hang outside when my dad was in meetings. I would get too bored and sneak in."

A shadow passed over Naruto's face. "I did that, too. Once. Never again."

"So, what else should I know about Jiraiya?" Beki asked.

"He'll probably like you," Naruto explained. "So, if you want him to train you and he starts giving you some excuse about why he won't, just use your wiles."

Beki gave him a suspicious look. "What do you mean, my 'wiles'?"

"Look," Naruto folded his arms sagely. "Whenever he gave me a hard time, I just flashed the sexy jutsu at him. Putty in my hands."

Beki nodded. "Okay, I got it. It's a good thing I'm comfortable with casual nudity."

"If he _really_ has a problem with it, we'll draw some stripes on your face and put you in pigtails," Naruto scratched his chin. "Then we'll just tell him you're my clone."

Beki shrugged. "Sounds like that'll work to me."

They walked a few more feet and Naruto stopped. He held up a hand as if considering a hitch in their nefarious plot. "If we do that, you can't tell Hinata."

"Why?" Beki put her hands on her hips and stared him down. "Something I should know?"

"It's not anything bad, it's just," Naruto shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Just know it would make things difficult for me."

"Alright," Beki cracked her knuckles. "I'm stoked!"

…

They arrived at the training field to find Jiraiya scribbling away in his notebook, poised atop a fallen tree.

"You're late, Naruto," Jiraiya sighed. "You had better have been picking up lunch for us."

"Sorry Pervy Sage," Naruto smiled. "You know how I told you Hinata and I have a roommate? I brought her along to train with us today."

"Naruto, I don't have time to-" Jiraiya turned to face him, his expression full of ire, but the moment he laid eyes on Beki he froze.

Beki gave him a friendly wave. "Hi, nice to meet you."

"You, uh," Jiraiya cleared his throat. "You're from Getsugakure right? You wouldn't happen to be related to anyone from the Asou clan, would you?"

Beki smiled. Her family's reputation preceded her. "Yes, my mom was the last Asou, actually."

"Training's cancelled!" Jiraiya snapped his book shut. "Catch you kids later!"

"Hey, we just got here!" Naruto protested. "Why are you so moody today?!"

Jiraiya leapt off the ledge into the forest below. Beki gave Naruto a crestfallen look. "Was it something I said?"

Naruto shook his head. "You know what, he was the same way when I asked him to train me. It took a week of stalking him to wear him down and Sexy Jutsu sealed the deal."

"Do you think it's what I'm wearing?" Beki looked down at her clothes. She was wearing the gray uniform her father had brought her a few years before. It was starting to look threadbare, but it was incredibly comfortable and it kept Beki protected during a fight. There was padding sewn into the wrap shirt and the leggings were made of durable fabric that held up well against the wear and tear of training in the woods.

"Maybe you're too covered up?" Naruto scratched his head. "You could do something cuter with your hair, maybe?"

Beki sighed. "I'll go back to the house and find something else."

"I'll help you!" Naruto punched the air. "If anyone knows Pervy Sage's weaknesses, it's me!"

…

Hinata was glad her house was finally clean. It had taken her the better part of the morning, but now all her blankets and pillows were put away. She had also taken the liberty of hiding the glitter and putting the craft book in Hanabi's room for safe keeping.

Now Hinata could run her errands in peace knowing that things would finally get back to normal.

…

Beki stepped out of her closet in a neon pink bikini.

"No," Naruto shook his head. "It's been done. He's developed a resistance to that."

"I don't know what else to do!" Beki folded her arms. "I've never really understood the whole 'sexy' thing. I just wear my normal clothes for Gaara and he likes them just fine."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, cuz he's your boyfriend. He cares about the person that's in the clothes. You've got to think like meat."

Beki shook her head in confusion. "Meat?"

"Yeah," Naruto smiled. "Pretend you don't have a personality, just wear the clothes! Pick something you fill out nice that's like, two sizes too small, and pretend like your only purpose in life is to look good in it!"

Beki looked down at her bikini. "I'm not selling it well enough?"

Naruto nodded. "You have to be confident in it."

Beki struck and awkward pose. "Like this?"

"No," Naruto posed. "Like this."

Beki gave him a confused look and he sighed. Naruto formed hand signs and the room filled with smoke. Beki heard a popping sound and Naruto stood before her, prettier and more buxom than Beki knew she would ever be.

"Like this!" Naruto struck a cute and flirty pose. Beki walked over to the mirror on her vanity and tried to mimic the pose.

"There!" Beki smiled. "I think I got it!"

Naruto put his hand on his chin and considered her. "Close. Much closer." He walked over and started to adjust her posture so her chest and rear were more pronounced. "There you go!"

Naruto struck the same pose. "Now we're twins!"

"Yay for bikini meat!" Beki grinned. "He'll train me for sure!"

…

Hinata stepped inside the kitchen and heard voices upstairs. There were a trail of shoes and Naruto's lunch pack was strewn over the counter. The sick feeling crept back into Hinata's gut as she thought about what harebrained scheme the two of them were hatching upstairs. She took the steps two at a time, ready to face some kind of jello monster or a saran wrap recreation of a famous work of art.

She put her hand on the doorknob and turned, swinging the door open slowly as she spoke. "What are you two up to?"

Her eyes were met with naked girl Naruto in an excessively suggestive pose and Beki in a bikini desperately trying to imitate him. "W-what…?" Hinata narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "What is this?"

"Pervy sage refused to train me, so Naruto is showing me how to be sexy so we can get him to agree," Beki explained.

"Yeah, Hinata!" Naruto smiled at her coyly. "Maybe you can help us!"

"Help you what?" Hinata made her best effort to avoid looking directly at naked girl Naruto.

"Naruto tells me I should just act like bikini meat," Beki sighed. "Do you think that's the right way to go?"

Hinata sighed and shook her head. "I have groceries to put away. Just make sure you two clean up when you're done playing."

As Hinata clopped down the stairs she heard Naruto speak, "That's her way of agreeing when she's tired."

…

Naruto and Beki tracked Jiraiya down in the woods. He hadn't gone far from where they had originally met, so although Beki was just wearing shoes, a bikini, and her coat, she wasn't in too much distress.

"Go for it!" Naruto patted her back and Beki stepped forward, striking one of the poses girl Naruto had taught her.

"Jiraiya! Please train me!"

His head snapped to the side to face her and his eyes immediately grew wide. "Nope!" He leapt over Beki and grabbed Naruto by the shoulders.

"Naruto, you don't understand who you're dealing with there," Jiraiya jerked his head towards Beki. "I've had run ins with her family before. They're bad news. Predators, all of them. That, and she's jailbait! What did I teach you about jailbait?!"

Before Beki could catch up, Jiraiya ran away, leaving the two of them to come up with another plan.

"That was a total fail," Beki grumbled. "So much for the 'infallible' method you taught me."

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "I don't know what the deal is. It's always worked before."

…

"Hinata!" Beki came storming in the kitchen door. Hinata's eyes immediately dropped to her shoes. They were caked with forest mud and Hinata was about three seconds from barking at her to take her shoes off when Beki seemed to remember to do so herself. She unlaced her boots on the welcome mat as she spoke.

"Hinata, it didn't work," Beki sighed. "It's got to be because Naruto is a boy. He's prettier than me as a girl but I don't think he really knows how this stuff works. Help me, Hinata!"

This whole escapade had kept Beki out of the house all day. If Jiraiya agreed to train her, that would be a guaranteed break for Hinata with Beki out of the house. As much as Hinata disliked playing into these schemes, she needed some space.

"Okay, Beki," Hinata sighed. "I'll help you."

…

Beki finished buttoning the white collared shirt as Hinata smoothed out her pigtails. She had fished some pink scrunchies out of Hanabi's accessory box that she hadn't worn in ages. They gave the outfit the perfect touch of genuine innocence it needed to carry the look. Beki stood up and yanked down the mini skirt a bit.

"I can't bend over in this to save my life," Beki said self-consciously.

"Squat if you need to pick something up," Hinata suggested. "Or not. Depends on what image you're going for."

"You think the knee highs are too much?" Beki looked down at them suspiciously. "Do girls our age even wear knee highs?"

"Yes, they do," Hinata said. "And believe me, something about knee highs makes boys go crazy."

Beki nodded. "Noted."

"Alright, go out there and nab your apprentice position with the power of your complete disregard for public decency or self-respect!" Hinata patted Beki's back.

"Look, anyone who wants to talk to me about my lack of decency can take it up with the kick ass moves I'll learn working under a sanin!" Beki said triumphantly.

"Atta girl," Hinata smiled. "Go get em."

…

Jiraiya stood on top of the Hokage monument overlooking the city. _What is Naruto thinking?_ He shook his head. The kid clearly had no idea who Beki's family was. Jiraiya had run into Asou Yukihana once and still had nightmares about it. That woman just wasn't human. She was a man-eating monster, and that made Naruto's roommate a monster by default. In any other circumstance, he would be jealous of the boy cooped up in a house with two beautiful young women. Seeing as one of them was an Asou, though, Jiraiya had zero interest getting wrapped up in that trouble.

"Okay, look," the voice behind him sent a chill down his spine. Beki stood behind him in a schoolgirl outfit that would make any man's knees buckle. "I am not good at this sexy thing so this is the best I've got. Train me already!"

There was that voice, that terrifying commanding tone he heard in his nightmares. Jiraiya formed hand signs and summoned a toad.

"What are you-"

Before Beki could finish, the enormous toad Jiraiya had summoned wrapped his tongue around the old man and swallowed him whole. As Beki watched, speechless, the toad leapt away. After a moment, the shock passed and Beki stomped her foot in fury. "REALLY?!"

Beki felt pure anger welling up inside her and it completely consumed all her senses. The world was red, every sound sent daggers through her temples, and every step she took to get home increased her rage tenfold. She was a seething creature, almost praying someone would cross her path so she could unleash her wrath upon them.

The only thing Beki could conclude from the day was that she wasn't attractive. It was a running joke that Beki was the ogre of the group of girls. Even girl Naruto made her look like trash. Boys were prettier than she was. She had tried her hardest, wearing a swimsuit, and then this stupid school girl outfit and it had been revolting. So much so in fact, that it physically drove people away when she tried to be attractive. Her thoughts spiraled out of control down a path of self-loathing and confusion all the way home.

…

"They're an odd pair, I have to admit," Neji folded his arms. "How do you feel about this?"

Hinata sighed. "They're both harmless, like a couple of kids. I know that. I still can't help but feel a little uncomfortable with their shenanigans from time to time."

"That's perfectly acceptable," Neji nodded. "I would just say you have to make sure you make your feelings clear to the two of them. If they're crossing a line, let them know. They're both the type to not notice they're bothering someone, but they would never intentionally do something to hurt you."

Beki's violent entrance through the kitchen door interrupted their conversation. She let out an otherworldly cry of rage and anguish as she tore off her shoes, slammed them on the floor, and then ripped her shirt open.

Neji stood there, stunned to silence at the sight of her display. She was terrifying but at the same time he felt oddly aroused by her brutish behavior.

"It didn't work!" Beki tore her shirt off and slammed it on the ground.

"What happened?" Hinata sipped her cup of tea as though Beki savagely undressing in their kitchen was a common occurrence.

"He didn't even turn me down with his words. He summoned a toad and it ate him!" Beki balled her fists.

"Ouch," Hinata cringed sympathetically. "You can try again tomorrow."

"What's the point?!" Beki seethed. "I'm clearly ugly or something if a boy can out pretty me!"

"Neji does that to Tenten all the time," Hinata said.

Beki seemed to finally take notice that Neji was present. She took a deep breath before addressing him. "Since you're a crossdressing specialist, tell me, what am I doing wrong here?!"

Neji had intentionally been avoiding the sight of her heaving chest, but with her permission his eyes immediately snapped to her. _You've seen her naked before, Neji. This is nothing,_ he told himself. _Keep it together._ Beki stood before him in a bra that displayed her chest like a platter. The combination of the miniskirt and the knee socks accentuated the feminine curves of Beki's legs. The miniskirt was short enough that the bottom was just shy of covering the transition from leg to rear. Neji's gaze clung to that spot like glue and made him wonder what kind of underwear she was wearing. If he could commit one sin in his lifetime and get a free pass, it would be to flip up her skirt and see what it was hiding.

Realizing that he had stared for what felt like an eternity, Neji's face flushed and he looked out the window. "It all looks good. Looks good to me."

Beki made a disgusted noise and walked over to Hinata. "See what I mean? I just don't get what I'm doing wrong!"

Neji realized he was experiencing a physical phenomenon that would make this situation even more awkward if anyone noticed. "I'll let you two straighten this out. Excuse me."

"Bye Neji," The girls said in unison.

As he walked back to his room, Neji cursed under his breath. _No. We decided we weren't going to do this anymore._ It seemed like the more he wanted to get over Beki, the harder he fell for her. Before it was just an emotional love. He was attracted to her personality and he found her sense of humor charming. In the past, being in her presence genuinely brightened his day. Now, being around her made him physically crave her. _It must have been the kiss,_ he thought. Ever since then his thoughts had kept slipping back to how her lips had felt against his, and how different a "real" kiss would be. _Dammit, Neji. Pull it together._

…

Beki had changed into the baggiest sweatpants she owned and her favorite cotton tank top. She laid on the couch with her head on Hinata's lap, angrily eating snap peas as Hinata pet her head.

"There, there, Beki," Hinata sighed. "You aren't ugly. Jiraiya just has bad taste."

Beki glared at the ceiling. She savagely bit into a snap pea, as if she was imagining it was someone's head. "It's my jaw. I look like my dad with a wig."

"No, Beki, you're fine." Hinata gently pushed her up into a seated position.

Beki sat there for a moment, rolling the remnants of the savaged snap pea in her fingers. "I'm doing this the wrong way." She stood up and walked upstairs. Hinata watched after her, mild concern tugging at her gut. Beki came downstairs a few minutes later in her training uniform carrying her dad's kanabo.

"I tried sexy," Beki glowered. "Time to go full Tsukimori on his ass."

Hinata gave her a gentle smile. "That's my girl."

…

Beki tracked down the sanin one more time. Jiraiya was squatting by the edge of a river, as if he were watching the fish swim downstream. Beki tightened her grip on the kanabo and steadied her breathing. _Let's see how good this old man really is._

Kanabo at the ready, Beki charged forward as quickly and silently as she could. She wound up and leapt through the air, preparing to knock the old man right into the water. At the same time as she swung, Naruto jumped out of the water next to Jiraiya with a fish in his mouth.

"I got it!" He managed to say before he was knocked right back into the water by Beki's devastating blow.

"Oh shit!" Beki tossed her kanabo aside and waded into the water. "Naruto, are you okay?"

His eyes were wide and he lay on the river bed, an expression of shock and pain on his face.

"Hinata's going to kill me," Beki grumbled as she hauled Naruto out of the water onto the bank.

"So, I take it you're here to beg me to train you again?" Jiraiya said at last, his demeanor completely unchanged despite he had just witnessed his student get assaulted.

"I want to hear why you won't train me," Beki hefted the kanabo over her shoulder.

"To be honest kid," Jiraiya stood. "I didn't even want to take Naruto on as an apprentice. I'm retired and I've had bad experiences with taking students in the past." Jiraiya nudged Naruto with his foot and Naruto didn't respond. He shrugged and continued: "But there was no one else who could help him learn how to manage the tailed beast inside him and the insane amount of chakra constantly running through him. That's why I took him on. No one else could help him."

Jiraiya looked Beki over as if sizing her up seriously for the first time. "I know why you're coming to me. Your balance is all off on the inside, but it's not something I can help you fix. With Naruto, it was just a seal adjustment and management strategies. With you…it's something else."

"What do you mean?" Beki blinked in confusion. She had expected him to give her an answer like _I don't train girls_. Instead he was telling her something was wrong with her on the inside.

"Your energy is all mixed up," Jiraiya explained. "It's hard to describe. You're giving off one type of energy, but underneath it there's something else. It's in complete opposition to the primary energy and it feels almost malevolent in nature."

Beki squinted her eyes. "So…I'm possessed?"

"No," Jiraiya shook his head. "It's probably just something wrong with your diet or sleep patterns. But you don't need my specialized help to deal with that."

Beki groaned. "Whatever you do, don't tell Ebisu sensei that. He'll have me back on a diet of nattou and uncooked vegetables."

Jiraiya laughed aloud. "You're working with that guy? Good luck. He's a real ball buster."

"Tell me about it," Beki adjusted her footing. Naruto was finally coming to.

"Did I get hit by a truck?" Naruto sat up slowly, rubbing his back. "It feels like I got hit by a truck."

"No, Naruto," Beki sighed. "It was just me. You body blocked your sensei."

"Oh," Naruto nodded, fully accepting the explanation at face value with no further inquiry as to why Beki would want to KO his teacher. "So, Pervy Sage, can we stop for the day?"

"Yes kid," Jiraiya waved them off. "Go on home."

As the two teenagers walked out of view, Jiraiya sighed. He felt bad for the girl but there was nothing he could do. It wasn't like Naruto, where Jiraiya had removed the five-pronged seal and taught him how to better manage the Nine-tails. The conflict she was dealing with was innate. There was a good chance that no matter who this girl found to train her, there would be nothing they could do to prevent the inevitable collapse that the two opposing forces would cause.


	61. Shadows and Burdens

**Hi everyone! This is the last of the backlog. Please enjoy this most recent chapter, and if you have any feedback I would love to hear it. This is gearing up into the next arc, so hearing your thoughts is very helpful. Thank you to those of you who have PMd me and reviewed my work. It is very encouraging to have so much support.**

* * *

The photograph was poor in quality. Each of the figures was grainy and identification was dubious at best. Seiichiro stared at it politely, aware of its owner's good intentions.

"This is getting out of hand, Tsukimori," The speaker was a slender man ten years Seiichiro's junior. His face would have been considered handsome if not for its ever-present frown. He had practical black glasses and close cropped chestnut hair. "Haruka has always been impressionable. The time she's spent with this lot, these _leaflings,_ they're taking advantage of her."

Seiichiro looked up at the man, extending his arm over his desk to return the photo. "Ishida, you're forgetting that Haruka is also extremely strong willed and hard to waylay once she's set her mind on something."

"How would we have handled this?" Ishida scoffed. "If she had been injured or captured-"

"She wasn't," Seiichiro held up a hand for silence. "I'll have a talk with her. You must understand how difficult it is for her to be so far from home with nothing to do. A shinobi is a finely-honed tool that dulls without use."

"I recognize that, sir," Ishida kept his voice level. Seiichiro was a respectable man, but it frustrated Ishida how the ambassador was so accommodating of his daughter's whims. "If your daughter were relocated back onto Getsu soil, or perhaps to one of our more proximal allies-"

Seiichiro didn't move to face Ishida, but he turned the full intensity of his gaze upon him. There was a physical gravity to his stare that stopped much greater men than the junior diplomat. The silence between them became palpable, a heavy burden upon Ishida's shoulders. "I…I apologize, senior. That was inappropriate of me. I'm sure you've left your daughter in Konoha for good reason."

Seiichiro's voice was level, although his eyes gave away mild irritation. "You of all people should know how treacherous it is at court."

Knowing his message had been received and his due diligence done, Ishida gave Seiichiro a polite bow. "I only wanted to help, sir. I'll take my leave now."

The ambassador gave him a nod and returned his attention to his papers. Ishida turned and left the small, unadorned office and stepped back out into the midmorning light. The tail end of summer was upon them; the leaves on the trees were turning lush shades of rich gold and gaudy scarlet. To anyone else it would be beautiful, but to Ishida, the sight evoked a grimace and a gentle touch at his throat. He looked back at the office of his superior with uncertainty. Tsukimori Seiichiro had not been his usual easygoing and confidently quiet self. There was a foreboding to him that paired with the silver strands exploding in bloom at his temples. _Maybe his age is catching up with him,_ Ishida thought, cleaning his glasses on a soft cloth handkerchief he kept in his pocket. _He's nearly forty, an age most shinobi never dream to meet._

The junior ambassador never thought he would see the day that the Reaper bowed with age. He had been a pillar of stone at court, weathering the tides of change season after season. Where others crumbled, the man seemed to harden into diamond under the pressure. His glasses spotless, Ishida replaced them and stole one last glance at Tsukimori's office. Through the window, he could spy his senior hunched over his desk. The man's face was in his hands, his shoulders drooped with despair. Ishida's brow furrowed further in concern. Something was wrong, and it was eating away at Seiichiro. The man had saved Ishida's life once, and he was determined to return the favor. He had never been strong enough to weather a blow for him, but maybe his wit would suffice to save his mentor from whatever demon he was dealing with.

…

It had been Beki without a doubt. Seiichiro recognized that damned outfit she had wasted a month's living expenses and then some on a year ago. After all the veiled threats made by shapeless, nameless entities in court against him over the last three years, he was certain she was dead when the letters stopped coming. He had nearly struck her in frustration when he found out her silence was because she had overspent on clothes. Such behavior was reckless and unlike her; then again, she had no idea how the deck was stacked against them.

The tides had shifted at court for what seemed like the hundred and thirty-fifth time since Seiichiro became a clerk fifteen years ago. This mistress had risen to glory and then fallen from favor, this shinobi rose to the top then died in battle, so on and so forth. This time, however, it seemed like the shady cloak and dagger schemes that always ran at court were growing darker and more malevolent by the day.

If he thought about it, the threats had started coming before Seiichiro had decided to leave Beki in Konoha. He often received strange correspondences from figures hoping to bribe him or buy his favor. Amongst these, he began to receive newspaper clippings from publications across the nation and beyond. It was mostly press related to his own rise to power or about Yukihana's exploits as one of the more infamous shinobi of their age. For several months, this went on, until one day they just stopped. He had tossed them all in a manila folder and tucked it in the back of his desk. In a strange way, it was amusing to go back and read about the glory days. Seiichiro received another correspondence from this mysterious sender in the form of a postcard with the comically stereotypical font of newspaper print cut up and pasted together: _The world has not forgotten._

Seiichiro had laughed it off. If a person believed that would be enough to scare him, they were mistaken. Many attempts had been made on his life or at his position over the years, all of them meeting dreadful and often humiliating failures for their originators. Then they sent him a photograph of his daughter. Beki had been out with her teammates, eating sandwiches on benches outside a restaurant. Kobiyashi sensei seemed to sense something off and was looking near the direction of the camera. The three kids were completely unawares, laughing and eating as if everything was right with the world. Seiichiro told himself it didn't bother him, but in retrospect that incident probably influenced him into leaving Beki on the other side of the world.

He had thought all the chaos behind him and that his daughter was safe until they sent her to the chunin exams. There was no evidence of such, but Seiichiro was convinced his little arts and craftsy little friend was also in a position of influence. It was someone close to him, or at least close enough in power to Seiichiro to have pulled that kind of weight. Beki had been out of commission for over a year and separated from her teammates for months before that. No panel would have ever approved her squad for entry under regular circumstances, so it sent a clear message: Nothing is safe.

For the first time in his career, Seiichiro's request for an audience with the king had been denied. The ambassador's attempts to leave the country to conduct business had been systematically sabotaged as well. Boats sank, schedules changed, papers mysteriously disappeared. This assailant, whoever they were, were wearing Seiichiro down systematically. Wolves used this tactic. They ambushed prey when they tried to sleep, ran them ragged, until submitting to their fate seemed almost a mercy. They were making one mistake, though. Tsukimori Seiichiro was not prey.

He had been in contact with his underworld associates. Men and women from back when he and Yukihana ran black ops missions that were still either redacted or had never "officially" occurred. Plenty of them lacked the family or the personality to readjust to society after retirement and had turned to less scrupulous ways to make a living. That's why Seiichiro was so damned hard to blackmail: he knew all the best, and they refused to work against him.

So far, his contacts had turned up nothing but they were hot on the trail. Whoever they were, his enemy was human, and to err is human. As soon as they made a mistake, Seiichiro's people's people would know about it and the matter could be dealt with once and for all.

Beki's behavior was complicating things, however. Seiichiro had heard of the Akatsuki abduction of the Kazekage and that Konoha had rallied to assist them. The shinobi world was scandalized by the idea that one village could interfere so ostentatiously in another's affairs. Any self-respecting village would have dealt with it themselves, after all. That aside, Seiichiro was left wondering how in hell his daughter had gotten wrapped up in it. Tsunade had reached an understanding with him, and Seiichiro seriously doubted she would have made such a gross error. Knowing his daughter, it seemed more than likely she caught wind of the incident and went chasing after it the way young men chased after skirts.

Seiichiro recalled the photograph and mentally took stock of those he recognized. Konoha's Copycat ninja was there, as well as some other jounin. A smattering of the shinobi Beki's age were there, including the effeminate Hyuuga boy. That left Beki, the Kazekage, and his siblings in the photograph. The image had depicted the Kazekage holding his daughter's hand in what looked like a handshake. Now that he thought about it, there was something a little too intimate in the way the boy was holding her hand. Or maybe it was how he was leaning towards her, as if they were sharing a secret. Seiichiro didn't like it. Then again, the Hyuuga boy had been hovering close to her as well. The boy might have just been acting protectively of Beki. Seiichiro still didn't like it.

Seiichiro rifled through his desk and took his essentials. One of his underground contacts had secured him passage on a discrete vessel leaving a side port that evening. A visit to his daughter was long overdue.

…

"DO ANOTHER HUNDRED!" Lee punched the air emphatically, to which Beki sputtered in response.

"You're out of your mind, Lee," Beki achily sat up. "I've done so many already breathing hurts."

"You must always be ready to be stronger than you are, right this minute!" Gai hovered over her, blocking out the sun. "You could never beat yourself with that kind of attitude!"

Beki tried not to roll her eyes. "Yes, Gai sensei."

"Tsukimori! There you are!" Ebisu's voice cut through the beautiful morning air like an angry mother's scissors through concert tickets. "We've been waiting to start training for you!"

Beki blinked in confusion. "This is where we always train. I thought you wanted me to train with Gai sensei instead today."

Ebisu pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "No, Tsukimori. They booked this training field, so we were training at field eleven today. You've made it clear that I'm wasting the paper my memos are written on."

"Part of your problem," Beki's cocky attitude was undercut by the pathetic, staggering way she was forced to stand up due to her throbbing abdominals. "Is that you're a shinobi who writes memos."

Ebisu stood up to his full height. Beki knew he did that when he was feeling affronted. She was nearly as tall as he was, so the gesture lost some of its effect after her last growth spurt. "Jokes on you. We're doing core exercises today."

 _You will not break me,_ Beki told herself. _I am iron._

"Then we'll be running seven miles," Ebisu continued.

 _IRON,_ Beki screamed in her head.

"Then you all can forage for food." Ebisu folded his arms. "Then there will be the seven-mile run back to the village."

Beki's lower eyelid twitched. It was nothing, hardly noticeable, but she knew Ebisu caught it. A wicked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. _Dammit,_ she thought. _He's got me boxed into a corner. Again._

Udon, Moegi, and Konohamaru emerged from the bushes looking as crestfallen as Beki.

"Oh, there you are," Udon sniffled.

"The sooner we start this, the sooner its over," Moegi stared out into nothingness sagely, trying to convince herself of her own words.

"You're going to be training with us?!" Konohamaru beamed. "That makes this so much better!"

Ebisu shot him a disparaging look. "Why?"

"Cuz Beki nee san is the best!" Konohamaru explained. "She's clever and resourceful and she's going to figure out a way to make training so much easier."

Beki winced. "Konohamaru…Now would be a good time to stop talking."

Ebisu dipped his head, reflecting the sun's light blindingly off his glass lenses. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, like shortcuts in the woods and sliding down hills using old bits of log-" Konohamaru started but Udon and Moegi pounced on him, silencing his confession before it could do any more damage.

"Is that so?" Ebisu shifted his posture. "Let's see how clever she is when she's carrying all three of your packs."

Konohamaru and his team shot her apologetic looks, to which Beki could only shrug. What was done was done. She took each of their packs in turn, tossing the straps over her shoulders to distribute the weight evenly. It was at least a hundred and fifty pounds. It slowed her down significantly, both due to the weight and how much care she needed to put into her footing.

"Do your best to keep up, Miss Tsukimori," Ebisu said as he passed her at an easy gait.

Beki grumbled curses under her breath. In little time, the four of them were far out of her sight. She was sore and already growing weary of the burden. _How does Gaara walk around with that gourd on his back all the time? This is killing me!_

After four miles, Beki's legs began to give out. There was a small tea house on the path and Beki weighed her sensei's wrath against her desperate need for rehydration. She mouthed a few choice words in Ebisu's general direction, stowed the packs, and walked over to the tea house.

It was a run of the mill slap shod building, thrown up to only briefly accommodate guests. Beki had dined in such places more times than she could count, usually listening to her father's cautioning that only the hot dishes were safe.

"Welcome!" The shop girl called out cheerfully.

A moment of silence passed between them as the smile slipped off the girl's face. Beki recognized the dark wine-colored hair, the jade green eyes, and her unusually large chest.

"You!" Beki stared in shock at her would be kidnapper.

"F**k," Miki muttered before tossing her serving tray at Beki and hopping out a window.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Beki cried out, running out the door after her.

The Otogakure kunoichi was fast, but her waitressing attire wasn't suited for the rugged terrain. Beki chased her down across the clearing and into the woods until they hit the river. Instead of letting herself be captured, Miki began running upstream towards the water mill. She ran inside and barred the door. _You won't get away so easy,_ Beki thought to herself. She climbed up to the skylight and peeked inside the building. Miki had apparently thought that the watermill would have a trapdoor of some sort, as she was fishing through the straw on the floor. Beki carefully surveyed the inside of the mill to make sure it wasn't just some elaborate trap. _No, it can't be,_ Beki thought. _She had no idea I would walk into that tea house._

The air around the mill was full of mist from the churning wheel. It made the transition into Drowned Maiden take almost no effort, so when Beki swung down into the mill she was fully awakened.

"Hey," Miki snapped back onto her feet and took up a friendly smile. "It's so nice to see you again!"

Beki was soaking the straw at their feet. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Beki to summon the ghastly arms of Watery Grave. Miki began to laugh nervously at the sight of the ghoulish limbs.

"I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding between us," Miki shuffled uncomfortably, trying to keep out of reach of the pale fingers.

"How am I supposed to misunderstand you pretending to be my friend and kidnapping me for Orochimaru?" Beki stormed.

"You act like it was personal!" Miki spat. "Oh, imagine that, the world doesn't revolve around the ambassador's daughter. Do you think that I deliberately picked you because I knew you? I thought you were special? No! You met criteria and I had a quota to reach!"

Beki fumed. "You act like your job excuses you from your actions. A shinobi has to choose their own path-"

"Just stop talking," Miki's attitude had shifted. The friendly smile had fallen away. She watched Beki with eyes as steady and calm as the eye of a hurricane. "There is so much about the shinobi world you don't understand. You're right. I was given a choice. Death or survival. I chose to live."

"So it was be Orochimaru's experiment or bring him others," Beki scoffed. "How respectable of you."

"No. I was framed for treason," Miki said it calmly, but there was a tiny fluctuation in her voice as if she were reliving a wound. It was strange for Beki because she had thought she knew the girl. For the first time, it felt like she was getting a glimpse of the person behind the act. Miki's gaze never broke, and when the fingers of the Watery Grave wrapped around her ankles, she ignored them and kept talking. "I could either run away and become a ronin or I could accept death for a crime I didn't commit. The world is cruel to the villageless, more so to orphans like me. And it's not like Orochimaru sought me out, I'm nothing special. Scores come crawling to his doors every week, seeking revenge or retribution. They want a home, they want a master, they want meals in their bellies. Those the rest of the ninja world casts aside, he finds a purpose for."

"I hope this isn't your recruitment speech," Beki spat. "Because I'm not sold."

"You don't have to be," Miki shook her head and considered Beki with a mild look of disgust. "You will always have somewhere to go. Even if you lose everything, you'll have your name. You'll have your kekke genkai."

"So, you became bitter because of what happened to you, so you get your kicks abducting and torturing people," Beki said. "Impressive."

Miki was unphased. "I worked in the morgue for a while. Then one of our best baiters was killed in an accident. That job was more important than being a coroner, so I was selected. It's not fun. I am forced to pretend I'm someone else, build false trust with strangers, and lure away targets for a collector. I don't enjoy it, but if I don't meet my quotas I'm punished severely."

"You look fine after losing me," Beki folded her arms.

"That's because the fumble was on the collector's part," Miki explained. "The last time anyone saw him both his legs had been amputated and replaced with a fish tail. I was still punished, but I pled my case to the right people and ended up with manual labor and roughed up knees instead of having to be a first wave human test subject for a new prototype."

The women stared each other down. Miki clearly had no intention of doing Beki any harm, and the more she talked the less Beki could really hold against her.

"Can I just reiterate it was nothing personal?" Miki shrugged. "Really. I'm not the confrontational type."

The pounding of fists on the door drew both of their attention. "What is that?!" Beki asked.

"Ooh," Miki shuffled uncomfortably. "I lifted the wallets on a couple of the customers before you got there. They must have noticed their cash was gone."

"What?!" Beki cried. "You're a thief, too?!"

Miki shrugged. "Didn't you hear everything I said? We don't get paid."

The door broke open and Beki turned her attention to the three furious looking men that entered the mill. Beki looked back at Miki only to see that the Otogakure kunoichi had escaped the hold of Watery Grave and was slipping out the skylight.

"Thanks!" Miki waved. "I owe you one!"

Beki growled and turned her terrifying corpse gaze on the three men, who promptly backed out the door, and ran for their lives.

…

It took Beki twenty minutes to find where she had stowed the packs. They had seemed like a burden before, but now they were downright unbearable. Beki figured they had already began their seven-mile run back towards town, so she walked towards Konoha. No more than ten minutes later Ebisu and his squad caught up with her.

"Where were you?!" Ebisu spat. "Did you decide to take a nap and skip out on training?!"

"No," Beki adjusted the packs. "I was just attacked by an Otogakure kunoichi and had to defend myself singlehanded, because my sensei chose to abandon me _outside the village limits._ "

Ebisu stared Beki down and decided she was telling the truth, or rather her lie was so convincing he didn't want to wager calling her bluff. The kids trudged along silently, clearly pooped from their own ordeal.

"Ebisu sensei," Konohamaru broke the tired silence a few miles from the village gates. "Is the exercise officially over?"

"Yes," Ebisu sighed. "It might as well be."

Konohamaru brightened a bit and whispered something to Udon. Udon balked and shook his head. Konohamaru's expression soured and he gently socked Udon in the shoulder.

"Fine," Udon grumbled.

The boys came up on either side of Beki and took a pack off her each.

"It's okay," Beki protested. "I can carry them."

"A gentleman doesn't let a lady suffer," Konohamaru said pointedly at his sensei.

Ebisu looked back at his student, who was glaring a hole through him. "Isn't that right, Ebisu sensei?" Konohamaru asked. With a defeated sigh, Ebisu reached over and took the last pack off Beki's back.

"That's right, Konohamaru."

Beki smiled down at Udon and Konohamaru and ruffled their hair affectionately. "You guys are the best."

…

Miki watched the Getsu ambassador's daughter retreating with the leaflings and heaved a sigh. That would be the second time she let the girl slip through her grasp. Fortunately, Orochimaru hadn't assigned Beki as a target. Miki was supposed to have captured some strays that were bastards of a legendary clan's offshoots. So long as no one found out, Miki and Beki would be fine. Now that her cover was blown, Miki had to head back to the Sound. Hopefully she would have enough time to think of a good excuse before she got there. She already had one strike under her belt, and disappointing Orochimaru was always a dangerous gamble. Hopefully he would be in a good mood, or she would end up with a needle in her arm and a death wish.


	62. Reaper Yarn

"Where are you guys headed?" Beki asked, the smile mostly genuine.

Hinata beamed. "Naruto kun is taking me out on a date."

"I have a lot of really great stuff planned," Naruto ticked them off on his fingers one by one. "We're going to the market, the ramen shop, and then we're going swimming."

Hinata was practically glowing. She was like the moon, Beki realized, and Naruto was her sun. The closer he was to her, the brighter she shined. Beki was happy for her friend. She was happy for them both. That didn't prevent the childlike pain of being left out by your friends from rearing its ugly head. If she ever said anything, the two of them wouldn't think twice about bringing Beki along. The right thing to do would be to keep on pretending that being alone in another person's house all the time wasn't lonely as hell.

"You two have fun," Beki waved. "Stay out of trouble."

"Haha," Naruto grinned mischievously. "We'll try."

The click of the door behind them had a finality to it. It sucked all the pleasant atmosphere out of the house and Beki noticed the place seemed a little darker. She heaved a sigh and sat down on the stairs. She had some time off from training with Ebisu because his team was away on a mission. Team Gai was away as well, leaving Beki with none of the people she usually hung around. Not wanting to stay cooped up all day, Beki got dressed and headed into town. If nothing else, she should try not to turn into a shut in.

…

Seiichiro hadn't been to the Hidden Leaf in months. The guards had to do a double take when they saw him as his appearance had changed so drastically. He knew the bags under his eyes were deeper, his hair was more gray than blonde now, and his back didn't seem quite so solid. Once he was through the gates, Seiichiro bypassed the inn and headed straight for the Hokage's mansion. He had a lot to discuss with Tsunade.

The guard announced him and Tsunade came to the door herself. "You're not looking so good, Old Man."

"And you apparently can't keep track of a 17-year-old," Seiichiro said low enough so only the two could hear. Tsunade's eye twitched in surprise.

"Did you nanny cam me?" Tsunade asked sarcastically.

"I didn't," Seiichiro said. "Someone else just got a shot of my daughter in Suna and were kind enough to share it with me."

"So are you bringing the hellfire or what?" Tsunade folded her arms. "I have a lot to do today and if you want a fight we need to get it over with now."

"No," Seiichiro stared her down. "I'm taking you to lunch."

Tsunade blinked in surprise. "You're serious?"

Seiichiro leaned to the side and took a peek into Tsunade's office. "Doesn't look like you have company. There's no way you aren't hungry, or are you just too busy for a free meal?"

"Alright, Shizune hold down the fort," Tsunade called over her shoulder and Shizune bowed.

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

"So what's the occasion?" Tsunade asked. "Are you going to subject me to old man stories or have my charms finally won you over?"

"You're about as charming as a rabid badger," Seiichiro said without a moment's hesitation. "But I feel like I can trust you because you don't try to win people over. You're very take it or leave it, which I can appreciate."

Tsunade eyed him over suspiciously. "That sounds an awful lot like you're going to ask me a favor."

"No," Seiichiro shook his head. "I just need to update you on the situation in Getsu and what that means for you."

"You really don't try to sugar coat anything, do you?" Tsunade made a disgusted noise. "What is it now? Did you do something sketchy and they're going to lock you up?"

Seiichiro sighed. "If only that were the case. As hard as it will be for you to believe, I'm a progressive voice back home. I think shutting ourselves up on our island and keeping out of other people's business is a fast road to being overrun and unprepared to deal with it. I talk back to the king when I know he's spouting nonsense his advisors have crammed down his throat. His Majesty used to think that was refreshing, but lately he finds the habit detestable."

Tsunade watched him carefully. "Are you saying you're going to have to step down?"

"I'll step down when I'm dead," Seiichiro said as he moved the noren aside for Tsunade to enter the restaurant. "They're trying to strong arm me out of my position but I can't let that happen. I don't have much I can leave my daughter so I have to hang onto this job with a vice grip."

They took a seat at the counter and the cook took their order. Everyone else at the counter moved over a few seats to give the pair some privacy.

"I guess I look worse than I thought," Seiichiro's smile was strained, like a dried out rubber band ready to snap. Tsunade noticed the way his eyes darted around the room, how his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white, and how dark and deep the bags were under his eyes. The man clearly hadn't slept in days.

"What is going on?" Tsunade's voice dropped so low no one else could hear. "Tell me straight."

Seiichiro looked at her, his smile pulling even tighter. "I'm old. People aren't afraid of old men."

"You're 37, shut the hell up," Tsunade sipped at her drink. "How dare you talk about being old to me."

"You have friends," Seiichiro corrected. "No one is afraid of friendless old men."

Tsunade noticed the bulges under his sleeves. She reached over and drew back his sleeve with the back end of her chopstick. He had clumsily bandaged himself up but it was clear he had some long deep gashes.

"They blitzed me in an inn. Killed the owner and several of the guests before they reached me," Seiichiro jerked his arm away as he scanned the room. "They were hired help. Thugs, really. No way to know who is paying them."

"You need to resign," Tsunade spat. "What kind of father are you, risking orphaning your daughter over some job."

Seiichiro kept his voice level and showed no signs of anger. "You don't understand, Tsunade. Officials don't 'just' resign in Getsugakure. They die under mysterious circumstances while still in office or they resign and disappear into a quiet life in the country. From which they are never heard from again."

Tsunade looked at the man beside her. Death was coming for him on a swift horse and yet he was a brick wall as ever. Rather than trying to run from it or find a way around, Seiichiro was doing damage control.

"So what do you need from me?" Tsunade sipped her drink casually so as not to alert people to the nature of their conversation. "I can offer you protection if you decide to stay here in the village. I know Beki would like having her father around."

Seiichiro gripped his glass. "I don't think there's enough time left for that. I...there are some other avenues I'm exploring right now. There are some people I used to run with in the old days that didn't exactly settle down to become farmers and accountants. They're looking into it for me. There's a chance, if we can figure out who is masterminding all this, we might be able to head this off at the pass."

"If you can't?" Tsunade asked measuredly.

Seiichiro tapped his glass on the counter. "Just make sure my little girl is okay. Do what you have to do to keep her out of that viper pit. Fabricate a scandal, force a treaty, whatever you have to do. I'm not asking this as the ambassador. This would be a personal favor."

Tsunade knew Seiichiro was the ultra diplomat. He had never even asked her to compensate him for a lunch, let alone anything to this extent. She knew then his situation was truly dire. She shrugged. "What's another fatherless teen running around my village? She doesn't cause any more trouble than mine do."

"Thank you." Seiichiro looked her in the eye. "If I get through this, drinks are on me."

Out of the corner of his eye, Seiichiro spotted a silver eye peeking at them from the outside edge of the noren.

"Get in here, Beki," Seiichiro commanded. "You suck at spying."

Beki slid in through the noren, attempting to look as guiltless as possible. "Sorry," She tugged at her braid self consciously. "I thought I heard your voice so I had to check. How long have you been in town?'

"Not long," Seiichiro waved Beki over to the seat beside him. " What have you been up to?"

"Oh, you know," Beki tapped on the counter. "Ebisu's been treating me like crap, the Hyuugas are nice, the weather is good, and I'm bored out of my mind. The usual."

"Funny," Seiichiro took a sip of his drink. "Then being in Suna must have been exciting."

Beki shot Tsunade an accusing look, to which the Hokage shook her head and shrugged as if saying "It wasn't me."

Beki cleared her throat. "What are you talking about? I haven't left the village proper in months."

"I would have an easier time believing you if I hadn't seen pictures of you with the Kazekage," Seiichiro's gaze bore holes through his daughter. "You're busted. You might as well confess."

The hair on Beki's neck began to stand on end. Based on the vibes her father was giving off, she would have to answer this line of questioning carefully. "He's my friend and he was in trouble," Beki kept her voice level and her gaze on the counter. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you-"

"As far as I know, the Kazekage has only been in Konoha on official business less than a dozen times in the last two years," Seiichio tapped his glass on table. "Explain to me how the two of you developed a close enough friendship for you to risk death and dismemberment against the Akatsuki for him? Based on how packed a kage's calendar, I can figure he possibly squeezed you in for about three lunches. By that logic, the Hokage and I should have matching tattoos by this point."

"I'm up for it," Tsunade tossed in casually, trying to break the rising tension in their corner of the restaurant. "No flowers or names."

Seiichiro ignored her, his attention to his daughter so intense it was almost physically palpable. Beki cleared her throat and averted her gaze. "He, um, well, yes we've run into each other in town a few times. We have a lot in common so I may have sent him a friendly letter or two and he may have sent an occasional letter back. You know, congratulations on passing the chunin exams and so on…"

Beki's palms were sweating. Seiichiro was giving her a look she'd seen him use a million times. He had rested his chin on his hand, his expression one of mild interest with raised brows and the tiniest smirk. The bemused catlike look was one he reserved for situations where he knew someone was lying to him but would allow themselves to dig their hole as deep as they liked before he would rain hell on them. Beki could feel her whole body growing tense, her abdominal muscles squeezing the air out of her and her throat closing up. She wanted to defend herself, to give Seiichiro some reasonable explanation, but Beki knew she was just digging herself a deeper grave. Her voice pittered out mid sentence and Seiichiro smiled. "Are you done?"

Beki nodded, defeated. Seiichiro sat up and held up a finger. "I need to know one thing. Were you there for him, or were you there for someone else?"

"Him," Beki said barely above a whisper.

"I don't know where you get it," Seiichiro shook his head. "It's like you're a magnet for careless decisions."

Humiliated didn't begin to cover how Beki felt. Her father had called her out in front of the Hokage and in such a way there was really no defending herself. She knew that concealing the relationship wasn't necessarily the way a dutiful daughter would behave. Then again, Beki felt like she was entitled to some semblance of a private life. "You have to admit we did a good job of keeping it out of the press," Beki offered, hoping her father would at least concede to her discretion.

"Not good enough," Seiichiro scoffed. "You got sloppy. Hopefully Ishida is the only person who got a picture of you two together or this will blow up."

"Dad," Beki knew he was in a foul mood now but she couldn't keep quiet. "Do you realize how hard this is for me? I'm practically in exile. Its exile in a gilded cage, true, but I never get to see my friends. I live in another family's house across the world with everything I do under a microscope. Are you really that surprised that I started forming relationships on my own so I could feel loved and supported?"

"I'm just disappointed you didn't have the brains to pick someone other than a damned world leader," Seiichiro hissed under his breath. "Do you realize how naive you look? What that could do to your career, what it could do for our damned country, if things don't go well between you two?"

Beki bit her tongue knowing that speaking out against her father any more would just complicate things with Tsunade. It would be hard for her father to do business with the Hokage after this, let alone for Beki to face her later.

"Hokage sama," The sick feeling in Beki's stomach intensified to the point where she felt as though she was going to toss up her lunch. She turned to see the last person who needed to get involved in this situation standing in the doorway. "They said you were here."

"Kazekage sama," Seiichiro shot him a grin Beki recognized as dangerous but its ominous nature escaped Gaara. "Just the person I wanted to see." Seiichiro stood and Beki was left with no choice. _He's going to kill him,_ Beki thought.

"Gaara, run," Beki said in a low steady tone.

"What?" Gaara gave her a confused look.

"Don't ask questions," Beki cautioned, raising her hands and making a shooing gesture. "Go. Go now."

Gaara eyed Seiichiro for a moment before deciding to follow Beki's advice. "We'll speak later." Gaara said to the room as he backed outside. Seiichiro followed him nonchalantly.

"Where are you going?" Seiichiro interrupted, blocking the way with his massive figure. "You and I have something to discuss."

Gaara's instincts told him to back away, but his pride told him to hold firm. His pride was quickly losing steam, however, when suddenly Beki threw herself between them.

"Dad! What are you doing?" Beki hissed in protest as she tossed her father a harsh look. He paid her no mind as he maintained the intensity of his glare at Gaara.

"What is your relationship with my daughter?" He asked, blatantly searching Gaara's face for visual tells.

Beki turned towards Gaara and shoved him backwards. "Go!"

Gaara didn't need to be told twice. Seiichiro looked to be in no mood for this particular conversation. He knew Seiichiro was just being a protective father. _Maybe he could appeal to reason_ , Gaara thought. After all, Beki and Gaara hadn't really done anything together except for their beach side sleepover.

"Tsukimori-san. I know you're worried about your daughter, but I promise I've been taking good care of her. When we slept together I may have lost control of myself, but I can assure you that it was an accident that won't happen again."

Beki's mouth dropped in shock. Instantly she threw her arms out towards her father in an attempt to hold him back. A shadow had crossed over Seiichiro's face, the color washing from his skin like the calm before a storm. Seiichiro raised his massive hand and with unholy speed, he made a frenzied grab at Gaara's arm.

Gaara pulled back swiftly and backed towards the entrance behind him. "I don't understand. I may have hurt her that night, but I was hardly myself."

Beki just stared at Gaara. _This just keeps getting worse,_ Beki thought. _Every time he opens his mouth he shoves his foot in further_. She turned her attention back to her father. "Dad! No! It's not what it sounds like!"

Seiichiro made another lunge for Gaara, but he was able to dip out the door and form a floating sand cloud beneath him.

"RUN!"

Gaara heard Beki shout the words behind him, but he was already flying away. _I don't understand why he is so upset._ Gaara shook his head.

"Dad, I can explain everything. Gaara isn't so good with words," Beki said as she stepped back and tried to give her father some breathing room. "Wait, no. What I'm trying to say is that he's really good with words, but he's extremely literal and doesn't..." Beki trailed off as she noticed her father striding towards the entrance. "Where are you going?"

Seiichiro said nothing as he stepped out of the restaurant with his distressed daughter chasing behind him. He nonchalantly grabbed his kanabo and gave it a loving pat. He licked his thumb, held it up to the air, and closed his eyes for a second. Beki came up behind him and continued trying to explain the situation.

Seiichiro tossed up the kanabo and caught it like a javelin. He held up his thumb to line up a shot, wound up his arm, and hawked the massive club like a spear. Beki watched in horror as it knocked the Kazekage clean out of the sky and onto the rooftop below him. Before she could react, Seiichiro had started off in that direction. His pace had been slow at first, but he picked up speed and momentum in the same way as a runaway train. It wasn't especially fast, but forceful. Anything that got in the Reaper's way would be mowed down. Tsunade came outside and heaved a sigh. "Here we go again. Go after them, Tsukimori. I'll be along in a minute."

Beki gave her a nod in confirmation and headed out after her dad. She was faster than he was but she needed to take a different route. If they crossed paths, Seiichiro would probably incap her to keep her out of the way. As Beki darted through the alleys to get to Gaara, she almost ran headlong into Kankuro.

"Hey," Beki grabbed his shirt. "You need to come with me."

"Whoa," Kankuro peeled her hands off him. "Easy killer. I know I'm hot stuff but calm down."

"You don't understand," Beki tried not to let her voice crack in panic. "I think your brother's in trouble. Come on."

Kankuro paled and he trailed after her obediently. "What's going on?" The edge to his voice betrayed how recent events were still tugging at his mind. Beki knew he was probably worried Akatsuki was there to finish the job.

"It's my dad," Beki explained. "He found out about us."

Kankuro stopped dead. "Are you serious? Come on Tsukimori. I don't have time for this. I don't need to be emotional support for my brother while your dad wags a finger at him and warns him not to get any funny ideas about you."

Beki stared him down. "He just knocked Gaara out of the sky with his kanabo. He clipped him like a bird with an arrow."

Kankuro sighed and started running again, mouthing curses about insane Getsu shinobi. Beki ignored him and began scaling the side of the building she had seen Gaara crash on. Grabbing Kankuro had cost her precious time because the moment she cleared the top she saw her father was already there. Seiichiro held Gaara up in the air by the throat. Gaara's sand armor had cracked and the skin underneath was pink. His sand was wrapped around Seiichiro's arm and was crushing down on it. Beki could hear the groan of the metal of Seiichiro's gauntlets but his face betrayed no pain.

"Let him go Tsukimori," Kankuro warned as he approached the middle aged giant. In the blink of an eye, Seiichiro had backhanded Kankuro across the face. The blow was so swift and so forceful it spun him around and knocked him off his feet. Kankuro struggled to get back up but the world was spinning.

"Its okay Kankuro," Gaara's voice was strained. "Stand down."

"Are you crazy?!" Kankuro staggered up onto his knees. "He's going to crush your windpipe."

"Go, Kankuro," Gaara had turned his attention back to Seiichiro. Kankuro glared at Beki. "If something happens to him, I'm coming after you."

"Fine," Beki said automatically "I'll walk right into the knife for you, okay?" Kankuro jumped off the roof, leaving the three of them alone with the sky.

"Go ahead and crush my arm," Seiichiro squeezed. "An arm is a fair price to pay for strangling a kage."

"I told you, nothing inappropriate has happened between us," Gaara strained against the vice grip. "I love your daughter. I am not trying to take advantage of her for political reasons."

"I don't care about politics," Seiichiro spat. "It seems to me you singled out a girl without friends or family as your plaything."

Gaara coughed and wheezed in his next breath. The sand armor around his throat had shattered and was now putting additional pressure on his windpipe as he tried to breathe. He looked the Getsu ambassador in the face and saw the righteous anger in his eyes. This man thought he was protecting his only daughter, his only family in the whole world, from Gaara. He released his hands from Seiichiro's wrist and raised them up around them. The sand followed his movement, encasing the two of them in a perfect sphere of sand.

"What's this?" Seiichiro's voice was full of venom. "Are you going to crush us both?"

"No," Gaara explained. "Whatever happens here between us, Beki doesn't need to see it."

Seiichiro paused a moment waiting to see if Gaara would bring the sand in on them. The walls maintained their stability and the way Gaara looked at him so earnestly sold his words. Seiichiro set the boy back on the ground and watched him cough it out. The sand subsided back into the gourd and instantly Beki was on them. She rushed over to Gaara and took his face in her hands. "Are you alright?!"

He nodded, the motion triggering his aggravated airway. Gaara turned his head and descended into a coughing fit. Beki looked up at her father with protective fire in her eyes. "Really, Dad? Really?! You had to take it this far!"

"I never actually got to eat," Seiichiro said. "Let's get grab a bite. The three of us have a lot to discuss."

…

"Why have you kept this from me?" Seiichiro said to both of them, but it was mostly meant for Beki.

"I unfortunately can't claim to have much of a private life," Gaara explained. "I was concerned about the attention our relationship would bring on Beki if it was public knowledge."

Beki cocked her head. "Well, yeah, and it was a distance thing, so it took a while for us to figure out how serious it was."

Gaara blinked and looked at her in surprise. "We did?"

Beki shrugged. "I thought that sounded more grown up than 'we fell madly in love at once'," she popped a snow pea pod in her mouth before continuing. "Not to mention I knew you were absolutely going to have a cow about it."

"I might have had less of a cow if I had found out from someone other than Ishida," Seiichiro sighed. "He's been trying to have me send you to the shrine for years."

Beki scowled at the bowl. "I hate Ishida almost as much as I hate Ebisu sensei."

"So what are your plans for my daughter?" Seiichiro turned his dad glare up to ten.

Gaara was unphased and spoke as leisurely as if Seiichiro hadn't tried to strangle him an hour before. "We've discussed marriage, which Beki is open to but would prefer we put it off for a while longer."

Seiichiro almost choked on his beer. "You bet your ass she's going to wait."

Beki saw her opening and smiled wickedly. "What, Dad? Didn't you marry mom at my age?"

Seiichiro shot her a dirty look. "First off, we weren't political figures. Second of all, I had been in a relationship with your mother for over two years wherein we literally had to kill for each other and nearly die for one another. Third of all, your mother was nineteen. Not seventeen."

"Sounds like a classic case of 'do as I say, not as I do'," Beki smirked with self satisfaction. It was fun to put her dad in his place. She seldom got the opportunity to but every once in awhile he fell from the high ground.

"Not to mention we were married before anything like _that_ happened between us," Seiichiro leered.

"For the last time!" Beki slammed her hand on the table. "Nothing like _that_ has happened! We slept side by side on a trip we took to the beach! He's only seen me topless because my swimsuit broke!"

Gaara chimed in. "Then again, everyone at the chunin exams saw-" Beki slapped his arm and he looked at her in shock.

"Domestic violence is a crime, Beki."

Seiichiro shook his head and gave a soft chuckle. "I hate to admit it, but the two of you might not be such an odd pair."

Gaara put an arm around Beki and risked a small smile. "Thanks, Dad."

Seiichiro crushed the glass in his hand and Gaara's sand armor began to form instinctively. He gave a nervous puff, his equivalent of a laugh. "Just kidding. Sir."

"I'll be right back," Beki stood up and headed towards the bathroom. The excitement of the afternoon had left her feeling like a mess. Now that she was sure her dad and Gaara wouldn't end up killing her, she thought she could steal a minute to fix her braid. The wild chase through town had unraveled it and sent all her strays flying.

Seiichiro watched his daughter walk away and began to wrap his bleeding hand with a napkin. "I want you to be honest with me," Seiichiro said to Gaara without looking at him. "I'm an old man now. I don't know how much time I have left and I would hate to see my daughter with someone who was just wasting her time."

Gaara considered the ambassador's appearance. As large and intimidating as he was, it was true that he was aging quickly. In the two years he had known him, Gaara had noticed the gray replacing the gold of his hair, the wrinkles on his face, and how his energy had begun to dwindled. He was tired, worn through and spread too thin.

"I have no intention of wasting her time," Gaara reassured him. "Beki is precious to me. When I think about my future, every plan I make includes her. I've become so fond of her that at times it is hard for me to remember a time before her in my life. I remember an event in my past and I try to recall what she had been doing at the time-"

"Love isn't enough," Seiichiro interrupted him. "All anyone ever talks about is love but the truth is sentiment doesn't fill a wallet. It doesn't put a roof over your head or stop an assassin's blade." Seiichiro looked the Kazekage in the eye. "You don't have a father to tell you this, so I guess it's my job to fill you in. Relationships aren't 50/50, they're 100/100. You may love your job, but if it comes before my daughter you two will fail. Being in a relationship means actively choosing that person every minute of every day til death do you part. So I have to ask you: are you the kind of man who will keep choosing Beki?"

Gaara nodded. "Of course. Being with Beki is all I really want-"

Seiichiro held up his hand. "Not just now, when you're both young and she's pretty and the relationship is convenient. I mean when you're having an awful week at work with a threat of impeachment hovering over your head, you come home and get chewed out because Beki is hormonal, miserable, and moody? Will you pick her and not hide out at the office when you're both exhausted and you have a new baby that just cries for hours at a time?How about when your kids grow up and they are out of the house, so Beki gets needy and bugs you constantly because she's bored and lonely? What about when her figure starts to go and she stops dressing up for you, but an army of younger women are throwing themselves at your feet desperate for you to give them the time of day?"

It was clear that Seiichiro was trying to show Gaara that the long distance relationship he had with Beki was easy in comparison to what lay ahead.

"I know you are trying to see if I'll get scared away by this," Gaara explained. "Most men my age would think about that sort of commitment and run as fast as their legs could carry them. I didn't have a normal happy family, so the thought of having someone to come home to, even if she's grouchy and irritable, fills me with joy. There will never be a day where I am not grateful just to have her in my life."

Seiichiro watched Gaara's face. After a moment he exhaled and shook his head. "I hope you can remember that as you get older."

Beki stood quietly across the room from them. It was odd, seeing her father next to Gaara, especially since she had worked so hard for so long to keep them separate. It was comforting to see the two talking in what almost seemed a friendly manner. Beki smiled to herself, content with how things always seemed to work themselves out.

* * *

 **I have to send my computer in for repairs and as the process may take several weeks its unlikely there will be another update for a while. If you message me I will do my best to get back to you within a reasonable amount of time. That being said, I do not know when I or Tallman will be able to post an update. Thank you for reading!**


	63. Ninjas vs Bears

**Hi everyone, the comp's fixed. If you haven't looked recently, I put some new stuff up on my deviantart I think you'll like. Other than that, thank you to those of you who took the time to review. Enjoy!**

Seiichiro wanted to spend more time with his daughter, however he knew his presence was that of a third wheel. He excused himself for the evening, the cool wind of the night soothing his stress. It made awnings and curtains billow gently as some of the wood structures groaned in protest. There was a peacefulness about it that left no questions in Seiichiro's mind about how Beki had settled into Konoha so completely. He looked back over his shoulder to see his precious daughter walking in the opposite direction. The Kazekage was beside her, an arm protectively around her hips. Seiichiro sighed to himself in resignation. _Who better to protect my daughter than a monster?_

As he watched them walk away, Seiichiro couldn't help but be reminded of himself and Yukihana in their youth. Truth be told, plenty of people had considered them monsters. He looked down at his massive hands, hands that had crushed skulls, and remembered how they had been around the Kazekage's neck a few hours before. Squeezing the life out of him. The boy had every right to fight back. His survival depended on it, but the boy had suppressed the urge to lash out and had reached out to Seiichiro as a person. Seiichiro clenched his hands and shook his head. _Who am I to call the Kazekage a monster? Maybe Beki has a better head on her shoulders than I give her credit._

With that final thought, Seiichiro turned away from his daughter and headed to the inn to wait.

…

"That went better than expected," Gaara sighed.

"How on earth is my father almost murdering you 'better than expected'?" Beki balked. "I would say things couldn't have gone much worse!"

Gaara pulled her closer and rested his head on hers. "Well, for one, your father didn't kill me. Second, I would have to say we came to terms by the end of the day."

"You are a glass half full type, aren't you?" Beki bumped him good naturedly, glad that he didn't hold her father's behavior against him. It amazed her constantly what a good person the Kazekage was. Every kind gesture endeared him to her and made her more proud that she could call Gaara hers. Gaara gave Beki a small sly smile. "If there was a glass of water in front of me, I wouldn't argue about whether it was full or empty. I would thank the waitress and drink it."

"You have an answer for everything," Beki sighed in mock frustration. She saw that their wandering was in the direction of the Hyuuga compound. "Hey," She stopped in her tracks and Gaara followed suit, his eyes instantly drawn to hers. "Do we really want to call it a night already? I'd hate if one of the few times I got to see you in person was so, well, wasted."

"Of course not," Gaara took her hands and kissed them. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well," Beki began. "I thought we could start by running away. We'll dye our hair, take different names, travel the world taking odd jobs to get by. Maybe when we're in our thirties we can buy a shack on a beach or in the mountains somewhere and have a couple of kids."

Gaara was silent for a moment as he traced her knuckles with his fingers. "That would be a lot of time where we would be alone together. Are you certain you wouldn't tire of my company over the years."

Beki sighed. "I've thrown everything I can at you: complicated political ties, my insanely protective father, even my questionable choices in underwear. I just can't seem to get rid of you."

"I've never known anyone quite as stubborn as you," Gaara feigned frustration. "I ask you to keep in touch over long distances, put up with my job, tolerate my family, face the Shukaku, and deal with my kidnapping and death. I guess we're stuck with each other." Beki smiled up at him lovingly. "I guess so." Gaara leaned in and kissed her. Beki responded by wrapping her arms around him and pulling closer. They lost themselves in each other for a few minutes, the darkness of the new moon concealing them even though they were in the middle of the road. Gaara pulled away after some time. As they stood there, catching their breath, he searched Beki's face. Gaara missed her constantly. Thoughts of her constantly invaded his mind, interrupting his work all day long. Being with her was worse. He could think of nothing else but to pour over every centimeter of her, to memorize how she breathed and smelled. There was a physical need to run his hands through her hair and to feel the softness of her skin. Beki sunk into him as a refuge against the cold. Gaara held her close, holding his breath so he could hear her heartbeat.

"I love you, Gaara."

The way she said it was so easy and casual, as if she was telling the Kazekage his hair was red. The moments the words left her lips, Gaara felt his entire body tense. He had grown up fearing no one could ever love him and now he found himself with the opposite problem. No one had ever said that to him. His siblings cared for him without a doubt but it was with the assumed familiarity and aloofness they had learned from their father. Endearments were sparse and declarations of affections were never shared. The tension mounted inside him. Gaara knew he needed to say something, that Beki was expecting a reply from him. He had spent so much of his life wondering if he could love another person, and now he was forced to name his feelings for Beki. Was love, the one thing Gaara had been searching for his whole life, so easily shared? It was then that Gaara realized that was exactly what he loved about Beki. In such short time, she had completely entrusted her heart to him, bared her soul, and risked life and limb for him. That was exactly what love was, and he would do all the same for her.

Gaara squeezed Beki so tight she was reminded of her boyfriend's history of popping people. "I love you too, Beki. I don't think there is another person in the world I could ever feel this way about. You make me feel whole. You complete me in ways that I didn't even realize I was lacking." Gaara brushed the hair out of her face as his words came racing out of his mouth faster than he could think. It was as if finally saying the words aloud at last had broken some kind of seal. He was free to shower Beki with as much affection as he could muster and now there was a chance he might just drown her in it. "Sorry, I... I just can't stop. I love you so much I would fight a bear for you."

Beki laughed at him and Gaara stepped back, surprised and wounded. "What's so funny?" Kankuro said girls played games to mess with people's emotions. Had Beki set him up so he would embarrass himself? Normally such a reaction wouldn't catch a second of his notice, but at the moment he was feeling especially vulnerable.

"So, the _Kazekage_ , one of the five most powerful ninja alive, is offering to fight a woodland creature for my honor?" Beki smiled up at him affectionately and he felt his face flushing. "You are absolutely adorable."

"I suppose with that kind perspective it does sound like a silly thing to say," Gaara mentally began to turn off the tap of his affection, averting his gaze. "I suppose I was just trying to find a way to express just how deeply my fondness for you runs-"

"No, stop," Beki turned his face back to hers. "You're turning into the Kazekage again when I was just in the middle of enjoying Gaara's company. Go back to the bears. I wanna hear all about this bear you're going to fight for me."

Gaara relaxed and held her hand against his cheek. "It would be a big one. The biggest bear we could find."

"Ahuh," Beki grinned. "It would have to a grizzly. They're the meanest, you know."

"Could it maybe just be a black bear?" Gaara cringed. "Agreeing to fight it kind of implies I won't be using my sand."

Beki sighed in mock exasperation. "Fine. Not a grizzly bear. You know what, I would be fine if you didn't fight it. You could just run up and touch it and run back. That would be enough bravery to prove your commitment."

"So I just have to tag a bear?" Gaara asked as he rested his head on top of hers. "Will you believe how much I love you then?"

Beki nuzzled into him, suppressing her amused laughter. The Kazekage a was a cold customer but Gaara was as innocent and pure with his emotions as a child. "Sure, Gaara. That's enough for me." She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the warmth of his embrace. She felt his arms moving and assumed he was adjusting when suddenly he pulled back her waistband to look down the back of her pants. "Gaara!" She cried as he let it snap back into place. He gave her rear an affectionate smack. "Tag."

It was in that moment Beki remembered what underwear she had been wearing. She hadn't known he was going to be in town and it was laundry day, so she had been reduced to wearing her teddy bear undies. "Was that...was that all just a long con to get an excuse to swat me?"

Gaara pressed her closer and Beki could feel his cheeks pulling back in a smile. "I would never."

…

The night was still young and Beki was feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Hiding her relationship from her father had bothered her more than she realized. Now that the situation had blown up and everything was out in the open, Beki could finally relax. Regardless of how wonderful this all was in the long run Beki still felt exhausted from the ordeal. Her father had almost murdered Gaara, after all.

The compound was still fairly busy considering the hour so Beki didn't catch any attention. She walked through the kitchen door of Hinata's house and kicked off her shoes. "Hina chan," Beki sighed as she walked into the living room. "I tell you what, it's been a day." Hinata was curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. She was partway through a thick novel and looked so cozy and inviting. Beki walked over to the couch and weaseled her way under the blanket so she was bundled up inside it beside Hinata. She nuzzled into her friend's shoulder and pouted.

"My dad tried to kill Gaara today."

Hinata looked at her friend and made an empathetic "tch tch" noise. She reached up and patted her head. "Poor thing. He found out about you two then?"

"Gaara made it worse by making it sound like we'd been sneaking off all the time to fool around," Beki grumbled. "It all worked out and my dad didn't kill him but I am so exhausted."

Hinata rested her head against Beki's and set her book aside. She wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. "Well, I'm glad it all worked out."

"Me too," Beki smiled, grateful for Hinata's cuddles.

"Hey, what the hell," Naruto stepped in the living room in his pajamas with a bowl of popcorn in his hands. "I'm gone for five minutes and you move in on my snuggle time?"

"I was here first, sorry," Beki stuck out her tongue playfully. "I've had a hard day. Hinata's being a good friend."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto set the bowl of popcorn aside. "Friend time is not as important as lover time."

"It's okay, Naruto," Hinata smiled. "Beki can just watch the movie with us. There's enough room on the couch for three."

Naruto folded his arms. "You asked for this Beki. Hinata, I want cuddles."

Beki rolled her eyes. "What are you going to do, pout?"

Naruto pulled off his shirt, revealing his chiseled abdomen. Hinata's eyes widened, her pupils dilating at the sight of his body. With one strong shove, Hinata sent Beki tumbling to the floor. "Sorry Beki, its cuddle time."

Beki rolled her eyes and pulled herself up off the rug. "You win this round, Uzumaki." She stood and walked to the kitchen door. "I know when I'm not wanted. You two have fun."

"Bye Beki," They chimed in unison. As soon as the door shut behind her, Beki's ears were assailed with the sounds of their fiendish giggling. Beki rolled her eyes at how obsessed with each other the couple was. She had only been home a few minutes, so there was a small chance she could catch up with Gaara. _Might as well get the time in with him where I can._

…

"I got bitch slapped, Gaara," Kankuro's voice echoed oddly from beneath the puppet. It was suspended from chains in the ceiling and it was completely opened up for repairs. Kankuro was working the chassis as he reviewed the day with his brother.

Gaara shrugged as he watched him work. "Apparently, I was giving Seiichiro the impression I had taken his daughter's virginity."

Kankuro slid out from under the puppet. "Weren't you two alone at the beach house?"

"Nothing happened," Gaara shrugged. "Other than the Shukaku getting loose and almost murdering her."

Kankuro narrowed his eyes as he took in this new information, and then nodded. "Yeah. That sounds about right."

"At least my dates turn out to be who they say they are," Gaara kicked the bottom of his brother's foot. "I don't know why you were so upset that my secretary took an interest in you."

"She is older than our father would be," Kankuro grumbled. "Old enough for me to be her grandson."

"You're going to be a spinster if you keep being so fussy, Kankuro," Gaara's face was as still as stone. "You can't afford to pass up opportunities like this."

Kankuro made a scoffing sound and the puppet amplified it almost to an elephant's trumpet. "I'm sure if I dyed my hair some wild color and ran around in a BDSM getup I'd have more people throwing themselves at me to. That's the difference between us, Gaara. I'm happier in the background."

"Tell that to your outlandish face paint," Gaara began, but the sound of approaching footsteps drew their attention. Kankuro slid out from under the puppet and got to his feet. "I hope to God that isn't Seiichiro to finish you off. You're my brother but I don't want to have to keep almost dying to keep you alive." As the footsteps grew closer, Gaara recognized the shuffling gait. Without a moment's hesitation, he shoved his brother bodily into the confines of the gutted puppet and slammed it closed.

"What the hell, Gaara?!" Kankuro pounded from the inside. "Let me out!"

"I need this, Kankuro," Gaara pleaded. "Just stay in there until we leave. Don't make any noise while you're in there."

"This thing could kill me," Kankuro hissed.

"Shh," Gaara patted the side. "You took out all the weapon parts. If anything goes wrong while you're in there, it's on you for having such shoddy workmanship."

"Hey," Beki called out as she knocked. "The innkeeper said you guys were out here."

"Come on in," Gaara turned, standing in front of the puppet just in case Kankuro decided to pop out. Beki walked in the shed and looked around, her brow furrowing. "Where's Kankuro?"

"He-" Gaara cleared his throat to cover the knocking behind him. "He stepped out a moment. Said something about needing some parts." Beki shrugged, accepting his answer at face value.

"Well, I'm free for the evening. I figured you could spend some more time together."

Gaara's heart skipped a beat. More time with Beki? He felt guilty, as though he had already had a delicious meal and was now being offered dessert. "Sure," He looked around the makeshift workshop. "Perhaps we should head inside? I imagine once Kankuro returns it will become inhospitable in here." He watched, his nerves mounting, praying that she would agree. Beki gave a small shrug. "All right."

There was a low grumbling sound from the puppet and Gaara casually kicked it. He walked over to Beki and took her hand, his heart instantly racing with excitement. As they walked outside, the sand formed a cloud under their feet and began to float them up towards the top floor of the inn. Gaara took a moment to admire how Beki had adjusted to traveling on the sand with him. The first time he had flown with her Beki had to cling on to him to keep from falling off. After a few trips, she only held onto Gaara's hand, wobbling every once in a while, as her footing gave out. Now she behaved like a seasoned pro, relaxed and at ease. "It must be nice," She said as the touched down on the balcony. "You get the penthouse every time you visit."

Calling it a penthouse was generous. Konoha didn't have much to offer in the way of luxury accommodations, although to be fair neither did Suna. Usually travelers were only there for a night as they booked a mission or stopped to rest as part of a longer journey. Fortunately, Gaara had been able to send notice of his visit far enough in advance to have the suite of rooms booked. Usually he ended up sharing a room with his brother just like anyone else, however the innkeeper always made a point of spoiling them with the best of what they had. Beki plopped down on the couch and began to take off her shoes. She paused with a boot in midair and looked up at Gaara with a furrowed brow. "Where do you leave your shoes?"

"Excuse me?" Gaara blinked in surprise.

"You know," Beki waved at the door. "Most people leave their shoes by the door. Do you leave yours by the window?" Gaara gave a soft chuckle. "I leave them by the door, just like everybody else, Beki." She shook her head and scoffed. "I find that little hard to believe," Beki walked over to the door and plopped her boots on the side. "Since I think I can count on one hand how many times I've seen you use the front door."

"You're exaggerating," Gaara took off his own shoes and put them beside hers. He had another wisecrack at the tip of his tongue but he paused at the sight of their shoes side by side. There was something unspeakably intimate about it that it touched him deeply. For other people, it would pass unnoticed, something commonplace in any home. The only shoes Gaara ever saw in his house were his brother's or his sister's. It brought a smile to his face knowing that not only had Beki sought out his company, but here she was taking off her shoes and putting them with Gaara's because she was going to stay.

"Are you hungry? I can have them send something up," Gaara offered and Beki frowned in thought. "I think some tea would be nice. I'm still full from dinner, though." Gaara called down to the desk, grateful he didn't have to go ask in person. It was easy to disguise his nerves on the phone than it was to feign it in person. It was less than five minutes before the innkeeper was there, personally delivering the tray. Gaara thanked him with a polite bow, careful to obscure Beki from view. After he had gone, Gaara brought the tray over to the table and sat down across from his girlfriend. Beki gave him a quizzical look as she poured the tea. "Trying to hide me away?" Gaara watched her face to see if she was joking. It seemed so, for the most part. Gaara was learning that there was usually a seed of truth when people made statements in jest. "I'm just trying to protect your privacy," Gaara said as he took the cup from her outstretched hand. "I'm just trying not to get myself strangled again. I doubt we can find another person willing to bring me back to life."

"I'm just giving you a hard time," Beki sank back into the couch, enjoying the warmth of the cup in her hands. "I don't mind if people find out we're together. Now that my dad knows, it doesn't really matter. His opinion is one of, like, five I give a crap about. You're okay in his book, so I'm happy. Now that he knows about us and accepts it, he'll defend our relationship to anyone who tries to drag us through the mud."

"I'm really glad your dad likes me," Gaara looked down into his cup. "I never thought I would have a girlfriend, let alone one that her family doesn't despise me."

"Hold up," Beki raised her hand. "I said he accepted you, I didn't say he liked you. You'll have to tread that line carefully for a long time." The expression on Gaara's face hardened, as though he was retreating into himself. Beki realized her words had come out more harshly than she intended. "I'm not saying he won't ever like you," Beki leaned forward. "It would be easier for him if he had more kids, or even if my mom were still alive. You need to understand I'm everything he has, and he's going to have to let me go. Over time he'll get used to you and once you show him that he'll still get to be a part of my life, he'll soften up. When he and my mom got together, they were effectively cut off. He's not used to something this normal." Gaara gave a soft laugh and Beki furrowed her brow. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry," Gaara shook his head and smiled at her. "I just never thought we would be considered 'normal', miss future ambassador."

"Do you think that this isn't normal?" Beki asked.

"It isn't that," Gaara explained. "This is the most normal relationship I've ever had. It's just sometimes I almost can't believe it's real. It's hard to believe that it's mine."

"Believe it," Beki said as she sipped her tea.

"I will when you marry me," Gaara stared her down.

"Gaara," The tone in Beki's voice was threatening.

"You won't give me a straight answer," Gaara put his cup on the table. "What will it be, Miss Tsukimori?"

Beki gave an exasperated sigh. "Can you slow down? My dad just found out we're dating. What do you think he'd do if we ran off and eloped?"

"See?" Gaara rested his chin on his hand as he watched her face. "Still no straight answer."

"Okay," Beki clapped her cup on the table. "You want a straight answer? No. I'm not ready to get married, and I think you know that. I don't appreciate you treating this like it's a joke."

"It isn't a joke, Beki," Gaara explained. "I'm just hoping if I keep asking I'll catch you in a good mood and get lucky."

"I understand that you like being the youngest everything," Beki folded her arms. "Getting married at 17 isn't as impressive as becoming a kage at 15. One of those things implies talent and determination. The other implies you rush into decisions and are ruled by your emotions, which is something a shinobi worth his salt would never do."

"I think you're insinuating that my affection for you affects my ability to do my job," Gaara leaned forward. "And you would be right in that accusation. Do you realize how distracting you are? I check my mailbox three times a day hoping a letter from you has arrived. I think about you night and day. I miss you constantly." Gaara sighed. "This separation is unbearable. Excuse me for being so selfish, Beki. I know how you feel but I can't help but try to find a way to bring you closer."

Beki looked at the Kazekage, who for the second time today was baring his soul before her. She heaved a sigh and got up from the couch. He watched her, concern flashing across his face. Beki walked around the coffee table and sat beside him, taking his face in her hands. _It's impossible to stay upset at him._ "I'm not mad at you. I know how confusing this all is." Beki thought of Naruto and Hinata giggling, how they woke up side by side every morning, of how they were together always. "I get frustrated too, not being able to be like other couples," Beki stroked his cheek. "Let's not take it out on each other, okay? We don't ever get to see each other and it always seems like when we do, we talk about stuff like this. I just want to be together, like we were on the beach."

Gaara put an arm around her and pulled her close. "You mean before I turned into a Tailed Beast and attacked you?"

"Precisely," Beki leaned into his chest and let the sound of his heartbeat and the rhythm of his breathing blot out her thoughts.

"It's getting late," Gaara said and Beki began to pull away, thinking he was kicking her out. Instead, Gaara tightened his grip on her. "Would you like to spend the night?"

Beki looked around the room. "Where's Kankuro going to go?"

Gaara kissed the top of her head. "That's the nice thing about the suite, he has his own room." Beki thought about it for a moment. No one had really seemed to care she had gone out so late. So long as she got home at a reasonable time in the morning it wouldn't raise any alarms for the Hyuugas. "I won't have anything to wear," Beki looked up at him and he smiled gratefully. "You can borrow something of mine," He offered.

They stacked the cups on the tray and walked into Gaara's room. Beki closed the door behind them as Gaara fished through his bag. "Wait," He stopped. "Can you do something for me?"

Beki narrowed her eyes suspiciously, a sly smile pulling at her lips. "What?" She had already begun to undress, peeling off her socks, standing on one leg at a time like a flamingo. Gaara unbuttoned his jacket and held it out to her. He smiled shyly up at her. "I was wondering if I could see you in this?"

As she took the coat from his hands, Beki couldn't help but notice how heavy it was. It was incredible how much weight the Kazekage carried around on himself as though it were nothing. Beki slid the coat. The shoulders sagged on her smaller frame, the sleeves hanging down to the tips of her fingers. The tails dragged on the floor behind her like a train and the front hem of the jacket was long enough to be a scandalous dress on her. Gaara smiled at her affectionately. "So?" Beki held up her arms so the sleeves fell to her elbows. "Do I look as regal and dignified as a kage?" Gaara shook his head. "You're too cute to be dignified." Beki puffed up, feigning insult. "I'll have you know, sir," She wagged the loose sleeve at him. "I am the Drowned Maiden and I will not stand for such slander!" In one fell swoop, Gaara yanked on one of her tails with his foot, knocking her off balance, and then shoved her on the bed.

"It didn't take that much to defeat you," Gaara had locked her in a tight embrace. "Then again, I apparently have a 'bondage thing'. I could just be a specialist in this sort of thing."

"Is this what you meant when I could borrow something of yours?" Beki's voice was muffled in his chest. Gaara chuckled. "No. I'll let you have one of my shirts." He released her and rolled out of bed, scooping up the shirt he had abandoned on top of his bag. Beki took it from him and laboriously peeled off his jacket. Gaara took the coat and slung it over a chair, turning in time to catch Beki as she stripped. His eyes caught on the curves of her legs and stayed there, transfixed, until she pulled off her shirt. Gaara's heart raced as Beki unhooked her bra. She paused and caught his eye. "What's up? Forgot how to talk?"

Gaara shook his head to refocus. "H-hi." Beki laughed. "That's the best you can come up with?" Gaara gestured to the exposed breasts before him. "With this in front of me, yes! I'm a man, Beki. I'm lucky if I can remember to breathe." Beki's lips stretched into a wicked smile. "Really?" Gaara held up his hands defensively. "Look, Ma'am, I don't want any trouble." As she approached, he backed towards the bed until he fell backwards onto it. Beki climbed on top of him, placing her hands on either side of his face. She lowered herself down until her forehead was against his. Gaara felt the warmth of her skin through his clothes. She smelled faintly of vanilla and strawberries. Beki leaned in closer, strands of hair coming loose and brushing against his face. She kissed him softly at first, but slowly it built up until it was a hard pull.

Instinctively Gaara reached up and held Beki's waist. He sat up and pulled her close, his body craving her. Beki ran her fingers through his hair sending sparks down his spine. They broke apart for air and Beki's breath caught with excitement. The sound triggered something in Gaara, a deep physical need, that made him want to pin her down. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to pull her close and hide her from the world, to make her his and his alone. Gaara had no idea how to channel this aggressive hunger. All he could do was squeeze her tighter.

Beki pulled away and Gaara watched her closely, waiting for her next move. She grabbed at the hem of his shirt and began to pull it off, so Gaara raised his arms and helped her along. The sensation of the skin to skin contact was intoxicating, so much so that Beki pressed herself against Gaara, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in his neck. Gaara pulled her down onto the bed beside him. Beki broke away and looked at the Kazekage. Gaara reached up and took her face in his hands, his heart throbbing so hard in his chest it felt like it was going to burst. Beki swallowed nervously as she felt his manhood pressing against her. Gaara noticed where her gaze had turned to and began to untangle himself from her. "Sorry," He said breathlessly. Bek grabbed him and drew him near. No, stay." Gaara put his hand on her hip, sliding it under the strap of her panties. "Do you...Do you want to?" Beki's body was on fire. Wherever she was in contact with Gaara was lit up like a marquee, and wherever he wasn't touching her was screaming for his attention. There was nothing more in the world that she wanted than his body. She made up her mind and her heart began to flutter. "Yeah," She said breathlessly. "I need you...I need you really bad."

Gaara kissed her, positioning himself so he was on top of her propped up on his elbows. "If it starts to hurt, we can stop,' He said nervously. "Just say something."

Beki nodded, "Okay."


	64. Childhood's End

**Hey everyone, here's the latest. Thank you so much for those of you who reviewed the last chapter, I appreciated the feedback. The romantic scene in that one was new for me so hearing what you all thought was really helpful. Enjoy!**

* * *

The morning sun shone through the crack in the curtains, finally stirring Gaara from his slumber. He blinked in the bright light, raising his free hand to shield his eyes against it. As he regained consciousness he became aware of the numbness in his other arm. Beki had fallen asleep with her back pressed to his chest and was using his crooked arm as a pillow. Somehow, they managed to fall asleep while spooning, which after several hours was still comfortable aside from the numbed extremities. Gaara buried his face in Beki's neck and wrapped his free arm around her waist. He savored her scent and the softness of her bare skin against his. The flashes of the night before drifted back into his mind. He remembered tasting the salt of their sweat and Beki clawing at his back. He had been so worried about hurting her the whole time. Gaara felt a flush of embarrassment when he realized he had probably asked her if she was okay a hundred times, even after it was all finished. It was obvious the experience was painful for Beki and made it impossible for Gaara to enjoy himself. People always made it sound like making love was this incredible experience but all Gaara could think about was the way Beki's body tensed while she was underneath him. He held her a little tighter, feeling guilty for the pain he had caused her.

Beki let out a small groan. "What time is it?"

"Good morning to you, too." Gaara kissed her shoulder. "It's-" He looked at the clock in the corner. "Oh no."

"What?" Beki rolled over and sat up. Gaara jumped out of bed and immediately began throwing on his clothes. "I have a meeting with your father and Tsunade in ten minutes!"

"Shoot," Beki scrambled out of bed, stumbling when her foot got caught in the sheets. She turned while hopping on one foot to disengage from her bonds. "Here," She threw his jacket at him. "Are you going to make it?"

Gaara heaved a sigh. "I don't know. Do I look all right?" Beki walked around the bed and ran her fingers through his hair. "Your hair is always kind of a mess. I think you'll be okay." She began to pull on her clothes from the night before but had trouble finding her shirt. The shirt Gaara had lent her the night before was on the floor by the bed so she gave up and tossed it on while Gaara finished putting on his jacket. He opened the door to the common area of the suite to find Kankuro drinking coffee, his empty breakfast plate before him on the coffee table.

"Kankuro," Gaara said, his voice full of exasperation. "Why didn't you wake me up?!"

Kankuro took another sip of his cup. "Well for one," He gestured to his clothes, which upon closer inspection were covered with tiny gashes and tears. "You did this to me when you locked me up in the puppet."

"Really?" Gaara folded his arms. "You're going to let me embarrass myself in front of a fellow kage because I threw you in your own puppet?"

"I could have died!" Kankuro slammed his cup on the table. Gaara held out his arms. "You took all the weapons out!"

Kankuro gestured to his clothes again. "It has screws and shit in there that hold it all in place! I was almost skewered!"

"Can we take this conversation on the road?" Gaara walked over to the balcony and threw open the doors. "Beki, will you be okay from here?"

She shrugged. "I'll get home just fine. You had better get to that meeting or my dad will come looking for you. That's the last thing we need right now."

"There's still some toast and stuff on the tray if you want it," Kankuro waved at the table as he walked to join his brother on the balcony.

"Thanks, have fun," Beki waved them off as they flew away. She looked at the tray of food and sighed. As much as she would love to sit and enjoy a leisurely breakfast, the longer she took to get back to the Hyuuga compound the more she would have to explain. Beki threw on her shoes and hopped out the balcony onto the ground below. It wasn't hard to navigate the back streets home. Beki knew it was going to take some doing to sneak into Hinata's house without rousing much suspicion, but she had twenty minutes of walking to figure out how she was going to do that.

…

"So, tell me, Gaara, what possible excuse could you have for locking your _brother_ in a _murder puppet?!"_ Kankuro's yelling wouldn't disturb anyone considering the height Gaara was flying them at. He took a moment to think about a response that would sate his brother's fury. There was only one thing he could share and that was the truth. "I…I got laid."

Kankuro fell silent. "Fine. If that's what it took for you to become a man, sure. Whatever." Kankuro's voice dropped to a whisper: " _Slut."_

"It…it wasn't how I thought it would be." Gaara folded his arms. "I think I hurt her."

Kankuro sighed, knowing this was another of those moments he had to pick up the slack his father had left them. "It never is. In the movies, they make it seem like it's this awesome thing right out of the gate. Its romantic and hot all at the same time. Let me break it to you: it will be awkward as hell for a long time until you guys figure out what you're doing. She's going to get hurt. You're going to get hurt. It's going to seem like, 'this can't possibly be normal. Its gross and kind of uncomfortable'. No, I'm sorry to say, but that's exactly how it is."

Gaara tensed. "Let's talk about this after the meeting." Kankuro shrugged. "Hey, you brought it up."

The Hokage's mansion fast approached. Gaara estimated they would only be three minutes late but he was upset nonetheless. He was never late to meetings. "You guys were safe, right?" Kankuro's voice tore through his thoughts like a saw.

"Yes, of course," Gaara sighed. Kankuro poked his ribs, knowing Gaara was uncomfortable and was unable to resist his big brother urge to pry. "It was a fresh one, right? If you leave them in your wallet too long they don't work as well."

"Kankuro, I swear, if you don't stop right now I'm going to drop you through the sand." Gaara clenched his fists. He had too much going on at once and Kankuro knew it. This was his form of revenge for locking him in the puppet. "I need to get it together. I have to go face her father and act like nothing happened."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Kankuro stretched. "You usually come off an emotionless bastard so your poker face is flawless."

Gaara heaved a deep sigh that was almost loud enough to cover the sound of Kankuro's screams as he was dropped through the sand cloud onto the rooftops below. "I did warn him." Gaara shrugged as he landed on the Hokage's mansion.

…

Beki scanned the perimeter and confirmed the coast was clear. She used chakra to cautiously scale the wall up to her bedroom window, popped the catch inside with her bobby pin, and climbed inside. _I'm in the clear._

Now that she was home, in her own space, the events of the night before finally began to process. Beki took a seat on the bed and held her knees. It all seemed so surreal. The day had begun like any other, then it spiraled out of control and Seiichiro had almost murdered Gaara because of a misunderstanding. The three had dinner and worked it all out, which had made Beki feel much better about herself. Gaara and Beki had then hit the big "I love you" milestone. Beki smiled to herself at the memory of Gaara's sweet, awkward, and genuine babble as he confessed his feelings for her.

Things got dicey once she headed over to see him later that evening. He had given her another half assed proposal, which even in retrospect made her feel off. Beki hated how casually he threw those words around, like they had no weight at all. It had turned into a fight that they had somehow worked through so seamlessly that it had transitioned into the bedroom.

The smile faded from Beki's face. The timeline of her evening had hit the point where she had to come to terms with what they had done in the dark all alone. Beki was a physically affectionate person and part of the reason she was so into Gaara was the physical attraction between them. Feeling his hands on her skin, his breath on her neck, and all the other manifestations of his desire for her had been unlike anything she had ever experienced. There had been a longing deep inside Beki that she had previously been unaware of. In that moment, the strange hunger awoke and she had needed him. She wanted him to be inside her.

Beki had an idea of what sex was supposed to feel like. At first, things were going exactly the way she had thought with all the steamy kisses and how thrilling all the touching was. Then everything just went wrong. Gaara had tried to be gentle but it hurt. Beki had plenty of conditioning on how to ignore pain in the field. She had pushed through having her head bashed in against Hidiki and being electrocuted by her cousin. This pain was different in that it was unlike any pain she had ever felt before. The only way she could think to describe it was like being torn open from the inside. Beki felt a mixture of revulsion and guilt about the whole experience.

Gaara had been nothing but considerate, constantly asking if Beki was all right and if she wanted him to stop. Beki knew that the pain and the mess would be there, no matter who it had been with, and so she was grateful it had been with someone as kind as Gaara. She was aware, however, that the experience had been just as traumatizing for him. Ever since the Shukaku, Beki knew Gaara was terrified of harming her physically. The night before it had been impossible for Beki to hid her physical response to the pain. There was way to hide the mess, either. Beki shuddered and curled up in a ball on the bed. It was surreal, how everything had changed in a single night. Gaara had gone from her boyfriend to her lover and Beki had gone from a girl into a woman. When looking at the big picture, nothing had changed. There was some soreness and a few awkward memories but otherwise these were subtle shifts. It was like a drop that made ripples in the water, the long-term effects of which wouldn't be felt for some time to come.

A soft knock at the door set Beki back up into a sitting position. Before she could speak, Hinata poked her nose in the room. "Oh hi, Beki. You're home."

Beki was instantly seized with fear. Something told her she shouldn't advertise that she had sex with the Kazekage the night before. _The Hyuuga would probably cast me out for a heathen._

"Oh, I uh, got in late last night. You guys weren't up yet so I went out for a run. I just got back and I used the window in case you were still sleeping."

Hinata leaned against the door and gave Beki a humoring look. "Funny, I checked your bed last night and this morning. You weren't there either time."

Beki froze up, unable to find a way to talk herself out of this.

"That's Gaara's shirt, isn't it?" Hinata asked. Beki opened her mouth to reply but Hinata pointed at the shirt. "It has the emblem for Suna on the shirt pocket."

Beki sat there, open mouthed and defeated. She gave up and prepared herself to bare her soul.

"Beki, I'm not your mom," Hinata explained. "What you do in your personal life is none of my business unless you choose to share it with me. I just wanted to know if you wanted pancakes."

 _This woman is a literal earth angel._ Beki smiled, touched at just how good of a friend Hinata was. There was no judgement, no interrogation, just love and breakfast food. "Of course I want pancakes," Beki smiled.

"Then get downstairs, they're getting cold," Hinata smiled gently as she closed the door behind her. "Harlot."

"What?" Beki called out in surprise.

"Kidding," Hinata managed to slip in just before the door clicked shut.

Beki hopped off the bed and pulled off Gaara's shirt. At first, she considered hiding it but the notion seemed silly since the one person who might have a problem with it in the house had just given her a seal of approval. Instead, Beki folded it and left it on the table by her bedside and went looking for a replacement. There was a seafoam green crewneck sweater that had fallen off the hanger in her closet that looked sufficiently comfortable so Beki threw it on. The feeling of a clean shirt made her realize how grubby the rest of her felt. Beki risked incurring Hinata's housewifey wrath at being late to breakfast by quickly peeling off the socks, pants, and underwear from the night before. Beki put on a fresh pair of underwear and clean leggings. She took the stairs two at a time to find Naruto and Hinata already seated and enjoying their meal. Beki took up her spot at the kitchen table and began to pour syrup over her stack. Her eyes traveled along the table until they landed on Naruto's plate.

"How come he has Mr. Smiley and I don't?" Beki asked Hinata with a pout.

"What?" Naruto frowned down at his plate and then looked at Hinata.

"Now that Naruto lives here again I'm chopped liver?! No more whipped cream smiley faces and fresh fruit features for me?!" Beki whimpered.

"I'm sorry Beki, I ran out after Naruto's pancakes," Hinata apologized. "I'll make you Mr. Smiley next time."

"Then why did Naruto get it?" Beki feigned indignance. "I'm a guest in this house, you know."

Naruto noticed her tone and hopped in. "Well, you know, I'm obviously Hinata's favorite."

"Hey, all it would take me is some eyeliner whiskers and a pair of pigtails and I'd have you running for your money," Beki waved a loaded fork at him pseudo-threateningly. "Watch yourself, Uzumaki."

"Oh, you two," Hinata sighed. "How did I not notice the similarities earlier?"

After a few sips of coffee, a bite of pancakes, and pleasant company Beki felt much better about herself. No matter how awkward, challenging, and confusing the night before had been, it was behind her now. Things only could get better from here.

…

"Oh no," Gaara's eyes widened in horror as he flew back towards the inn on the sand cloud with Kankuro in tow. "I didn't kiss Beki goodbye this morning."

"So?" Kankuro shrugged. "You were in a hurry."

Gaara whirled around. "You don't understand! What if Beki thinks that I just used her for sex?!"

Kankuro rolled his eyes. "Yes, Gaara, you're totally the kind of player that's in it for the long con. You built a relationship with her over two years, met her father, had sex with her, and now you're going to fly off into the sunset on your sand cloud, putting another notch in your gourd."

"You really think so?!" Gaara reached up and held his forehead.

Kankuro watched his brother carefully. In less than twenty-four hours, Gaara had gotten him bitch slapped by a man the size of a refrigerator, locked him in one of his own puppets, and dropped him through the sand cloud to what could have been certain death.

"Yes." Kankuro said at last.

"I need to go talk to her right now," Gaara shook his head. "What a mess I've made."

…

Feeling her energy replenished, Beki decided to take a mid-morning stroll. She made her way out onto the road and headed for the woods beyond the compound. There were several nice walking paths that wove their way around the property that were long enough for Beki to get her fill of nature.

Beki had only barely crossed the tree line when she heard someone call her name. She paused, scanned her surroundings, and couldn't locate a source. _I must be imagining it._ Few flowers were in bloom this time of year but the world was rich and green nonetheless. The air was full of the clicking of cicadas and the chatter of birds. Beki carefully stepped over exposed roots, dried out and white like sloppily buried corpses, and ducked under low hanging branches that tugged at her clothes. Movement in the brush caught her attention. Beki dropped low and held perfectly still in case it was an attack. A fluffy gray squirrel emerged from the bush and regarded her carefully. Beki smiled at the creature and backed away respectfully. As she slowly rose to her full height, a hand grabbed ahold of her shoulder.

A scream escaped her lips as she whirled around, swinging with a closed fist at their face. Gaara took the full force of the hit directly in his cheek. The blow made him rotate with the strike, however his sand armor absorbed most of the damage. Hunks of the armor fell away and the skin beneath it was pink with irritation.

"Hi to you, too." He raised his hand to his cheek.

Beki pulled away her hand. "I'm so sorry," her gaze fell on her scraped knuckles. "You can't sneak up on me like that." _I was wondering how I didn't detect the person approaching. I'm not surprised I couldn't sense Gaara coming._

"I, um, sorry about that." Gaara blinked away the water welling up in his eyes. "That…I felt that. Hell, even through the armor that smarts."

Beki shrugged apologetically. "Dad always said if I couldn't put a man down in one hit I was as good as dead."

"Good advice," Gaara gave her an awkward smile. "I'd certainly think twice about abducting you." Beki gave him a perplexed look and he shook his head. "That sounded a lot better in my head." Gaara eyed his girlfriend, trying to gauge how to proceed. Should he bring up that he forgot to kiss her or just go in for a make-up kiss? _No,_ he shook his head. _That can't be it._ "So, it's nice out today," Beki's perplexed look dissolved into an embarrassed grimace. _She doesn't even have to say anything for me to realize how awkward this is. We had sex last night and I'm talking about the weather._

"Yeah," Beki averted her gaze. "It's not too hot and not too cold. How was the meeting with my dad?"

"It went all right," Gaara scratched his neck. "I had buttoned my jacket wrong but no one said anything."

"Well that's good," Beki kicked at the dirt. The two stood speechless for a few moments and as the silence stretched the mood became increasingly more uncomfortable.

"Beki-" Gaara said at last.

"Gaara," Beki said at the same moment.

"You can-" Gaara held out his hands politely, as if giving her the floor.

Beki held up her hands. "No, it's okay. You can go. Really."

"I," Gaara sighed and centered himself. He reached out and took ahold of her hands. "I've been worried about you all day. How are you feeling?"

"Gaara, I'm fine," Beki looked up at him. "Thank you, but you don't have to worry about me."

"But last night, you were hurt and-" Gaara started but Beki put her finger over his lips.

"Shh," Beki shushed as she pulled him into a hug. "It did hurt. I won't lie about that but it had to happen at some point or another. I'm glad its behind us so maybe next time it can be less…uncomfortable. For both of us."

Gaara ran his fingers through her hair and held her head to his chest. He kissed the top of her head and rested his chin there, silently hoping that what she said was true. Gaara hated knowing that he had hurt her. She was the most important person in the world to him, the first person on his list to protect. Secretly, he was concerned that it would never get better. Sex between them would always be painful for her and it would always be an unpleasant experience. Then again, he loved her so much that he was certain there was a way around it, that if that was the case, they could still live happily together without sex as a part of their romantic life.

Beki snuggled into him, glad for his company. It was easier to deal with the problem together than alone. Seeing the Kazekage reminded her why she was having to sort this all out. He was worth the struggle because she loved him. Beki loved his kindness, his gentleness, and it really helped that he was so good looking. Beki smiled as she breathed in his scent. "You know, you didn't kiss me goodbye this morning." Gaara cringed. "I know, I'm so sorry. I realized after I had left but I was already so late…can you forgive me?"

Beki turned her mischievous grin on him. "Fine. Just know that I charge interest on missed kisses."

Gaara brushed Beki's hair out of her face. "That's fine with me."

…

It was almost sunset when Gaara arrived at the inn. Kankuro was sitting on one of the couches, his finished dinner before him. At the sight of his brother, Kankuro gestured at the covered plate across from him. "I ordered for you. It might still be hot."

"Thanks," Gaara took a seat and reached for the covered plate. Kankuro's expectant silence gave him pause. "What?"

"What what?" Kankuro struggled to suppress a grin.

"What's on the plate?" Gaara narrowed his eyes. It was probably a mechanical spider. Last time Kankuro acted like this, it was a mechanical spider in Gaara's desk drawer.

"Dinner!" Kankuro waved his arms. "What kind of brother do you think I am?!"

Gaara watched him for another moment before deciding it was worth the risk. He carefully raised the plate cover, his sand ready to defend. Before the cover had even cleared the brim of the plate, entire strips of condom packets began to spill out like confetti. Gaara dropped the lid on the table in shock, spilling a variety of adult items all over the floor. He spotted fuzzy handcuffs, a blindfold, and at least three dubious looking packages before he instinctively kicked the table, flipping it over on Kankuro.

Kankuro by this point didn't care. He was paralyzed with laughter, the metallic click of wrappers falling on the floor and Gaara's horrified face all he needed to pass happily into the afterlife.

"What the hell, Kankuro," Gaara spat.

"You aren't eighteen yet," Kankuro choked. "I figured I'd help you out. At the rate you two are going, you have to be careful. We don't want any tiny Kazekages running around just yet."

Gaara glared at Kankuro but then his gaze softened. "You know, I really appreciate this. I know how embarrassing it must have been for you to have to ask the people in the shop about what people who had sex would need."

Kankuro laid on the floor in stunned silence, feeling like he had been verbally kicked in the balls. "I don't even know you anymore."

"Well, I am a man now," Gaara walked towards his room. "Someday you'll know what that's like."

…

Somewhere in the depths of the darkest recesses of one of Orochimaru's secret labs, Miki scrubbed away at the floor of the morgue. The coroner on duty was an asshole and resented that Miki had been assigned as his apprentice. Knowing he was in a position of authority over her, he constantly sent her on pointless or difficult errands, performed his work as sloppily as possible, or her least favorite, he made her go collect the recently deceased from the other labs.

He had knocked a tray containing the stomach contents of the body on the gurney above her all over the floor, as far from the floor drain as possible. Miki had on her face mask and goggles but the smell cut through everything.

"Nomura," Doctor Morioka spat her name more than he said it. "Take these autopsy results up down to Lab 7 when you're done there."

"Yes, Dr. Morioka," Miki said in a perfect professional tone. The job in the morgue was unpleasant but it beat a lot of the other work available in the bases. Miki had to pull an embarrassing amount of favors to get herself in one of the labs. Many of the positions were what was considered "disposable" work. Miki's time in Otogaukre taught her disposables had a life expectancy of five months max. At least working for the asshole doctor meant she could learn some valuable medical skills, which would help keep her away from dangerous menial labor.

The partially digested curry and vegetables now properly disposed of, Miki removed her protective gear, washed her hands, dried them on a fresh towel, and took the papers. The Doctor tried to trip her on the way out but Miki sidestepped it without comment. _Focus, Miki._ Walking through the halls was a mind game all its own. You had to simultaneously look incredibly busy and on the brink of murder to dissuade any casual stabbings. She had taken a pen knife to the thigh her first week and was always afraid she was going to pick up a matching scar. The stairs down into the deeper sections of the base were always dangerous but Miki was confident it was too early for ruffians to be about yet.

When she arrived at her floor, Miki pushed open the double doors and took a left at the fork up ahead. Lab Seven was in the same corridor as Lab Six and Lab Eight, its doors directly at the end of the hall. Miki stood silently ten feet from the entrance, mentally preparing herself to go inside. Without warning, the papers in her hand were yanked away. Before she could even cry out in surprise, she was smacked in the head with the autopsy report.

"Boop," Kabuto pulled away the papers with a smile.

"Oh hey," Miki sighed with relief. "I thought it was someone whose murderous intent wasn't so obvious."

"Murderous, me?" Kabuto frowned. "I'm hurt, Miki."

"Yeah, whatever," Miki held out her hand expectantly. "Hand over the report."

Kabuto widened his eyes in surprise. "Well look at you, ordering around the village's number two man like he's your personal stooge. I'm impressed, Nomura."

"I just know that you would never get between me and doing the good Lord Orochimaru's work." Miki raised her chin confidently. She opened and closed her fingers. "Gimme."

Kabuto handed them over with a bow. "Your autopsy results, Ms. Nomura." Miki snatched them and thumbed through the pages. She wouldn't put it past Yakushi to yank a section to see if she noticed before her boss came down on her for it. While her attention was on the pages, Kabuto rested an elbow on top of her head.

"I'm not that short. Stop it," Miki wiggled to escape. "You're on your tip toes!"

"Shh," Kabuto pulled her close, locking her head under his arm in a preemptive noogie position. "So what is it about Lab Seven that's got you so spooked? Is it the exposure experiments, all black and purple and crumbly?"

"No," Miki latched on to his arm and attempted to pry it away. She knew her efforts were useless. Kabuto looked like a wimp but had an unrivaled vice grip. "It's the source of the exposure."

Kabuto gave a soft chuckle and tossed her towards the doors. "Well, best be off then. Shouldn't keep the doctor waiting."

Miki fixed her hair and took a deep breath as she walked through the doors. There it was, the resident glacier. The thing had been here since before the hideout had become a base. They had never finished the room; the walls were still just roughly hewn stone. The body of ice was as big as a house. Normally Miki could just ignore such a thing as an eccentric decoration but this was no ordinary block of glowed softly from within, illuminating the room in its bluish candescence. Once again, such a thing would be pretty if it weren't for the malevolent rage that pumped out of it nonstop. Being in the room for more than ten minutes was known to drive people completely insane. They would pound on the ice until their hands were bloody stumps, screaming about "Making the voice stop".

"Oh, Nomura," The sleepy-eyed tech held out his hand. "Is this for Subject 22D?"

"Yes," Miki handed it over, her eyes never leaving the ice. The tech followed her gaze and sighed.

"People always think it's going to do something. It just has that kind of vibe, doesn't it?"

Miki had to admit she was always on alert around it. Something was in that ice and it hated everything. "I guess so." She looked at the tech. "Has it ever like, talked to you? Like people say it does?"

The tech shrugged. "The people who work this lab are on a constant low dose antipsychotic."

"That's rough," Miki cringed sympathetically. "But I know it's better than the protocols in other labs."

The tech looked around, confirming that the other tech was busy restraining a subject. "There was this one time though," He began. "We aren't ever supposed to be in here alone. That's the other protocol. This one day, our last subject snapped and was smashing his face into the ice so bad the only other tech on duty had to rush him to the ER."

Miki kept her face passive and disinterested just in case the other tech glanced over. She didn't want to get the kid in trouble for being sociable. The tech watched her face. Miki gave him a nod as the all clear and he continued. "So, I was in here alone for about twenty minutes. Nothing happened at first, and nothing had ever happened before so it wasn't like I was looking for something. Fifteen minutes into my vigil, I thought I heard someone call out to me. I turned to see if the other tech was back and the damn glacier _flickered._ I didn't say a word about it until after my shift and they put me on suicide watch for a week."

Miki shuddered involuntarily, her eyes shifting to the sentient ice. As she walked out of the lab, she shook her head. _And people wonder why I'm so happy to be working in the morgue._


	65. Pink Slip

**Hi guys, we're gearing up for the next major arc here. I really appreciate those of you who have been sending me feedback and leaving reviews. Hearing your thoughts on things is helpful in the development of these arcs. It makes me feel like I'm not just shouting into an empty void! I put a lot of time and effort into planning and writing these chapters so it is nice to feel appreciated. That being said, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The Doctor's smile was all Miki had to see to know she was going to have a bad day.

"Why, Miss Nomura," his grin was sickeningly self-satisfied. "I have a bit of a project for you." Miki's eyes scanned the room for a bloated body or some meaty mess that had once been human. The fact that there was no visually obvious indicator of his joy made it twice as nerve wracking.

"What is it then, sir?" Miki kept her voice friendly. Maybe he had hit his head and forgotten that he was the world's biggest jerk. The doctor walked her over to the slab wall and Miki's heart sank. The morgue had ten refrigerated slabs most of which were occupied. One of the bodies they had been processing had burst inside the slab a few days ago; bloody pus had worked its way through the cracks and slid down to the floor. The body had been investigated immediately and incinerated but no one had the time to clean out the slab yet.

"Don't give me that look," The doctor scoffed. "I gave it a precursory hose down. I don't need to you to get infected with whatever flesh eating disease Nakamura had."

 _Not because you care about me, of course. You did that to protect yourself from getting infected._ Miki walked over to the wall of protective equipment and began to gear herself up. She put on the full-face mask, rubber apron, and rubber gloves that went up to her shoulders. _This might just be enough to keep me from getting sick. It's a messy job but it's mine to do._ Miki filled up a bucket with scalding hot water and mixed in the cleaning solution. She grabbed the sponge, subtly took a deep breath to steel herself, and then walked over to the offending slab. It opened with a hiss and Miki involuntarily gagged at the smell. She could hear the doctor chuckling behind her. "Let me get the fan for you," he said as he flipped the switch. Each slab was vacuum sealed but at the back a panel could slide away, revealing a fan that could suck out noxious gasses and smells for cleaning purposes. Miki slid the metal slab out of the box as far as the rails would allow and began to scrub it down. She took her time, knowing if she cut any corners the doctor would make her start over from the beginning. He ambled around the office, fixing this and straightening that, all the while his eyes on Miki. She moved from the slab to the inside of the box, cleaning as far as her arms could reach. Once she had maxed out her range, Miki climbed up on top of the slab and began to clean further inside.

There was a sudden, violent jerk on the slab and Miki was sent sliding into the box. She looked up to see the doctor slamming the door shut behind her. Inside the slab, the sound of the fan was deafening but at least Miki knew she wouldn't suffocate. "Hey!" She cried, giving the door a solid kick. Through the whirr of the fan she heard the doctor cackle. "Come on, let me out!" Miki kicked again but the door wouldn't budge. The morgue slabs didn't lock, so all Miki could figure was that the doctor was leaning his weight against the door to keep her contained. _At least the slab is clean._ Miki laid down on the cold metal and tried not to look at the splatter of bodily fluids along the top of the box. She still had the sponge but the urge to scrub had left with her freedom. _Knowing the doctor, he just wants me to lose my composure. If I can chill here long enough, he'll get bored and leave._ Miki put her hands over her ears to protect them from the volume of the fan right above her head. She lay there silently, periodically pushing on the door with her foot to see if the doctor had left.

Miki let her thoughts wander. She thought about what she would do when her shift ended, going to the mess hall, and then heading back to her bunk to decompress. Her room should have been full of other girls but statistically speaking the ratio of men to women in Otogakure was almost 20:1. They had a much larger capacity and the other girls could potentially decide to bunk up together, many of them preferred the privacy of their own space. It was spooky and ominous to Miki to have three empty bunk beds in her room but having a bathroom all to herself was a dream come true. When she had first defected to Otogakure, they had all been thrown in a large holding cell. Miki had been the only girl and there was one communal bathroom and shower. That had been the most stressful week of her life. Miki had practically starved and dehydrated herself to avoid using the bathroom as much as possible. She had only showered once, and it had been at dawn when the others were still heavy from sleep. Given her history, her present situation was fantastic. The doctor hated and resented having her around but he couldn't kill her. Miki had shown enough promise to be pulled from the chattel and elevated to her present situation. If the doctor did anything too heinous, like amputating one of her limbs or otherwise rendering her useless to Orochimaru, the doctor would pay for it. So, that meant until she was a doctor on her own, all Miki would have to worry about were shin bruises, mild burns, and occasionally being locked away in a morgue slab. Miki smiled to herself. If only the doctor knew just how pathetic these attempts were at breaking her. _Do your worst, Dr._ Morioka _. You will never break me._

The reminiscences only able to sustain her attention for so long, Miki grew bored. She pushed against the door and found it still wouldn't budge. _This is getting excessive. We aren't going to get any work done at this rate._ "Dr. Morioka? I have to finish prepping that body from Lab 5 for autopsy." Miki tried to sound professional even though she was shouting over the fan. "Dr. Morioka?"

There was no response. Miki called his name again, kicking the door hard. Her hair stood up as she considered her predicament. _He might have locked me up in here to leave me in here. We were supposed to be the only people on the schedule for the next three days. If he decided this is how he wants to get rid of me, people will just think it was an accident. I got locked inside with the fan on, no one could hear me, and I died of dehydration._ Miki looked around at the slipshod cleaning job the doctor had done hosing out the box. _Or I'll die of exposure to whatever the hell Nakamura died of._

"Okay, Dr. Morioka, you want to play?" Miki called out. "Here I come!"

Because of her petite stature, people systematically underestimated Miki. That tendency was what had made her such an excellent infiltrator. Her targets never considered that the cute little short girl could be anything but the waitress or a shopkeeper and other shinobi wrote off her combat capabilities. Miki scooched to the edge closest to the door and braced herself by taking ahold of the sides of the slab. She pressed her feet against the door, took a deep breath, and kicked with both feet as hard as she could. Whatever the doctor had used to keep the door shut gave temporarily and then settled back down against it, giving Miki a brief glimpse of freedom. _What did he use, a cabinet?_ Miki shook her head and readied herself for another good kick to tip it over onto the floor. _And I'm not going to clean it up,_ Miki smiled. She kicked the door, knocking over the barricade. Miki yanked herself out the door faster than the doctor could possibly react to shut her back inside.

The triumphant smile fell off her face. The doctor lie at her feet, his life blood turning black against the white linoleum floor. There was a hole in his neck that went straight through to the other side. Miki turned away, fresh bodies were always more unsettling than old ones. She looked at the table in front of the slabs. Someone had pinned the doctor to the slabs with the table and then pierced his throat with something. Miki's kicking had pushed the doctor's body hard enough that it moved the table and tumbled to the floor. She carefully stepped over him and checked for vitals, just in case. The man was long gone just as she suspected. Miki shuddered, either chilled by the sight or the fact that per the clock she had been in that refrigerated slab for almost a half hour. She had done the best job she could of blocking out the sound of the fan but now that she was out in the silent morgue her ears still rang. Miki carefully crossed from the slab straight to the phone and paged security. "Hello?" She called into the microphone. "This is Nomura in the morgue. Someone killed the doctor while I was out of the office. Is something on the loose?" From time to time, an experiment got free and went on a rampage. The morgue was isolated so it made sense something could have breezed through without any resistance. Security was probably subduing it on a higher floor. The silence stretched and Miki felt that unease returning. She pressed the intercom button again. "Hello? This is Nomura in the lab. Please respond." Miki released the button and waited. At last, there was the screech of feedback as someone picked up the line.

The sound that came through sent warning chills down Miki's spine. It was the croaking sound of labored breathing, someone with a collapsed lung drowning in their own blood. Miki had heard it enough times to recognize it instantly. She looked around at the morgue and raced to kill the lights. Something was out and it had killed the doctor and security had probably been pushed back to a defensive position. Miki stripped off her protective gear and rushed over to her locker. She shoved her lab coat inside and pulled on her padded combat fingerless gloves and strapped on her kunai bag. The veterans in the base had talked about things like this periodically happening but not since Miki had signed on. The key for success (and survival) was in finding other survivors, grouping up, and taking on the subject as a team.

Miki dropped low and pressed her ear to the door. The corridor beyond was just as silent as the morgue, which in this situation was less than comforting. She cracked the door, listened for a moment longer, and crept out into the hall. The lights were always low in the corridors to conserve power for the labs. Miki had let her eyes adjust in the dark morgue before stepping out to help ease the transition. 3-4 seconds of not being able to see leaving a lab and heading into the hallway could mean instant death at a time like this. Miki looked at the stairwell that headed upstairs towards security. _If it's that bad, they may not have had time to send out an alert._ Miki headed towards the opposite stairwell, towards the lower labs, to see if there was anyone to recruit. With any luck, they would all be there and they could head to security as a sizeable force. The threat level headed this way was low, as well. The labs were deeper underground and instinct always drove people towards the surface.

The door the lower labs was slightly ajar. Miki stayed low as she peeked around into the stairwell. The lights inside had gone out and Miki swore silently. There could be people lying in wait in the shadows of the spiraling stairs. She listened and heard no breathing or any creaking on the metal steps, so Miki slipped inside. Halfway down the stairs, Miki accidentally kicked something soft. She As she crouched down in the darkness, her hand searching the ground, Miki realized she had encountered another body. Steeling herself against the rising dread, Miki reached out and felt for a pulse. Instead of soft flesh, Miki's fingers found a horrid tattered wound where their larynx should be. She gasped in surprise, immediately jerking her hand toward her mouth to stifle the sound. Miki stopped herself remembering where her fingers had just been. She shuddered and took the steps more carefully, practically crawling, until she had reached the floor with labs 1-5. The lights were still on and Miki sighed with relief. Maybe the creature had bypassed this door as it had come up the stairs, the stink of lab chemicals scaring it closer to the surface. Miki rose to her full height and pushed open the door, only to have another body slump down on the other side. The nametag on the tech was someone Miki knew, but their head was gone. Miki cringed, suppressing the need to scream, as she crept into the corridor. The doors to all the labs were open. Blood and glass covered the floor, creating sparkling Rorschach patterns between the bodies. Miki could feel herself going numb as she surveyed the damage. People were pinned to walls, their limbs were twisted at horrific angles, and those with faces left all had looks of utter terror on their faces. Miki forced herself forward, approaching those with wounds that may not have been fatal. Not a single living soul was left on this floor. Miki's hands started to shake. She looked at the gore they were covered in and shuddered. Knowing it was stupid and risked exposure, Miki couldn't help herself from quickly rinsing away the mess in the sink. She dried her hands on a paper towel as the pink horror fuel spiraled down the drain.

Miki took to the stairs once again. This time she didn't bother with crouching and tiptoeing. She had a feeling that there was no point to it; whatever it was it was going to kill her or it was gone. Plain and simple. When Miki set foot through the door to labs 6-10 she was forced to pause. The carnage on this floor was much worse. There wasn't a single recognizable human form amongst the mess. Furniture was destroyed, the floor was flooded about two inches deep with water from the broken sprinkler system overhead, and ownerless limbs were strewn everywhere. It was at that moment Miki's worst fears came to her, whispering in her head. Miki faced the door that she knew had been the source of all this horror and walked towards it. _Lab seven. One of the patients really went off the deep end this time. Whatever the hell that thing is in there, it finally infected someone completely._ Miki pushed open the door, ready to behold chewed through restraints and bloody handprints.

Instead, what she saw drew a gasp from her lips. The glacier was shattered, as though it had exploded from the inside. Miki's eyes darted around the room and up to the ceiling, suddenly aware that whatever was doing this was not an escaped patient. It was something else entirely. Miki looked around at the carnage, the myriad of ways that life had been rend from flesh, and she intrinsically knew that whatever that something was it was not human.

Now that she was completely numb and was ready to accept death, Miki gained a razor like focus. A shinobi was a tool finely honed from years of training. In moments like this, it was easy to give way to that training and let it take over. Miki surveyed the scene more observantly and noticed that security personnel had been dispatched. Several of the more experienced of the suppression team were amongst the casualties in Lab Seven. _I'm going to die._ _I'm scared._ Miki shook her head. The thoughts had forced their way to the forefront, distracting her from her work. Once again, Miki began to take stock of what had transpired in the room. It looked like several of the techs had been close to the glacier when it gave way. They still had clipboards and pens in their hands. _So, this wasn't sudden, the glacier must have been behaving strangely and that's why they called in the security team just in case it came to this._ Miki looked at the security officers in the room. They had all been people to avoid. As unofficial peacekeepers in the base, that meant they had ultimate authority to do as they pleased with no repercussions. If someone pissed them off, all they had to say was that they were threatening a valuable asset or jeopardizing an experiment. Stone cold sons of bitches, all of them, with enough deaths behind their names to fill an entire cemetery each. _And it cut through them like paper. What are you going to do, Miki? Valiantly record everything that's happened and make a final attempt to trap it or something? You're going to die, just like everyone else._ Miki shuddered and held herself against the cold. _I'm not like this._ She looked up at the glacier and backed towards the door. _It's still influencing me. I need to get out of here before I get to the point where I just want to die._

As Miki ran through the hallways, leaping over scattered equipment and corpses, she tried to piece together what she knew. _1\. The glacier started acting weird and the techs called security, not because there was a threat but because it was behaving strangely. 2. That's why there was no alert. Security had been dispatched on a non-emergency call that went south fast. 3. Either whatever was inside is the most insanely powerful predator in creation, or it has mental manipulation power. A pervasive genjutsu, maybe, that creeps inside people's heads and either makes them submit to death or to suicide._ Miki took the steps two at a time, bypassing the landings to the floors for labs 1-5 and the morgue. She threw open the door to the commons, where the mess hall, living quarters for lower ranking members of staff, the rec rooms, and such were situated. She listened and heard only the silence of the grave. There was a fire raging in the kitchens, the sprinklers flutily spraying to put it out. It had been long enough now that the pungent sickly sweet smell of death was filling the space. Miki laced her way from room to room, the body count mounting each door she opened. Every so often she checked for vitals but over time it became clear that no one had been spared. Miki noticed that the thing had been systematic, which was impressive considering how quickly the creature had dispatched everyone. Realization gripped at Miki's spine that as she moved through the floors, this creature had probably been working its way up killing everything in sight. All she could do was pray it didn't decided to come back and check its work.

Without finding a single survivor, Miki headed up the stairs. She skipped the next floor; it was only used when Orochimaru was on site. It held his private quarters as well as offices and accommodations for his highest-ranking staff. No one on site had a card key to get inside so it would be impossible for anyone to have taken refuge in there. That meant Miki was headed for the bi-level that contained both the surface entrance and security. The only sound she heard once she cleared the door was the echoing of her own footsteps. As she approached the security room, the smell of blood and metal began to fill up the passage. Miki braced herself knowing whatever she would find ahead, it would not be pleasant.

As Miki approached the scene, her dread grew until it was difficult to physically force herself forward. She could tell from fifty feet away that there were at least three men skewered to the wall with what looked like some rebar that had been exposed in what looked like the most destructive fight of the century. Part of the ceiling had collapsed, water pipes were gushing all over the place, and the walls were covered in impact craters and knives that had missed their mark. Once again, the creature had left no survivors. Remembering the person who had been gurgling into the intercom, Miki grabbed the keycard off one of the skewered guards. She used the card to let herself into the security office. A solitary guard had apparently slipped in during the chaos but he had already been mortally wounded. The man had bled all over the desk before slipping out of the chair onto the floor. Miki looked up at the wall of security footage and let out a sigh. _Of course, this thing destroyed the cameras. It yanked people out of lockers and out from under beds. Its intelligent enough to cover its tracks._ Miki plopped down on a chair in the corner and rested her head against the back. Most of the time it was easy for her to write off what was going on the village. "It's none of my business," She would say. After all, Miki just did what she needed to survive. One day she would elevate herself to a position of where she had some modicum of freedom and could really chew on the ethics of it all. Right now, though, she had to pause and wonder what they had all gotten themselves into. Miki was physically and emotionally exhausted. She had seen so many bodies in such horrific shape that she couldn't help but feel sick and afraid. In the moderately protected security office, _ha, as if a door could stop it,_ Miki pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to steady her breathing. This thing could probably smell or sense fear.

The guard had bled all over and shorted out the phones. Miki wasn't about to wander back out into the base, so she decided if help didn't come by nightfall she would wait until dawn in the office. If help still hadn't arrived, Miki would find a phone and hole up with some supplies. If she couldn't get ahold of anyone, she would just grab some stuff and get the hell out. _Let's deal with that if it comes to it._ Miki put her head between her knees and waited.

…

After what seemed like an eternity, Miki was stirred from her stupor by the beep of the card reader. She held her breath in suspense as the door swung open. The sight of Kabuto should have been a comfort but somehow Miki couldn't completely dismiss the idea that he had killed everyone. Kabuto scanned the room. Once he laid eyes on Miki, he chuffed and shook his head. "You finally did it," He said as he stepped over the stiffening guard's body. "You killed everyone else in the building, so I guess that makes you 'Employee of the Month' by default." Miki watched him cross the room. Once he was in front of her, he bent forward so their foreheads almost touched. "I never took you for such a go-getter, Nomura. I mean, when we say there's competitive pay, we don't mean we add your victim's salaries to yours."

"Shh," Miki grabbed his collar. "It might…It could still be around here." Kabuto took pried her fingers off his collar and held her wrists. "What, Miki?"

"The thing," Miki hissed. "It…it was whatever the hell was in that glacier. It killed everyone, and when I say everyone, I mean everyone. It pulled them out from under beds, ripped them out of lockers, and then set fires and broke cameras to cover its tracks."

Kabuto smiled at her but Miki recognized the look in his eyes as less than friendly. "Then how did you survive?" Miki sighed knowing that it was worthless to lie to protect her image. Kabuto would be more upset if she tried to deceive him- he would know instantly- than it was for her to have been locked up. "The good doctor thought it would be funny to imprison me in one of the morgue slabs," Miki explained. "He turned on the fan. I guess that was enough to cover the fact that I was in there for whatever this thing was."

Kabuto thought about it for a moment, his vicelike grip still tight on her wrists. "I suppose that adds up. If I were going around killing people I wouldn't be checking morgue slabs." He let go of her hands and stood up. "Today was your lucky day, I suppose. Unfortunately, I don't believe Orochimaru sama will be so understanding that you allowed such a powerful asset to escape without resistance."

Miki tensed up. There was no such thing as getting a pink slip in the Sound. Orochimaru had murdered people for preparing his tea incorrectly. She had no idea what was in her future but she figured it would probably be on par with whatever the monster would have done to her. "That being said," Kabuto squared off with her. "Just remember that this is for your own good." Miki looked up with just enough time to see his fist coming for her face.


	66. Do Over

**Hey guys, so I don't know if anyone noticed, but ToTM turns 1 year old tomorrow! WOOHOO! I would like to take a moment to thank each of you who have helped support me up through this point. I remember when I approached Tallman about my idea for a side story to his. I can tell you right now that Beki was just a joke; someone to point out the plot holes in the Naruto verse and a dumping ground for parodies of Mean Girls lines. What began as a series of notebook doodles and snippets of dialogue slowly evolved until I had a tangible working story with dynamic characters that I could use to explore more of the Narutoverse. I remember the anxiety I felt when I posted that first chapter (I had a whopping 34 views. I swear I refreshed that page 87 times that night).**

 **I know that over the last year my posting regularity has varied, from two chapters a week (haha...those were the days) to sometimes once a month. For those of you who have stuck it out with me, thank you. I just want you to know that I really do listen to you and if you have PM'd me or left a review I have taken your thoughts and opinions into consideration. Its because of active community members like you that ToTM is what it is today. What was originally probably going to be a 50 chapter said and done story is this growing, evolving thing set within the universe of Love, Hinata.**

 **I don't want to give too much away, but your support and the way this story has helped me grow as a writer has given me a sense of confidence as a writer. I feel comfortable taking risks, developing bigger and more complex story arcs, because I know you all will be there reading it. Some of you will even take the time to give me feedback and encouragement to help the process even more.**

 **So here's to ToTM turning 1, and here's to you. May the coming year be just as fruitful and I think you are going to enjoy this next arc. Its the biggest one in ToTM history and it is going to get messy.**

* * *

Slowly, Miki began to feel again. It started with sensing her own weight pressing into the soft surface beneath her and culminated in the increasingly intense throbbing pain in her head. _That means I'm alive, at least._ Her limbs felt like they had been turned to stone. Through the thick fog of her returning consciousness, Miki forced them up to her face. She ran her fingers over her face and up through her hair. She paused at the sizeable goose egg that had formed on her crown. Miki winced and inhaled sharply at the contact; the injury was tender to the touch.

"Awake at last," Miki heard Kabuto chuckle. "You should have only been out for a few minutes. I didn't expect you to be catching up on your beauty sleep."

Miki opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar place. "Where are we?" She looked around at all the creature comforts in the room, like the desk, the chest of drawers, and the armoire in the corner. "Are we at a hotel?"

Kabuto was rifling through some papers at the desk and didn't bother to face her. "No, we're on the second floor."

"So, this is how you live," Miki ran her fingers over the sheets. "What's the thread count on these sheets? They feel like clouds."

"I wouldn't know," Kabuto was rolling up the papers and putting them in a rucksack. "I usually just sleep in the armchair." Miki's brow furrowed. Kabuto, as if sensing her confusion, added: "If I'm here, Orochimaru is usually present. I need to be ready to respond to his summons at a moment's notice."

"That makes sense," Gingerly, Miki sat up and swung her legs out of the bed onto the polished concrete floor. To be fair, the room wasn't a lap in luxury. It certainly had more amenities than the bunks but it clearly wasn't a long-term residence. Miki laid eyes on the bathroom, specifically on the tub, and her eyes grew wide with greed. "Can I take a bath? It seems like a decade since the last time I had an honest to God bath."

"Orochimaru wants a report on what happened ASAP," Kabuto closed the rucksack and finally turned around. "It's in your best interest to speak with him while you're still drowsy."

Miki thought for a moment and then nodded. "You think the head injury will excuse some inconsistencies in my story."

"Not to mention that you are the only survivor," Kabuto cocked his head. "Try to tone it down a little. We can't have you looking all bright-eyed, can we?" Miki flashed him a smile and he scoffed. "It's impossible for you, isn't it? You're just too shiny all the time."

"That's funny coming from you," Miki stretched. "I don't think I've ever seen you without a smile on your face."

Kabuto took ahold of Miki's arm and led her out into the hall. "You've spoken with Orochimaru before. When he asks you a question, answer him in a timely manner and don't mince words. He is a busy man and doesn't have time for a story."

"Got it," Miki nodded and then blinked, subtly scanning the hall. "He...he isn't, here, is he? How long was I out?"

Kabuto shook his head as he used his keycard to open the door. "He'll be on a conference call."

Miki narrowed her eyes at Kabuto and she tugged at his sleeve. "Then what's the big idea, whacking me over the head? Couldn't you just tell me to act like I had a head injury?"

"So I could tell him with clear conscious that you had a head injury," Kabuto explained. "Orochimaru has a bullshit detector like you wouldn't believe. That, and I would hate to falsify medical records. That goes against my good conscience as a doctor."

Miki sighed. "You're right, you're just too ethical for your own good." Kabuto flashed her one of his trademark grins as they walked into the conference room. He motioned for Miki to take a seat at the long table beside the phone. She surveyed the room while Kabuto fiddled with the buttons. The room was sparse and looked like it was only used for meetings. There was the table she was seated at, which looked like up to six could be comfortably spread around it. There was an empty sideboard and a mural of a few intertwining snakes adorned the long wall across from Miki.

"Hello, sir?" Kabuto kept his tone measured. "Yes, I have her with me. Nomura. She was Morioka's understudy. Yes. Putting you on speaker now." Kabuto pressed the button and then pat Miki on the shoulder to begin.

Miki looked at the clock. "About five hours ago, Morioka had sent me out of the lab to fetch some supplies. When I returned, he was dead. It looked like an escaped experiment so I followed Protocol C." Miki paused for a moment. She was so accustomed to normal conversation she had expected some sort of confirmation that Orochimaru had heard her. Instead, the static on the line grew louder and Kabuto shot her an impatient look. "I went down to Labs 1-5 first," Miki explained. "There were no survivors, so I went down to labs 6-10. My investigation of the site led me to believe that the incident began in Lab 7. The...grisliness of the killings seemed to be worst right at the site of the shattered glacier. Something had been inside that thing, sir. I guess it decided to come out."

"Kabuto," Orochimaru's voice, although not directed at her, sent Miki rigid with fear. The raspy, hissing quality of his speech was like something right out of a child's nightmare. "Have you had a chance to investigate the site?"

"Yes," Kabuto replied. "Nomura's story checks out. Per the tech's notes leading up to the incident the glacier had been behaving strangely, creaking and glowing from within. There's no indication of what was inside the glacier, sir."

Orochimaru scoffed. " _I_ know what was inside the glacier. Do you think me fool enough to investigate something so dangerous without understanding its source?"

"I tried to pursue it, sir," Miki said compulsively, pinching herself instantly for speaking out of turn. She flashed Kabuto a glance to check how much trouble she was in. Instead of appearing furious, Kabuto had a passive look on his face. He waved his hand in a gesture of "go on". Miki steadied herself and continued: "I could hear it moving around on the floors above me. I made my way up to the surface. There was some structural damage it had caused. As I passed under it to pursue the thing outside the roof came down on me."

"Kabuto?" Miki had no idea how Kabuto could handle Orochimaru saying his name so much. When Orochimaru said something, it sounded like he was laying a curse.

"I came across her unconscious in the entrance. No sign of any other survivors. The creature was rather meticulous in its genocide." Kabuto explained. "It had dragged staff out from under beds and busted open lockers to get at them."

"That sounds about right," Orochimaru said half to himself. "Don't bother pursuing _it._ You're fortunate to be alive, Nomura. Take care of that base and head back here. That business I sent you to take care of can wait, Kabuto. This changes our plans somewhat."

"Yes, sir," Kabuto answered. "Thank you, sir." He nudged Miki.

"Thank you, Orochimaru sama." Miki bowed automatically even though she knew he couldn't see her. The line cut and Kabuto hung up the phone. Miki looked up at him and asked: "So, what did he mean by 'take care of the base'?"

Kabuto took ahold of the back of her chair and leaned on it. "You know the river about a quarter of a mile away from the entrance?"

Miki nodded. "Yes?"

Kabuto pulled her chair out from the table as he spoke. "When Orochimaru had this base built, they created canals leading from the river to strategic points throughout the upper levels of the structure. There are charges in the walls in front of the channels. On our way out, I stop in the security office and detonate them."

"So, we're flooding the place?" Miki stood up and walked out into the hallway. "We aren't taking anything, like the research notes?"

Kabuto tapped her nose. "I took care of all that while you were sleeping, which means," Kabuto pulled off his shirt. "We can go take that bath."

Miki grinned. "We do have the whole place to ourselves."

Kabuto took her arm and led her down the hall and around the corner. "That's why we're using the presidential suite."

When he opened the door and Miki saw the jacuzzi tub her jaw dropped. "You know, I thought this was going to be one of the worst days of my life. Ever since you showed up it just keeps getting better."

Kabuto walked over and started to run the water. Miki watched how methodically he moved around the room and couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of admiration for him. He was so good at everything. He was the second most powerful person in their village and here he was, drawing her a bath. "Thank you," Miki smiled at him.

Kabuto shot her a strange look. "What are you thanking me for?"

"Well," Miki walked over and leaned against the counter beside him. "I know you don't have to help me. I really appreciate you."

"Don't make this weird, Nomura," Kabuto tested the temperature. "It's not that I like you or anything. I just hate you less than everyone else."

"That's good enough for me," Miki's smile faded as she began to take off her jumpsuit. "Uh, Kabuto?"

"Hm?" He blinked at her innocently.

"Where are my underwear?" Miki eyed him suspiciously.

"Oh," Kabuto took off his glasses and set them on the counter. "I must have misplaced them when I mopped the gore and grime off you. I couldn't just let you stew in possible contaminants, now could I?"

"Creep," Miki splashed him playfully. Kabuto leaned slightly to avoid the spray and shoved her into the tub with one quick, controlled motion. Miki surfaced and shot him a testy look. Kabuto shrugged.

"Don't get my hair wet."

Miki folded her arms over her chest. "You wanna play hardball? I can go put my bra back on."

Kabuto was pulling some of the fluffiest towels Miki had ever seen out of a cabinet. "Try and I'll burn it. Then you'll have to jog to the next base bouncing like a set of beach balls."

Miki settled into the divinely hot water. She knew it was impossible the water was hot enough to sterilize her after everything she had walked through. Jogging through the flooded levels had left her feeling chilled even after her nap. "Then I'll make you cuddle me later."

Kabuto scoffed. "Ew, no. I don't cuddle."

"You seem content enough to cuddle while you're sleeping," Miki smiled wickedly.

Kabuto shot her a disgusted look. "You watch me sleep? You're the creep! How do I know you haven't molested me?"

Miki switched on the jacuzzi jets and imitated the bored expression he often threw at her. "I guess there's no way you can know. Get in the tub already."

…

Beki picked at the loose strand on the hem of her shirt. She had been kicking around the idea all day and as easy as it would be to walk away, Beki knew it was the right thing to do. The Kazekage stepped out of Tsunade's office, gave a polite bow, and then headed down the stairs with his brother in tow. As they headed her way, Beki took a deep breath and stepped out in front of them. "Hey guys,"

Based on appearances alone, Gaara experienced a mix of emotions. His face lit up at the sight of Beki but his body went rigid like he had heard terrible news. _I guess the awkwardness from the other night hasn't quite worn off_.

"Hey, Beki," Gaara smiled. "It's good to see you."

Beki waved at Kankuro and he jerked his head in a half assed nod in greeting. An expectant silence fell between the three, with the Kazekage and Beki's gazes falling on Kankuro. "What?" He raised his hands. "Oh. I get it. I'm the third wheel." Kankuro sighed and started to walk in the opposite direction. "I know when I'm not wanted. Its not like I have feelings or anything. I'll see you later, Gaara."

"Are you hungry?" Gaara took Beki's hand as he spoke. "We could go on a dinner date like we used to."

Beki shook her head. "I'm not hungry." _Besides, I don't want to have this conversation out in public._ "I um, I need to talk to you about something."

Gaara gave her a searching look, concern already tugging at the back of his mind. "What is it?"

"It isn't anything bad," Beki whispered. "It's just…private. Okay?"

"Sure," Gaara shook his head, dismissing his doubts. "Come on." Sand formed under their feet and carried them up into the sky. "Is up here ok?"

Beki looked over the side. "People are watching us, Gaara. Look, the kids are literally snapping pictures of us." Gaara moved the sand cloud out of town and over the woods. Beki spotted an isolated copse of trees and motioned for Gaara to land.

Gaara looked around and stared Beki down. "Wouldn't be planning anything shady, would you Miss Tsukimori?"

Beki cocked her brow. "Please tell me that wasn't a forest joke."

"Tch. That was bad, sorry," Gaara shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"You should leaf your puns at home," Beki folded her arms, smiling defiantly.

"That attitude is the root of our problems," Gaara pointed at her, pseudo accusingly.

Beki's grin stretched. "I think it's important for us to go out on a limb oak-casionally."

"I can't believe this, I'm pine-ing for my brother's company," Gaara could feel a smile pulling at his own lips. By this point his brother would have hit him but Beki kept upping the ante.

"Don't be such a birch, Gaara," Beki sighed. "We're a newly established couple. Shouldn't we be acting sappier?"

Gaara looked at the ground.

"What's up? Done throwing shade?" Beki poked him.

Gaara shook his head. "I've got nothing after that. You win."

"Okay, sorry," Beki stepped towards him and pressed her forehead to his. "I couldn't help myself."

"Please tell me you didn't lead me into the middle of nowhere so we could have a tree pun fight?" Gaara asked, grateful to finally can hold her in his arms.

"No," Beki sighed. "It's about the other day."

Gaara tried not to let on that those words sent so much fear coursing through him. "What about the other day?"

"I know things didn't go so well," Beki explained. "because it was our first time. I think we should try again."

"What?" Gaara blinked in surprise. "Really? Are you sure?"

Beki shrugged. "I mean, if you don't want to that's fine."

Gaara's thoughts slipped back to all the good parts of that night. The warmth Beki's silky body pressed against his, her scent, and the deep longing he felt in her kiss. Gaara let out a nervous laugh as he felt the heat rising inside him. "Of course I want to try again. Nothing would make me happier than us finding a way to make this a good thing."

"I believe it can be," Beki brushed her hair behind her ear self-consciously. "A lot of the right stuff was there. We wanted each other, it felt right, I think just like anything else we need practice before we're any good at it."

"I'll have you know," Gaara took her face in his hands. "I've never missed a day of training in my life."

Beki smiled up at him. "Then I guess we know we'll get good at this fast."

"The sooner the better," Gaara kissed her. After a few moments wrapped in each other's embrace, Gaara pulled away and nuzzled her. "All right, lets head back to town."

"Wait, what?" Beki tugged on his sleeve. "Did you think I just brought you out here to talk?"

Gaara furrowed his brow in confusion. "Wait…you meant that? Now?"

"Yes," Beki laughed. "I'm coming on to you!"

"I apologize," Gaara shook his head, laughing softly. "I thought this was a meeting for mapping out our future encounters."

"No," Beki pulled him close. "I need you now." She marveled at how well their bodies fit together. Gaara was just tall enough that Beki had to look up to kiss him but not so much so that he had to bend down. It was strange how after they had slept together, Beki's body had been craving his. It wasn't just a longing like it had been before. It was a need, a physical emptiness when he was gone.

Gaara pulled away. "What should we do? Its broad daylight. I think if we burst into the hotel right now it'll be obvious what we're doing."

Beki looked around the copse of trees. "I don't know. Visibility here is pretty low and I don't think there's anyone around for miles."

"You just want to…" Gaara scanned the trees. "You're right. No one else is out here." He laughed. "You make me feel like a madman."

"What do you mean?" Beki asked as she pulled off her shirt and draped it over a bush.

"If you would have told me six months ago I would be having sex with you out in the open I would have called you crazy," Gaara began to take off his harness. He paused halfway through unbuttoning his jacket to watch Beki undress. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"That's just the sex talking," Beki laughed. "I'll ask you if I'm still pretty in an hour."

"I didn't say pretty, Beki," Gaara smiled. "You're beautiful. I don't think I've met another person that just… _glows_ the way you do."

Beki sized him up and shot him a sly smile. "You're pretty good looking yourself."

"Thanks," Gaara chuckled. "Your enthusiasm really sells it."

Beki took ahold of his face and Gaara's heart raced. She was naked now and so at ease with that fact it made the situation seem surreal. Even in the shade of the trees Beki seemed bright and ethereal. Beki's behavior was so graceful and confident it would be easy to convince Gaara this was her natural state, that she wasn't a kunoichi but was in fact a creature of myth.

"There isn't anyone else I would do this with," Beki traced the love scar on his forehead with her fingers. "I feel safer with you than with anyone else; safe enough to be myself and to be vulnerable around you. You could ruin me, Gaara."

Gaara swallowed hard as Beki's hands ran down his torso. He kissed her again, gently at first but with increasing force over time. He could feel the goosebumps form on Beki's skin as the sensation set her hair on end. It was an animal response and it drew an animal response from him in reply. Gaara pressed Beki's body up against the trunk of a tree. She let out a small gasp of surprise, which sent a shudder down his spine. He had to stop himself from throwing her on the ground right then. Gaara held himself back, knowing it would be better if Beki was as warmed up as he was. She gazed into his eyes, her dilated pupils undeniable proof of her desire for him.

"Don't worry," Gaara said softly. "I'll only ruin you if you ask me to."

Beki drew him into another kiss, her tongue grazing his. The way she moved only made him want more. She let go far too soon, Gaara thought, but then she pressed her cheek to his and whispered: "Do your worst."

…

"That," Gaara panted. "Was a lot better, don't you think?" He looked over at his girlfriend with a smile.

Beki lay on the ground, Gaara's jacket casually thrown over her for warmth. Their romp had left her out of breath so she stayed as still as she could with her hands on her head. "I can't move."

Gaara let out a laugh. "I've defeated you then?"

Beki held out her hand to him, one arm still draped over her eyes. "I submit. The Kazekage proves victorious once again."

"I feel like I really could fight a bear right now," Gaara put his hands behind his head.

Beki made a disgusted noise. "Please don't. The bear probably couldn't keep our secret."

"Bears are known to be rather untrustworthy," Gaara pulled Beki up on top of him, using his body to cushion her from the ground.

"You're burning up," Beki wiggled to get away.

"Escape is not allowed," Gaara tightened his grip. "Accept my sweaty cuddles."

Beki held still. "You have never been this silly before."

"I honestly don't believe I've ever been this happy," Gaara sighed. "That's it, I'm kidnapping you and bringing you back to Suna with me.

"Calm down, Gaara," Beki laughed. "I'm not going anywhere. No need to start a war."

"I just don't know what I'm going to do without you," Gaara kissed the back of her head. "I don't know how much longer I can handle being away from you."

"If you ask me to marry you again I'm going to punch you in the nuts," Beki held up her fist threateningly.

Gaara sighed. "Fine. I won't ask you to marry me. I will ask you to come get dinner with me, though. I've worked up an appetite."

"Of course you have," Beki rolled her eyes as she dismounted and began to put her clothes back on.

Gaara took ahold of Beki's arm after she pulled on her shirt. "Hey,"

"What's up?" Beki asked, her pants in hand.

"Remember what you said earlier?" Gaara smiled. "You're still beautiful and I love you."

Beki reached up and stroked his face. "I love you, too."


	67. The Worst Promotion

**Hi everyone, here's our next chapter! Thank you all for the anniversary messages. I am so happy for each and every one of you who has been there for me up to this point. I'm excited to hear what you think about this next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ugh, what did I do this time?" Beki leaned back and groaned, making the poor genin who had delivered the summons uncomfortable. Beki sensed her distress and patted her on the head. "On your way then, pumpkin."

"They're shinobi too, you know," Neji folded his arms. "It would do you well not to play that down."

Beki gestured after the girl as she skipped away. "Look at her though, they're so cute at that age! All they've done is fish garbage out of the river. That would make them girl scouts anywhere else, not trained killers!"

"Just don't call them 'pumpkins'," Neji grumbled. "It's disrespectful, especially coming from a foreign diplomat."

"You know, most days I don't feel like a diplomat," Beki folded up the summons and tucked it in the back waistband of her pants, which drew Neji's disapproving gaze. Beki started him down defiantly before continuing. "I wipe finger paint off their little brother's and sister's faces at the preschool. Anyone younger than me is fair game to be a 'pumpkin'."

Neji sighed and folded his arms as they walked. "So I'll tell the rest of the team you'll be late for training, then?"

Beki nodded. "Yeah, tell Lee I'm really sorry he'll have to settle for bench pressing Tenten."

"That was on the table?" Neji scoffed.

"What?" Beki elbowed him playfully. "Were you hoping to get a chance?"

"No, of course not." A small flush came into Neji's cheeks and he averted his gaze. "It seems unsafe to bench press a person."

Beki shrugged. "I think you have trouble thinking out the box."

"The Hokage is going to think you have trouble being on time," Neji gave her a gentle shove in the direction of the mansion. "Get a move on."

"Alright, _Dad,"_ Beki called over her shoulder. Neji winced at the insult and Beki chuckled to herself. Neji was just being himself but Beki couldn't help but give him a hard time. The man needed to ease up occasionally, otherwise he'd have a heart attack at 30.

Beki wound her way through the familiar back streets of the village, bobbing and weaving between the people headed to market. It was still early but Konoha as a whole seemed to rise with the dawn. Fortunately, she cleared the worst of the foot traffic before the businesses began to open. Beki took the steps to the Hokage's mansion two at a time, almost bowling over the guard stationed outside. She mentally steeled herself against his usual insults, her tongue at the ready with one she thought to shoot at him a few days ago. Instead of his typical smirk, the guard looked pale and sullen, his expression grim.

"What's up?" Beki's face twisted with concern. "Are you feeling well?"

The guard shook his head. "You had better get in there, kid."

Beki watched him with confusion as she opened the door and stepped inside. "Hey, what's the big idea-" Her voice trailed off as she saw who was assembled in the Hokage's office. Tsunade and Shizune were accompanied by a handful of high ranking Leaf shinobi, and standing in their center as bleak as a tombstone, was her uncle.

"Yasahiro?" Beki stepped towards him cautiously. "What are you doing in Konoha."

Yasahiro shook his head. "Kid, I am so sorry."

Those words set Beki's entire body on overdrive. Adrenaline coursed through her system as her mind rushed with thousands of possibilities, most of them involving death, dismemberment, or imprisonment. "What happened?" Her voice was quiet as the words slipped out, fearful of what they might draw out.

"It's your dad," Yasahiro explained. "He never made it back to Getsugakure."

Beki shook her head, laughing nervously. "He probably just took a detour somewhere. Every once in a while, the old man likes to hit a hot spring. It's only been what, three weeks? If the weather's bad anywhere, it can take as long as five weeks- "

"We found his kanabo," Yasahiro took ahold of her shoulders. "We started looking for him a week ago. He had chartered passage on a ferry to Getsugakure but never arrived. We retraced his route and found the kanabo in an old mill on the border of the Land of Tea."

Beki looked at her uncle and then at Tsunade. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Tsunade shook her head. "We just found out, Tsukimori, or we would have told you sooner."

"We didn't want you to panic," Yasahiro clenched her shoulders tighter, his nails digging into her skin, but Beki was numb to the pain. "I'm sorry. I should have let you know the second I was approached."

Beki stared blankly at her uncle's chest. "This just has to be some kind of mistake. You make it sound like my dad was kidnapped or something, I mean," Beki laughed, her face contorted with worry. "You've seen him! It would take a small army, or like, actual oni to beat him up and carry him off."

"We've committed shinobi to the investigation and so has Getsugakure," Tsunade gestured to the two teams she had assembled. "Locating and securing your father is a priority for us both. We'll find him, Beki."

Beki's knees began to buckle. Yasahiro quickly steered her over to the couch in the corner. When she collapsed, Shizune rushed over and took her hand. "It's going to be okay," Shizune gave her hand a squeeze. "Your father is strong. For all we know, he's fought his way out of wherever and we'll just have to go pick him up."

"I'm afraid this isn't where the bad news ends," Yasahiro reached into his bag and pulled out a small pouch. Beki eyed the black velvet drawstring bag suspiciously. "While your father is missing, you'll have to take his post. Temporarily."

He held out the bag and Beki smacked it to the floor. "What the hell are you talking about?! My father is coming back. Everyone is going to go out and find him. I'm not going to take his job!"

An uneasy silence fell over the room. Calmly, Yasahiro bent over, picked up the bag, and fished out the seal of office. "Beki," He squatted in front of her, holding the silver seal of office in front of her. "The King sent this especially for you. This is an immense responsibility, I know, and the circumstances don't make it any better," He took her hand and pressed the medallion into her palm. "But you have a responsibility, both as a shinobi of Getsugakure and as your father's daughter to protect his post until he returns. He could be hurt, Beki. He may not be able to come right back to work. You will be helping him by doing this."

Beki's gaze stayed fixed on the floor with the medal lying haphazardly in her hand. Shizune gave her a reassuring squeeze but Beki ignored her. _My father is missing. What if it was Orochimaru? Is he going to completely orphan me?_

"Send for the Hyugas," Tsunade's voice was soft but it still carried in the quiet room. There was a slight shuffle as one of the shinobi departed to execute the Hokage's order.

"Don't worry, _ambassador,_ " Yasahiro smiled at Beki gently. "We've got it all under control."

Beki cringed at the sound of the word. She knew her uncle meant well but the title wasn't hers, it was her father's. Now every time she heard _ambassador_ she would be reminded that her father was god knows where. It didn't help how it was so easy for everyone else to be certain her father would be recovered. That was because no one would take his loss as hard as Beki would, nor would they have to weather the consequences of his passing.

Soon all the talking bled together until it was shapeless noise. Beki could occasionally feel Shizune's hand through the fog of Beki's numbness. _If something happens to dad, I don't know what I'll do._ He was the only thing that had ever been certain in her life. Sometimes they would have to go without food, sleep, or a roof over their head. When they arrived at a village, it wasn't guaranteed that they would be greeted warmly. Even when they were apart, Beki knew her father was there. Her father was as formidable as he was wise which meant regardless of what situation she found herself in, Beki always had a wall to put her back against. If Seiichiro was gone, her sword and shield shelved forever, Beki would be completely alone in the world.

"Beki!" Hinata burst into the room without knocking. She ran to her friend's side, completely ignoring the cadre of important figures in the room. Hinata took Beki's chin in her hand and looked her in the eye. In those eyes Hinata saw the pure unbridled fear of a child. It was clear Beki was fighting back tears from her quivering lip to the water welling up at the corners of her eyes. "Let's get you home." Hinata looked up at the Hokage for confirmation. "Do you need her any longer?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Well keep you posted on any updates."

"I'll come by and check on you later," Yasahiro called after them.

Hinata stole another glance at Beki as they descended the steps. Her demeanor hadn't improved, so Hinata reached over and wrapped an arm protectively around her friend. She said nothing, knowing it was important to help Beki feel safe before talking was an option. A few moments into their speed-walk home, Neji came bounding up beside them.

"What happened?" He was out of breath and he looked back and forth between the two with worry. "They wouldn't tell me what's going on. They just told me I needed to get here fast."

"We'll talk when we get home," Hinata gave Beki a squeeze. "I'm afraid Beki's had some bad news."

Neji's gaze zeroed in on Beki and he opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it. Silently, he fell in step on the other side of Beki. After a moment, Neji wrapped his arm around Beki's waist, completing the protective Hyuga sandwich. When they arrived at the house Hinata immediately led Beki to the couch. Beki sat compliantly on the cushions as Hinata wrapped her in a blanket.

"I'm going to make some tea," Hinata stroked her hair. "I'll be right back."

Neji was left standing in the living room with Beki, uncertain of the bad news she had received. He watched her face to try to gauge the gravity of the situation. There was a vacancy to her gaze that was accompanied with worry. _I can assume that no one has died. The worry means there's a chance they're okay. Is someone ill?_ Neji was unsure of how to proceed. Beki was clearly in distress but he didn't know why, so he couldn't offer her verbal comfort without it sounding hollow. He sat down on the couch beside her and took ahold of Beki's hand. She accepted his contact limply, almost making the gesture feel meaningless. Even if it didn't help Beki in the moment Neji at least felt better for having done something.

Hinata returned with the tea tray in hand. She set it down on the coffee table and began to pour the fragrant hot liquid into the ceramic cups.

"What happened?" Neji asked at last, feeling that the timing was finally right.

"My father is missing," Beki's voice was devoid of emotion. Hinata put the cup in Beki's hand and she held it absently. "He was supposed to take a ferry but never showed. They think he was taken on the border of the Land of Tea."

"Do they know who was responsible?" Hinata shook her head at Neji as soon as the words left his mouth.

"No," Beki sighed. "They have no idea. Konoha and Getsu are both looking. If something happened to him, I…I don't know what I'll do."

"Beki," Hinata reached over and put a hand on her arm. "I want you to know that I speak not just for myself but for my whole family. Regardless of what happens, we are here to support you."

"Thank you," The words came automatically out of Beki's mouth. "I think I'm going to go lie down." She set the cup on the table and rose from the couch. The Hyugas were forced to watch helplessly as Beki trudged up the stairs.

"Poor thing," Hinata sighed. "To lose her mother and now have to face the fear of losing her father would be a lot for any person to bear."

Neji shook his head. "We'll have to make a point of keeping her busy."

"I think she'll be busy enough," Hinata took her tea cup and then caught sight of Neji's confused face. "Oh, Beki didn't mention that they're making her act as ambassador until her father turns up."

Neji scrunched his face even further. "Isn't that a bit much? Can't they just postpone things until her father is found?"

Hinata shrugged. "I don't know. Let's give her some time and maybe we can help Beki come up with a way out of this."

…

Beki lie in her bed, staring up at the medallion of office between her fingers. It was heavy, like the burden of the office it represented. _It could take them months to find my dad. There are all kinds of meetings and deals he was working on that probably can't wait that long._ She closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers around the medallion, closing it in her palm. _I'm in trouble and I'm hurt. Dad would tell me I need to take care of myself from the bottom up. What do I need?_

Clearing her mind, Beki listened to her body for a moment. Her heartbeat was regular, her breathing steady. Everything sounded like it was doing what it needed to do until her stomach let out a growl. "There's our answer," Beki sighed. "Let's get something to eat."

Beki looked in the mirror at her puffy tear streaked face. "I look as pathetic as I feel," Beki grumbled. She stepped in the bathroom and ran the tap until the water was hot. Beki worked up her face soap into a lather on a scrubby pad and cleansed her face of all evidence of her earlier weakness. She splashed her face with the hot water, turned off the tap, and dried her face on the fluffy hand towels that smelled faintly of lilac. _That's better,_ Beki examined herself again. Now her face was clean but her hair was a rat's nest. She sighed, pulled out the tie that kept her braid in place, and unraveled her hair. She picked up her brush and ran it through her locks until her hair was as shiny and smooth as silk. For a moment, Beki considered leaving it that way, walking around like Hinata did with her hair wild and free. _I'm upset, though. If I get any more bad news I'll go Maiden and have to deal with 8 pounds of wet sticky hair._ Beki re-braided and secured her hair and walked out into the hall.

The murmur of conversation died out as soon as Beki closed the door behind her. She didn't have to have a Byakugan to know that the Hyugas were watching her through the floor as Beki made her way to the stairs. As she descended, Beki immediately checked their expressions. Both Neji and Hinata were doing their best to appear neutral but Beki knew they were trying to figure out what kind of a mood she was in.

Beki took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. "Okay, so this is my game plan: I have to be ambassador until my dad shows up, right?"

The Hyugas nodded politely.

"So, what I need to do is 1) go get some clothes that would be appropriate to wear to meetings with Tsunade as a diplomat," Beki ticked the items on her list off on her fingers. "2) I will need to send a letter off to my father's junior ambassador for a summary on what they were working on out here."

"Junior ambassador?" Neji cocked his head.

"So, in Getsu, there's a senior and junior ambassador combo," Beki hopped up on the counter. "The senior ambassador goes out to the country in question, makes the negotiations, and so on, then they send the information back to the junior ambassador. The junior ambassador presents it to court, does fact checking, and consults the history books, etc. It's a precautionary system so that there is always guaranteed to be at least one ambassador that's familiar with the political situation in every region."

"It sounds like you have traveled all over with your father," Hinata toyed with the ends of her hair. "Is there a rotation system?"

Beki nodded. "They don't like anyone being stationed in one place too long. Rotation reduces corruption, bribery, and extortion incidents."

"I'm proud of you," Neji couldn't bring himself to look at Beki as he spoke. "This situation would put anyone down and yet you're stepping up to the plate."

"I have to," Beki swung her legs. "I don't want my dad to have a mess to clean up when he gets back." She hopped off the counter and opened the fridge. "I'm starving. Do you guys want to eat with me?"

Hinata shook her head and gave Beki a soft smile. "You have a lot to do. Let me cook."

"You don't mind?" Beki sighed as Hinata nodded. "If you insist. Do you mind if I bring my stuff down here? I might need some help getting the wording right in this letter."

"Do you get along well with your father's junior ambassador?" Neji called after Beki as she ran up the steps.

The sound of Beki's bitter laughter drifted down the stairs. "As well as I get along with Ebisu."

Hinata and Neji cringed in unison. "That well, huh?" Neji said under his breath.

Beki came down the steps two at a time with her stationary set in hand. "Ishida is a real stickler, so we're going to have to go all out for this."

"Meaning?" Hinata had already begun to clean and chop the vegetables.

"Blue or black ink on my personal stationary set with a wax seal on the envelope," Beki held up a hefty looking ring. "Complete with my family's crest as the seal."

"To prove your identity?" Neji had picked up one of Beki's wax sticks. They looked as though they were bars of pure sparkling silver and had the phases of the moon embossed on every side.

"No, just because he's got a broom up his butt," Beki addressed her envelope with a fancy emerald fountain pen. "Regardless of what I put in here, the first thing he would say is that I didn't know how to properly correspond."

Neji rested his chin in his hand as he craned over to see what Beki was writing. She mumbled to herself as she wrote, testing out the sound of her wording before she committed it to ink. Hinata listened in, occasionally tossing in a suggestion. Beki had finished the letter just as Hinata set plates on the table.

Beki folded up the letter, put it in the envelope, and walked over to the stove. She held the wax stick over a burner, quickly turned off the stove, and dripped the wax on the paper. Lastly, she pressed the ring into the hot wax and set the completed letter on the counter. As she walked back to the table, Beki tucked her hair behind her ears. "Task completed." She checked the clock. "So, after I eat I have enough time to get into town and buy an outfit."

"Do you want me to tag along?" Hinata asked.

"An extra set of eyes would be good," Beki spooned up her curry.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Neji reached out and put a hand on her back. It was a greedy desire, but seeing Beki crying earlier had filled Neji with a physical need to touch her. What he really wanted to do was to run his fingers through her hair and hold her in his arms. Knowing that was impossible, he was willing to risk a hand on her back.

"If you could run that letter to the post for me I would love you forever," Beki took a bite of her food. "That would free up more time for clothes shopping. Shit, I need shoes, too. My good boots are still muddy from the rains earlier this week."

After they finished eating and cleared the table, the three headed back into town. Neji headed off towards the aviary as the girls made their way towards the fashion district.

"I'm going to need to talk to your dad," Beki sighed. "I'm going to be getting a lot more messages and probably have to keep odd hours until my father turns up."

"I can talk to my father about it," Hinata offered. "You already have so much on your plate-"

Beki shook her head. "No, this has to be me." She took a deep breath. "Like my uncle said, I have no idea when they're going to find my dad or what kind of shape he'll be in when they do. I need to start everything off on the right foot so he doesn't have to worry."

Hinata nodded. "I understand. Just remember, I'm here for you for whatever you need."

Beki reached over and took ahold of Hinata's hand. "Just be here with me, okay? I can put on a pretty good front with everyone else because I'm a shinobi and that's my job. If I have one person I can be honest with about all this I think I can get by."

Hinata gave Beki's hand a squeeze. "Of course I'll be here. Now let's find you something decent to wear."

…

"The ambassador, Miss Tsukimori, has requested this be sent to Getsu as quickly as possible," Neji had to remember that the switchover had only just happened. Word may not have gotten out yet that Beki had taken her father's place. Instead of looking confused, the bird keeper just gave him a pained look and made a sympathetic noise.

"Poor kid, I heard about her dad. That's a tough break," The bird keeper called down one of the stronger looking birds, a sharp eyed black hawk, and rolled Beki's letter into the container on its leg. "How's she holding up?"

Neji knew it wasn't his place to share Beki's business so he gave a diplomatic response. "Beki is upset. She loves her father and is doing her best to keep things together until he comes back."

"Let her know when her father was in town we would keep a bird in reserve for him," The bird keeper explained. "We'll do the same for her."

"Thank you," Neji bowed politely. _She'll need all the help she can get._

…

"That was relatively painless," Beki looked at the shopping bag in her hand. "Usually dress shopping is about as fun as a visit to the dentist."

"I like what you picked," Hinata opened the gate to the Hyuga compound. "It says 'I'm the ambassador but I'm not trying too hard to look like it'."

Beki looked up at the sky. "Is your dad usually in his office around this time?"

"Yes," Hinata handed Beki the bag she had been carrying. "I'll go run in and tell him you need to speak."

"Thanks," Beki watched as Hinata headed inside.

After a few moments, Hinata returned and took all the bags from Beki. "He'll be out in a moment. I'll run these up to the house for you so two can speak privately."

"Do you think I'm ready to talk to your dad by myself?" Beki felt her confidence wavering. Hiashi was right up there with Seiichiro on the intimidation factor, the exception being Hiashi wasn't Beki's father.

Hinata smiled. "I believe in you."

Beki tried not to watch Hinata run up towards her house. She kept her eyes trained on the door while doing her best to keep a confident posture. Hiashi opened the door and stepped outside and Beki's legs nearly turned to jelly. _You've lived with his daughter for two years, it's not so bad._

"I'm glad you came to see me, Miss Tsukimori," Hiashi's gaze was so intense Beki could have sworn it was boring a hole through her. "My sympathies about your father's disappearance. I hope they find him alive and well."

"Thank you," Beki gave a polite bow. "They have asked me to stand in as ambassador until he returns. I wanted to inform you of the possibility that I may need to keep odd hours and more messengers may come by looking for me."

Hiashi shook his head. "That isn't a problem. I'll inform the gatekeepers so you won't experience any inconvenience coming and going. If there is anything else you need, please let me know."

"Thank you," Beki gave him a deep bow. "I appreciate your support during this difficult situation."

"Your father placed you in my care, Miss Tsukimori," Hiashi returned her bow. "I do not take that responsibility lightly."

"I'll let you return to your work, then," Beki stepped off onto the path towards Hinata's.

"Miss ambassador," Hiashi closed the door behind him and Beki flinched. It was still so strange to hear people calling her that. _It's only temporary. Just till dad gets back._

…

"How did it go?" Hinata was washing the dishes from dinner.

"Surprisingly well," Beki took a deep breath and sat at the table. "Hopefully the rest of this all happens as smoothly."

"How long until you hear from Ishida?" Hinata asked.

Beki supported her cheek on her hand. "If there's no weather issues, the bird should arrive in three to four days. Ishida will take care of it as soon as he receives the letter, if I know him. That means that we could be looking at his response in as little as a week."

"Then what will you do?" Hinata laid out a cloth on the counter for the washed dishes. They clinked softly as she lined up the clean dishes for drying.

Beki tapped her nails on the table pensively. "I'll have to see what Ishida wants me to do. I'll probably have to meet with Tsunade about it."

"I would let her know tomorrow then," Hinata suggested. "so she can leave some leeway in her schedule around that time."

Beki nodded. "Good idea." She checked the clock and cursed. "I have to get to bed. I have so much to do tomorrow and not enough time to do it."

"Goodnight, Beki," Hinata called up the stairs after her. "Let me know if you need anything." Hinata turned her attention back to the dishes. _Naruto is supposed to get home from his mission tomorrow. He might find a way to help brighten the situation, even if it's just being another person in Beki's corner._

…

The next morning, Beki rose early and put on her new ambassador clothes. She had opted for a scoop neck slate gray dress made of thick cotton. The dress had long sleeves and the hemline was asymmetrical, knee length in the front and ankle length in the back. Beki had bought new shinobi boots to go along with it. When she looked at it all in the mirror, she looked pretty but not how she expected. Her father had always worn his armor everywhere he went looking imposing and solid. As she was now Beki was afraid she would come off too soft, so she rifled in her closet and put on her battle vest and her mother's gauntlets.

 _There,_ Beki smiled as she looked in the mirror. _That looks more like a shinobi ambassador to me._

Beki slipped out of the compound without incident and made her way into town. _This is my first day meeting Tsunade as an equal. Dad would have bought her lunch but it's too early. Coffee it is._ Beki had been around Tsunade enough to have heard how she liked her coffee, black with two sugars. Shizune liked hers with a sugar and two creams and Beki asked the barista for a cup of whipped cream for Tonton. _Everyone will be much more receptive to talk with a little caffeine in their system,_ Beki smiled to herself. _Maybe I have learned something tagging along with dad all these years._

"Beki?" The familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Yasahiro?" Beki turned to face him. "What are you doing out so early?"

"I could ask you the same question," He eyed the travel tray full of coffee cups. "Are you going to a meeting or something?"

"I needed to talk to the Hokage about scheduling a briefing," Beki shrugged. "This is how dad would have done it."

"And those clothes?" Yasahiro shook his head and took his niece by the shoulders. "Beki, you need to take it easy here. I know you're in distress but throwing yourself into this work is not the answer. You need to deal with this emotionally or you're going to end up piling on stress till you blow up like a volcano."

"I don't want Dad to have a pile of work to come back to," Beki averted her gaze. "He'll probably be sick and hurt when they find him. If I do a good job, then he won't have to stress about it."

"He'll stress about you and the fact that you haven't been taking care of yourself," Yasahiro sighed. "Go on and have your meeting with the Hokage. Just please keep in mind you're a _temporary_ ambassador and not the real thing. If this drags on too long, they'll just bring Ishida out here. Don't' try to take on the world all by yourself."

"Thanks uncle," Beki nodded. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

She mounted the stairs to the Hokage's office and the sleepy-eyed guard waved her in. It wasn't the one that always teased her, so Beki could skate by without so much as a dirty look.

"Lady Tsunade? Lady Shizune?" Beki knocked. "Its Tsukimori Haruka. I just need five minutes of your time."

Shizune opened the door, blinking in the early morning light. "Come on in," Her face lit up when she saw what was in Beki's hands. "You brought coffee?"

Beki smiled and nodded. Shizune opened the door and took the cup Beki held out to her. "A sugar and two creams," Beki walked over to Tonton. "Whipped cream," She said as she set the cup down. Tonton immediately knocked the cup over and went to town licking out the whip inside. "And for the Hokage, black with two sugars."

Tsunade took the cup and eyed her suspiciously. "Please tell me you don't have our coffee preferences memorized."

Beki shrugged. "Are you upset about it?"

"No," Tsunade took a sip on the cup. "Delighted, actually. So, what can I help you with, Miss Tsukimori?"

 _Here's our chance, do your best impression of Dad._

Beki put her hands behind her back and stood as tall as she could. "I have sent a letter requesting a summary of all the talks my father has been actively involved in. I expect a reply in about a week's time. I would like to request to arrange a meeting with you after that information arrives to proceed with my father's work."

"You're really stepping up to this, aren't you?" Tsunade looked at her calendar. "I usually keep a slot open after lunch. Try to give me 24 hours' notice and I can pencil you in there."

"Thank you," Beki bowed politely. "I appreciate it. I want everything to run as smoothly as possible so that my dad doesn't have a lot of work to catch up on when he gets back."

"So, you think we'll find him?" Tsunade kept her voice level, her eyes trained on Beki for her response.

Beki's confidence wavered. "Everyone else seems so sure we will. I…I don't want to think about what happens if we don't find him. So, yes. I'm sure he'll be found soon."

Tsunade nodded. "On your way then, ambassador."

Beki stepped out of the office feeling accomplished. _And it's only 8 o'clock. Maybe I'll treat myself to breakfast as a reward._


	68. Tension in the Workplace

**Hi everyone! Here's the weekend update! I've been really enjoying everyone's thoughts and comments on these last few chapters. Things might get a little confusing from time to time during this next part. If you find yourself with any questions please send me a message or leave the question in your review. That being said, please enjoy~!**

* * *

As Beki walked out of the diner she could help but overhear some familiar voices. She had no idea what was going on but they sounded irate. Beki walked around the corner to see Sakura and Naruto with their backs to her and squared off with a pale kid.

"Hey Naruto, Sakura," Beki called out. "What's with all the racket?"

"Meet our new teammate," Naruto grumbled. "Sai, this is Tsukimori Beki. She's the daughter of the Getsugakure ambassador."

Beki gestured to herself and Naruto. "We're roommates. They put me up with them while I'm assigned here."

"Oh," Sai smiled, its forced nature plain. "So, that makes you the man of the house?"

Beki snorted. "Did he just call your manhood into question?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. She was gripping her crossed arms so tightly her knuckles were turning white. "He's been like this all morning."

"Haha," Beki gave Naruto a playful shove. "Get wrecked."

Sai blinked in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"Oh," Beki grinned. "You burned him." Sai's confused look didn't pass so Beki sighed and explained further. "That joke you made at his expense, I thought it was funny. It's a way of saying good job to you and laughing at the victim."

"Don't encourage him Beki," Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets. "I have never had to deal with anyone as rude as this guy…"

"He called me ugly," Sakura spat. "Can you believe it?"

Beki laughed. "What are you two getting so worked up about? I mean, Sakura, you're pretty and you know it. Naruto, you can make a small army whenever you feel like it." She pointed at Sai. "Look at the smile on this guy's face, he's clearly trolling you. Why are you letting a bunch of words get under your skin?"

Sakura and Naruto shared a knowing look. Sakura raised an eyebrow and Naruto nodded, their silent communication complete. "Oh Sai," Sakura cocked her head. "What nickname would you give Beki?"

Sai considered her for a moment, the happy façade slipping momentarily as he appraised her. He snapped his fingers and the false grin returned instantly. "Dainty!"

"BULLSHIT!" Sakura raged, flinging herself on him in a violent outburst. "LOOK AT THAT JAW! AND HER SHOULDERS ARE AS BROAD AS NARUTO'S! NO WAY IN HELL SHE'S _DAINTY!"_

Naruto stood there with a crestfallen look as the quarrel kicked up dust around them. He sighed with resignation and Beki elbowed him again. "Hey, this guy's funny. We should have him over sometime."

"Yeah," Naruto laughed uncomfortably. "He's a real riot."

"Oh, um, so have you talked to Hinata yet?" Beki asked.

Naruto shook his head. "No, we just got back when we were told this jerk would be Sasuke's substitute."

"So, I kind of have a family situation going on," Beki shuffled uncomfortably. "I guess my dad went missing around the border of the Land of Tea. They've got search parties out looking for him and everyone's sure he's going to turn up. In the meantime, I'll be acting as ambassador. So I'll probably be coming and going more than I used to."

"You're kidding!" Naruto threw his hands up. "I mean no offense when I say how are you an ambassador?! Beki, you haven't been on a mission in months and you just get promoted to your dad's job?!"

Beki shrugged uncomfortably. "It's not like I want the job, Naruto. I kind of…have to. It's the rules that I take over for him."

"Yeah yeah," Naruto waved dismissively. "I'm sorry about your dad. It just seems like everyone else is climbing the ladder around here and I'm still a genin! It'll take forever to become Hokage at this rate."

Beki pointed at the dust cloud. "Looks like your friends are finishing their fistfight. I'll see you later."

Naruto waved and trudged over to the rest of his team.

 _Sai kind of reminds me of Gaara, in that socially awkward kind of way. Gaara tries to connect though. This kid just seems like he's going through the motions, imitating things he's observed other people do._ Beki stopped in her tracks and swore. Gaara. Seiichiro had also been involved in talks with Suna. Beki needed to send word to Suna to inform him of the situation. She booked it home and scribbled out a note on her official stationary. She surveyed her work and sighed. "He's your boyfriend, Beki. He's not going to look down on you for not addressing him as formally as Ishida." After the letter was sealed and stamped, Beki ran to the aviary. The birdkeeper was nice and immediately sent her letter on its way. _Hopefully he won't have a problem postponing the meetings until I get my bearings from Ishida._

…

"Are you kidding," Beki groaned as she opened the letter from Ishida. "This is like twenty pages long!" She spread them out over the kitchen table. "At least he organized them by village. Now I can go into that meeting with Tsunade at least kind of prepared and I can buy some more time on the ones for Suna."

"Oh, that reminds me," Hinata walked in and put another letter on the table. "That came in from Suna today."

Beki grinned at the stationary. She instantly recognized it as Gaara's. The moment she opened it, however, she was rudely reminded that her boyfriend was now her colleague. "Hinata, Gaara is making me go to Suna to brief him on everything in person!"

"You'll need to let Tsunade know so you can hire an escort," Hinata called out from the laundry room. "Can you request that it not be Team 8 or Team 7? Naruto and I are going to have date night this weekend."

Beki let out another frustrated groan and ran her fingers through her bangs. She held the hair back away from her face as she skimmed the papers. "Do you think it's unprofessional if I just read off these papers?"

"Definitely," Hinata closed the dryer door. "Bring the notes but try to be familiar enough with them that you are just using them to keep your place."

 _Living with an heiress is paying off._ Beki packed up the papers and put them in a leather file. "I'll be back, I'm going to go talk with Tsunade."

"Have fun," Hinata let out a small gasp and Beki turned to face her. "Um, Beki, you tucked your dress into your underwear."

"Again?!" Beki pulled the dress free of her elastic waistband. "Thanks. At least I'll look kind of put together when I go in."

Beki hurried into town, the file folder carefully nestled between her arm and her torso. It seemed like she spent most of her time these days running between the aviary, Hinata's house, and the Hokage's mansion. Beki had been neglecting her training while she tried to iron out the ambassador situation and thus far had avoided Ebisu like a hide and seek champion. It had been a week and there was still no word on her father's fate. Beki could feel the pressure mounting and had a hard time sleeping at night as she simultaneously worried about her dad and tried to plan her next day. She had been keeping ahead of things but she lacked the polish of a seasoned pro like her dad or Ishida.

 _When Dad gets back I'm going to need him to teach me all the finer points. I haven't started a war yet but so help me, if I had walked into Tsunade's office with my dress tucked into my panties again-_

"Off to see the Hokage again?" Yasahiro's voice pulled Beki from her thoughts.

"Hi uncle," Beki gave him a smile. "Just got word from Ishida. I'm going to go over everything with Tsunade now and then I have to arrange an escort."

Yasahiro shook his head in surprise. "An escort? Where are you headed?"

Beki adjusted the file folder self-consciously. "The Kazekage requested I deliver the information in person."

"You can't do that!" Yasahiro reached out and held her wrists, bringing his face close to hers. "Beki, we don't know who took your father, let alone who they were working for. If you leave town and you go missing as well-"

"That's why I'll hire an escort," Beki grinned wider. "See uncle? I'm not so bad at this ambassador stuff."

"You have to tell the Kazekage to come to you," Yasahiro folded his arms. "Just explain that considering the situation with your father, the higher ups want you to keep your feet planted firmly on Leaf soil."

"Uncle," Beki sighed. "I know you're worried but I'm not going to lie to the Kazekage, especially when I know Ishida would tell me I have to go. Right now, my concern is to maintain diplomatic relations as best I can until Dad turns up. If that means I must apologize to the Kazekage in person for delays in negotiations, so be it. Tsunade won't send me along with a subpar escort. I'll be almost as well protected as I am walking down the street."

"Beki, I really hope you know what you're doing," Yasahiro shook his head. "If you get taken and your dad comes back, or you get taken and no one ever hears from either of you again, that's a lot of burden to put on your uncle."

"You seem to forget that I always have a few tricks up my sleeve," Beki socked his shoulder playfully. "Remember all that stuff you taught me at the chunin exams? Between an escort, the Drowned Maiden, and all the training I have with these puppies-" Beki extended and retracted the gauntlets. "Anyone who came after me would have a bad time."

Yasahiro nodded and heaved another sigh. "Alright, Beki. It sounds like you've got things under control. But please, _please_ be careful."

"I will uncle," Beki winked. "See you around."

Beki took the steps two at a time and instantly her face soured at the sight of the guard outside. He looked passively ahead as if he didn't recognize her.

"You know, all the teasing over the years and I thought we were friends," Beki scowled. "You could have told me my dress was tucked in my underwear."

"And miss you humiliating yourself in front of the Hokage?" The guard shook his head. "Sorry kid. You're asking to much of a person."

Beki scoffed and headed inside. It was during the period Tsunade kept her schedule clear, so Beki stood in line behind a few other walk ins. After about twenty minutes Beki was able to get up to the desk. "Tsunade sama," Beki smiled. "I have the materials from my superior. I can review them with you any time."

Tsunade glanced at her clock. "You have…ten minutes."

Beki blinked in surprise. "I guess I'll need a raincheck then. I have almost fifteen pages worth of stuff to cover here."

Tsunade pulled out her planner and took a pencil out of the cup on her desk. "Let's see. How does next Tuesday at 2:25 sound?"

"Fine, I suppose," Beki closed the file folder. "Do you think that would give me enough time to get to Suna and back to go over everything with the Kazekage?"

Tsunade shrugged. "That depends on if you have an appointment with him and how quickly you can get there and back."

Beki dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her eyes with her palms. She stopped after a moment and spoke through her fingers. "I'm just going to wing it."

"As a fellow professional, I would advise against that," Tsunade supported her chin on her hand, her face passive. "That's how you end up in people's offices with your ass hanging out."

Beki elected to ignore the comment and proceed onto the next order of business. "Well then, I'd like to hire an escort. Is there a chance you could send me out with a team other than seven or eight?"

Tsuande raised an eyebrow. "Look at you, making demands of me regardless of what I have available?"

"Hinata and Naruto are going on a date night," Beki folded her arms. "I put the two of them out enough. I would feel bad forcing one of them to be home alone when they could have the house to themselves instead."

Tsunade took a binder off the rack behind her and skimmed it silently for a few minutes. "I can dispatch a team with you tomorrow morning. It won't be eight or ten."

"Okay," Beki rose. "Thank you Hokage, sama."

"They'll meet you at the gate tomorrow morning," Tsunade closed the binder. "Should I just bill your father's account?"

"Is that the usual procedure?" Beki furrowed her brow in confusion.

"I never had to give your father an escort," Tsunade rifled through one of her drawers. "I have the information here. I'll take care of it."

Beki kept her face neutral despite the intentional dig and bowed politely. As she walked out the door and down the steps, she heard the guard call out:

"Good work, amb- _ass-_ ador!"

Beki rolled her eyes and headed back toward Hinata's to pack.

…

Shizune watched after Beki with concern in her eyes. "Aren't you being a little hard on her, Tsunade?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Hard on her? This is nowhere near as bad as what she's going to get working with the other kage. Beki's in the big leagues now, Shizune. I don't want her to be blindsided by how she'll be treated now that she's the ambassador and not just his cute daughter."

Shizune bit her lip. "Do you think she's doing okay?"

"About her father?" Tsunade shrugged. "Its hard to tell. I would guess she's throwing herself into the work as a distraction. It would be difficult for anyone to face the possibility of being orphaned head on."

Shizune picked up Tonton and pet him, more to comfort herself than the pig. "Who are you going to send her with?"

Tsunade suppressed a sly smile. "Let's just say I'm not pulling any punches on that, either."

…

Beki arrived at the gates early, dressed in her best combat gear and with a belly full of Hinata's home cooking. She looked around for the team that would be escorting her. Her eyes fell on a group of four and her heart sunk.

"Beki nee chan!" Konohamaru called out as he raced over, throwing his arms around her in a great bear hug. "Can you believe it? We get to escort you to Suna!"

Beki wrapped her arms around Konohamaru, her horror at having to spend the next six days with Ebisu a nice distraction from how sad it was that Konohamaru was almost as tall as she was. "Did you grow a couple of inches again?"

Konohamaru stepped away, his eyes at her nose. He beamed at her. "I guess so! I'm going to be taller than you soon, Beki nee san!"

"Can you not?" Beki cringed. "Can't you just stay small and cute forever?"

"No one would respect me as Hokage if I was small and cute," Konohamaru puffed up his face. "That's nonsense."

"So this is why you've been neglecting your training," Ebisu strolled over, his arms crossed. "You could have sent word, you know."

"Sorry, my dad was abducted and I had to take over as ambassador," Beki adjusted her pack. "Social calls with weasels weren't high on my list of priorities."

"I am your sensei!" Ebisu stamped his foot. "I will not be disrespected in front of my other students!"

Beki shook her head. "Thanks, Tsunade. I get a genin escort."

"What was that?" Ebisu snapped.

Beki rolled her eyes as she strolled out the gates. "Oh, you know. Just that I guess I didn't warrant a real escort."

"That's probably just because Suna and Konoha are friends," Konohamaru raced up beside her. "We don't have a lot of problems with their border."

Beki ruffled his hair. "That's probably why."

"No, go on and say what you were implying." Ebisu shook her pack.

Beki looked him dead in the eye. "I don't have to do what you tell me to."

Konohamaru squirreled his head under Beki's arm and hugged her around her waist as they walked. "I feel like I never see you anymore."

Beki gave him a squeeze. "I've been busy."

"Are you doing okay?" Konohamaru looked up at her with concern. "Do you think your dad-"

"They'll find him," Beki locked his head in her elbow. "I just have to hold down the fort till he gets back."

"If you need anything, let me know, okay?" Konohamaru said between half-hearted attempts to free himself from her grasp. "Even if you just feel sad and need someone to hold your hand."

"That's sweet of you, kiddo." Beki kissed the top of his head. "Now get out of here." She shoved him back towards his squad. "Shouldn't we be running point?"

"You know, at this rate, it's better for me to just lure out trouble," Beki grinned.

…

The trip to Suna was uneventful even though it was excessively unpleasant for both Beki and Ebisu. Beki had woken up with the kids piled on her in various combinations each night so her back was stiff from her inability to move. Ebisu and Beki had used the kids to communicate aside from vague threats in each other's directions. Once they arrived in Suna, they sent word ahead to the Kazekage that she had arrived.

"You can head to the inn," The guard at the entrance handed back Beki's papers. "The Kazekage will summon you."

"Thank you," Beki bowed as she led the team inside. Konohamaru and Moegi were practically skipping along.

"This is our first time in Suna," Konohamaru whispered conspiratorially.

"I can tell," Beki chuckled. "You're going to wear yourselves out. Walking on sand is a lot harder than on grass."

"You've been here before, Beki?" Moegi asked.

Beki nodded as she looked around at the repaired buildings and smoke stains on the walls. "Not for a while, though."

The inn was modest but comfortably cool considering the heat outside. They headed up to their room and waited for the summons.

"You know, I should be fine here," Beki looked at the kids. "You guys could go explore. I won't be in any danger now that I'm in the city's walls."

"Sorry, Tsukimori," Ebisu folded his arms. "I can't allow you to be unattended. There's no way we can tell who might be after you."

"It wouldn't be the Sand shinobi," Beki didn't hide the irritation in her voice. "The Kazekage and I are friends. There would be no advantage whatsoever that he could obtain by holding my father hostage."

"You just can't know these things-" Ebisu waved his arms in the air in frustration. "You do a terrible job of looking out for your own wellbeing."

"I do just fine," Beki shot him a dirty look. "Or Tsunade would have sent along a team of more than just genin and a washed up has been."

"A washed up has been?!" Ebisu stormed over just as there was a knock on the door. They all froze in place as the door opened and the inn keeper bowed in greeting.

"The Kazekage has sent a summons for you, Ambassador."

"Go into town," Beki grabbed her bag as she headed for the door. "I'll be a while."

…

The sight of the Kazekage's mansion brought bitter memories bubbling to the surface. Beki recalled the destruction in the city, the screams of the victims of the attack, and the horrible churning in her gut. Not to mention the horrible heartache that had followed it. The two guards stationed outside Gaara's doors spotted her and exchanged a few words. One of them opened the door and popped his head inside. He stepped back out and closed the door. The two remained perfectly still until Beki had approached within spitting distance.

"The Kazekage is waiting," The one on the left opened the door and Beki walked inside.

Gaara's office was the same as her first visit, Beki was sure, but she was so emotionally drained last time a lot of details had escaped her notice. For example, the variety of cactuses scattered around the office or the ornate richly colored rug that covered most of the floor. Gaara had stood at his desk in greeting and Beki spotted Kankuro standing off to the side of the room, slightly out of sight.

"Kazekage sama," Beki bowed.

"Ambassador Tsukimori," Gaara gestured to the chair in front of his desk and Beki took a seat. "I'm so glad you could come on such short notice."

Beki reached into her bag and took out the leather file folder. As she rifled through the papers, she could sense Gaara's gaze on her.

"How are you?"

Beki looked up. "I'm in a little over my head but I think I am managing to adjust to the job."

Gaara folded his hands on his desk. "I was worried about you. I wanted to see you and make sure that you were holding up under the pressure."

Beki hesitated, paper in hand. "Do you mean to tell me that you had me hire an escort to come out here on hardly any notice so you could check in?"

Gaara shrugged. "Write it off as a business expense."

Beki stared at him in shock.

"To be fair, it would be expected for a newly appointed ambassador to meet with a kage in person before expecting to conduct any business with them." Gaara adjusted the papers on his desk.

Beki crossed her legs and tapped her foot impatiently. "But you _know_ me, Gaara."

"I know you as Tsukimori Beki, not as the temporary ambassador of Getsugakure," Gaara explained. "We have to meet formally."

Beki stood up, put her papers on her seat, and gave the Kazekage a formal bow. In the level, composed tone she often heard her father use with hoity toity diplomats, Beki addressed the Kazekage: "Kazekage sama, I am Tsukimori Haruka no Getsugakure. My father is currently unable to complete his duties as ambassador as his whereabouts are unknown. I will be standing in as his replacement unless and until he is located and restored to his position. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and I hope with can work together amicably."

Before Beki could raise her head, Gaara responded to her performance with an exaggerated slow clap. "Impressive display, Miss Tsukimori. I would have to say you certainly know _how_ to play the part of a young, inexperienced diplomat."

Beki held her tongue but Gaara was testing her patience. Why was it that the moment she had to take on her father's job everyone decided to play hardball with her? It wasn't like she wanted to be the ambassador. She was having a hard time dealing with all the possible fates that could have befallen Seiichiro without having to kowtow to the whims of kage. "May I present the negotiations now?"

Gaara watched her for a moment and Beki swore she saw a wicked glimmer in his eye. "Alright, hand over my copy."

"What?" Beki clutched her papers defensively.

Gaara sighed with mock indignation. "You came to a meeting with a kage and didn't make me a set of copies? If you suddenly decided to change the terms in two months, how would I have any proof of what the original agreement was?"

Beki felt her lips curling into a snarl and forced them back to neutral. She gripped the file folder in frustration, her knuckles turning white. "If you would allow me, where is your copier?"

"Would you mind showing her the way Kankuro?" Gaara gestured to his desk. "I have some other matters to attend to."

Beki followed Kankuro downstairs. He had a satisfied look on his face as though Gaara running Beki through the ringer was the most amusing thing he had seen all week. Beki stood in silence as she ran the Suna portion of the negotiations through the copier. They marched back upstairs to find Gaara sitting with a patiently expectant look on his face. "Are we ready?"

Beki resisted the urge to whack Gaara over the head with the papers. Instead, she held them out to him with a respectful bow. He took them from her, a small sly grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. Beki scowled internally. _I have never understood my father's grumpiness until now._

"So if you would direct your attention to the first item on page one," Beki began.

Gaara held up a hand and glanced over at the clock. "Its five o'clock."

"And?" Beki looked up from her paper. "We have five pages to review."

Gaara leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand with a sheepish grin. "That means that it's time for us to go get dinner."

Beki held her breath as the rage slowly built up inside her. Gaara cocked his head. "What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?"

"You don't get to bust my balls for forty-five minutes and then ask me to dinner," Beki's hands were shaking. It was one thing to have to put up with this from Tsunade but Gaara was testing her patience.

"I was going to ask you to stay the night, too," Gaara grinned.

"Aaaand I'm out," Kankuro threw up his hands and marched out of the office. "See you tomorrow."

Beki leered at Kankuro as he left and then turned her venomous gaze upon the Kazekage. "Now you listen here-"

Sand rushed out of the gourd at lightning speed, wrapping around her and pulling her forcibly into Gaara's arms. The moment she was locked in his embrace he planted a kiss on her lips. At first Beki was resolute in her anger, that she would remain stiff and angry the whole time. Her body betrayed her, however, coming loose in the warmth of his arms. The familiarity of his scent was comforting and Beki relaxed into his kiss. Beki closed her eyes and kissed him back as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He pulled away and gave her an eskimo kiss. "I'm sorry if I was being vexing. It was just too precious seeing you march in here with your little leather folder and your right out of the academy attitude."

Beki reached up and tapped his nose. "I'll have you know you came that close to being brutally murdered."

"Really?" Gaara pressed his forehead against hers. "How many times?"

"Well," Beki looked around the room. "Stabbing you with your letter opener, breaking the cactus planters over your head-"

"No!" Gaara feigned horror. "Not my cactuses! Kill me if you must but spare them. They're innocent of my misdeeds."

Beki sighed in resignation. "Fine. If I kill you I'll take them in and raise them as my own."

"That's all a man can really ask for from his assassin." Gaara gave her a final squeeze and released Beki. "So, about dinner?"

Beki rolled her eyes. "You're buying to make up for the harassment you've put me through. And to cover the costs of my escort to get out here."

Gaara shrugged as he opened the door. "Write it off."

Beki screwed up her face in confusion. "What?"

"You know," Gaara locked the door behind her. "It's a business expense."

Beki planted her face in her hands and groaned. "Please don't talk to me about taxes yet."

Gaara held out his elbow and Beki took the offered arm. He formed a sand cloud beneath their feet and lifted them off the ground. "So where are we going?"

"It's a place near my house I think that you'll like," Gaara smiled. "It's the only place around here with decent beef tongue."

Beki gave a fake cringe. "First eyeballs and now tongue. You're lucky I was raised by a single dad and I can handle gross stuff like that."

"I figure I haven't scared you off yet. I might as well keep being myself," Gaara unlaced his arm from hers and placed a hand on the small of Beki's back to stabilize her as they descended.

"it certainly smells good," Beki grinned. "I guess I didn't realize I was starving."

"Half the village heard your stomach growling." There was a bit of a line but to Beki's surprise Gaara walked her to a place at the back.

"I've never seen a kage wait their turn before," Beki elbowed him gently.

Gaara shrugged. "I'm not an 'in for it for the perks' kind of kage."

"I respect that about you-" Beki began.

"Beki nee san!" Konohamaru ran up to her with the force of a small truck and plowed into her. Beki managed to stay on her feet. "We were wondering when you were going to get out of the meeting."

"Sorry pal," Beki leaned her head in Gaara's directing to cue Konohamaru in that he was there. "Meeting isn't over yet."

Gaara folded his arms and gave a convincing sigh of frustration. "The ambassador and I just can't seem to come to an agreement on some terms."

"They're just a few cautionary provisions, nothing concrete enough for you to have to physically commit to them," Beki looked at Gaara and gave him a subtle wink.

If Gaara noticed her cue he gave no sign. "It's a little presumptuous for a temporary ambassador to be attempting that sort of negotiation on her first day."

Konohamaru began to look uncomfortable. "When do you think you'll be done with the Kazekage?"

Beki sighed and ruffled his hair. "I don't know, bud. Depending on how stubborn we both are this could take hours."

"Hours!" Konohamaru looked up at her in distress. "Do you mean this could take all night?!"

"Its possible," Beki shrugged. "So don't wait up for me. I'll be duking it out with the Kazekage so I won't be in any danger."

"If we finish at an odd hour I'll escort her home," Gaara gestured to the door. "We're next."

"Alright Konohamaru," Beki pat his back affectionately and disentangled herself from his grasp. "I'll see you later."

"Bye, Beki nee san," Konohamaru watched sadly as the two were led inside. The pair had done a decent job pretending to be grouchy with one another with all that shop talk but the moment they were inside they were smiling again. Konohamaru knew Beki was trying to protect his feelings. He had suspected that going out with her boyfriend would be part her visit to Suna, but Konohamaru had hoped that maybe he would get to spend some time with Beki. He hardly ever got to see her anymore. Konohamaru kicked at the dirt and headed back for the inn to let the others know not to wait up for her.


	69. Payback

**Hi everyone, sorry for the delay on this chapter. I wanted to get more writing done this week but I have been having a serious case of writers block. Please enjoy, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.**

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Beki looked at the menu and furrowed her brow. Her gaze slowly scanned the room before she turned her attention back to the drinks list. "Hey," She whispered. "Would it be wrong if I drank on the job?"

Gaara gave a small chuckle. "I thought we decided we were both off the clock."

"Well, I mean, we aren't negotiating anymore but I'm technically representing my country right now." Beki tapped the menu on the table. "To be honest though, I could probably use it."

"Just get the wine, Beki," Gaara shook his head and gave her a small smile. "Kankuro says its good here."

Beki gave him a suspicious look. "You wouldn't have an impure agenda in encouraging me to drink, would you?"

Gaara shrugged. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious to see how you would act after a drink or two."

"I'm a Tsukimori," Beki laughed. "You saw my dad; we're built like tanks. I can hold my liquor just fine." She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. "How about you? What are you like?"

"I've never been drunk," Gaara folded his arms. "When I was a jinchuriki, I couldn't get drunk but it would make me sleepy. I made a point of not drinking to avoid drifting off and losing control."

"You want to try a sip of mine when it comes?" Beki asked as she set the menu aside.

"No," Gaara shook his head. "I don't like wine. It's too sweet. If I was going to drink it would be whiskey."

"You would be a whiskey kind of guy," Beki sighed. "So's my dad. It's too strong for me."

"So much for being able to hold your liquor," Gaara chuckled and Beki shot him a look.

"It's not that I can't, it just burns." Beki would have gone on but the waiter came to take their order. The waiter did a good job of remaining professional. The rest of the people in the restaurant were all watching them, however, some more subtly than others. "Are you a shut in or something?"

"I try to go out and be around the people as much as I can," Gaara explained. "I'll go out to lunch with my staff or my siblings but they've never seen me out on a date."

"So, we're setting the rumor mill spinning," Beki sighed. "I just hope they're not going to bring my dad into this too much."

"Your father made it clear that he didn't care what people thought about us," Gaara gave her hand a squeeze. "Let them talk. None of it will hold up once he's found."

"You're right," Beki grinned. "I guess I'm just on edge. I've had a lot dumped on my plate in the last few weeks." Beki felt a lump forming in her throat. The last thing she wanted to do was start crying out on a date with Gaara. It had nothing to do with him, Beki every occasionally got hit with a wave of unhappy emotions because of all the stress she was under. "Hey, I'm going to run to the bathroom and wash up. I've got sand under my nails."

"You get used to it," Gaara threw over his shoulder as she walked away.

Beki walked into the bathroom and found it mostly empty. Someone was in one of the stalls but other than that Beki would be alone. She turned on the tap and took a deep breath, centering herself. _I'm going to be fine. Dad's going to be fine. It'll all be okay if I can just hold out for a while._ Beki washed her hands and then held them cupped under the water. Once they were overflowing, Beki splashed her face with water and repeated the action until the layer of travel grime was gone. She grabbed a few paper towels and dried her face. The bathroom stall opened with a squeal and Beki automatically scoped out its occupant as they stepped out. Beki was met with a familiar face that she had hoped to never see again.

"Not you," Beki frowned. "Please say it isn't you."

The green-eyed girl balked at the sight of Beki and a range of emotions crossed over her face. At first, she looked shocked, then confused, and lastly there was a flicker of fear before it settled back to neutral.

"Hey, uh, Beki," Miki smiled nervously and looked around the bathroom. "Can we just not do this? Pretend we didn't see each other? I have had really bad performance this month and I need this job to work out."

Beki squared off with her. "My dad was abducted."

Miki gave her a confused look. "Sorry?"

Beki folded her arms and puffed herself up to her full height to make it clear she wasn't going anywhere. "I could scream right now; the Kazekage is eating dinner in the next room."

"Tch," Miki took a deep breath and held up her hands in defeat. "How about this? I have a…complicated relationship with someone of rank in the Sound. I'll see if I can dig up some information for you."

"Complicated how?" Beki cocked her head.

"Sometimes we're cool and everything's going well and other mornings I wake up and I think 'this is it, this is the day he kills me," Miki shook her head. "I would say one day you'll understand but I guess that's unlikely.

"How will I know if you've found something?" Beki watched Miki carefully. The girl tended to hop out windows at the least convenient times. "I doubt you'll send it by mail."

Miki ran her fingers through her hair. "You'll just know, okay? No news means the Sound had nothing to do with it and we don't know jack. If I find something you'll get it in code but I'll make sure a baby could crack it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Beki threw over her shoulder as she walked towards the door.

"So, this makes us even for last time," Miki folded her arms. "I don't owe you anymore."

"No," Beki grabbed the handle. "You still owe me. I just did you another favor by not blowing your cover in here."

Miki swore quietly as the Getsugakure ambassador walked out the door. Miki gripped her arms and considered her options. She had gotten the information she needed by eavesdropping on the target during his lunch with his mistress earlier. In theory, if Miki bounced now her mission would be complete and she could put this all behind her. That way if Beki changed her mind and blabbed that Miki was a Sound plant she would already be well into the desert when they started looking for her. Then again, she needed information from Miki. There was a chance she would be safe to finish her shift so no suspicions would be raised until the next morning when Miki didn't appear for her next shift.

Miki watched the bathroom door for a moment with her breath held, listening for the sounds of heavy footsteps. When no guards came bursting through the door Miki knew the Getsu girl would keep her word. She heaved a sigh of relief and stepped back out into the restaurant feeling a little less sick than before.

…

The rest of the dinner was uneventful. Gaara and Beki ate, paid, and walked out just before the big dinner rush. As they walked outside they saw the short line they had waited in had wrapped itself around the building.

"We had good timing," Gaara smiled. "What should we do with the rest of our night?"

Beki pressed herself against Gaara as they walked. "I think if we go back to your place we can figure something out."

"You read my mind," Gaara held out his arm and Beki took it. They were in the air and on the way to his house before anyone even noticed they were gone. Gaara set them down on the balcony of his room and ran forward to open the door for Beki. Beki zoomed past him into the empty bedroom. As soon as Gaara was inside he closed the balcony door and Beki slid the curtain in front of it. Gaara grabbed for Beki's arms and she squealed and ran away playfully. Gaara chased her around the room until he had her cornered. Beki tried to dive past him but he caught ahold of her waist and spun her onto the bed. She tried to tickle him in self-defense but he clamped his elbows to his sides, trapping her arms. Instead of trying to free herself, Beki pulled him close.

"I'm going to get payback for all that flack you gave me today," Beki squeezed him.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Gaara had kept one of her arms pinned and was undoing the straps on her gauntlets.

Beki cocked her head. "I'm going to do you so hard you can't walk afterwards." Gaara had finished with one gauntlet and tossed it carefully into an armchair. As he worked on her other arm, Beki began to undo the straps of his harness with his free hand.

"I accept your challenge," Gaara had wiggled free of the harness and floated the gourd over by the door. "I'm going to just let it happen, you know."

"I'm expecting you to put up a fight," Beki grinned. "That's what will make it so fun to bring you down."

Gaara tossed aside Beki's other gauntlet and took ahold of the hem of her dress. Beki balanced on her heels and her shoulder blades so he could pull it up, then tucked out of the sleeves and collar so she was left lying on his bed in her underwear. It wasn't long before Gaara was out of his clothes and lying beside her in nothing but his boxers.

"So, what's this master plan to slay me?" Gaara ran his hand along her side, enjoying the softness of her skin and the curve of her hip.

Beki ran her nails through his hair. "I was thinking I could try taking you for a ride," Beki grinned. Gaara had been a little excited before but at the mention of what position she wanted to try his arousal was obvious. She leaned in and kissed him. As he kissed her back, Gaara wrapped his arms around her and pulled her on top of him. Beki spread her legs and straddled him, feeling his manhood pressing against her through the fabric. Gaara gripped her hips as they kissed and pressed her harder against him. The two hadn't been having sex for very long but Beki had already figured out that the longer they drew out the buildup process the better the payout. She already wanted to rip off the last of their clothes and vault herself on him. Instead of giving in, Beki was waiting until her desire was unbearable. Their breathing was heavy and Gaara had begun to rock Beki's hips, unable to contain the primal urge to pump her. He gripped at her so tightly it almost hurt. Beki pulled away for a moment to pull of her bra and carelessly toss it aside. Gaara's hands immediately were on her soft breasts, caressing her gently and roughly grabbing at them at the same time. Beki shuddered at his touch, her cue that it was time to exact her revenge.

Beki leaned in and kissed him again, starting with his mouth but then working her way to his neck. Gaara laced his fingers through her hair. He nibbled at her ear as Beki went back and forth between his neck and his face.

After a few moments, Beki pulled away and gave him a wicked grin. "Ready?"

"I thought you would never ask," Gaara smiled as they pulled off the last of their clothes and Beki mounted him again.

She lowered herself down on him and Gaara let out a small, incoherent noise. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Gaara ran his hands along her sides. "Just keep going."

…

Gaara was left panting flat on his back, his arms hanging limply at his sides.

"So?" Beki plopped back down beside him. "Can you walk?"

"Walk," Gaara chuckled. "I can't even move my arms."

"You've been slain?" Beki smiled and put an arm across his chest.

Gaara sighed. "If you were a Suna shinobi I'd have to hand over my hat. I've never been so defeated in my life."

Beki glanced at the clock. "Well that was the best way to spend a couple of hours."

Gaara pulled her closer so she was resting her head on his chest. "That means its too late for you to go back to your hotel."

"Ahuh," Beki laughed. "That's the reason you aren't letting me leave."

"You'll be lucky if I let you leave at all, especially after tonight." Gaara kissed her temple. "Every time I see you I have more reasons not to let you go."

"Let's not think about that," Beki reached down and pulled the covers up over them. "I just want to enjoy getting to spend the night with my boyfriend like a normal girl."

"Fair enough," Gaara yawned. "I'm surprisingly tired."

"Still have trouble sleeping?" Beki ran her fingers over his torso. His stomach muscles were still tight from their session and his skin was hot to the touch. _I really did a number on him._

Gaara stroked her back. "A lifetime of insomnia is a hard habit to break. I think this'll be the first full night's sleep I've had in a while."

Beki nodded and the couple fell silent, content to be in each other's company and too exhausted to take notice of how uncomfortable their position was.

…

The next morning Beki awoke to the bed cold beside her. She was instantly stirred to fill alertness by Gaara's absence, only to see him sitting in the armchair by the window.

"Good morning," Gaara didn't look at he ruffled through some papers.

"All that and you're still an early riser," Beki shook her head. "I've got to up my game."

"Tease me all you want. I just finished reviewing the negotiations you brought me," Gaara set the papers down.

"What do you think?" Beki sat up and fixed her hair self-consciously.

"There's just a few minor adjustments that need to be made," Gaara got up and walked back over to the bed. Beki noticed he had already dressed and subtly began glancing around the room for her clothes. "Don't worry. It's nothing that can't wait until your father gets back."

"Why don't we settle everything now?" Beki rose and began collecting and pulling her garments back on. "Just so my dad doesn't have so much on his plate when he comes home?"

"Beki, I'm already sleeping with the man's daughter," Gaara reached out and took her hand as she passed. "I would feel terrible if I adjusted the deal he had been working on for years while he was away."

"Fair enough," Beki patted his cheek. "We'll table it for now."

"Let's go get you some breakfast." Gaara kissed her hand.

As he walked towards his bedroom door, Gaara caught his reflection in the mirror. "Wait...what is that?" Gaara moved in closer to the mirror, turning his head so he could get a better view of his neck.

"It's my revenge!" Beki cackled.

Gaara's eyes grew wide in horror. "You gave me a hickey?!" He narrowed his eyes and grabbed his jacket off the edge of the bed. "Well the jokes on you, I wear collars."

"Look," Beki pointed at the mirror. "I made a point of getting it higher than your collar."

Gaara checked the mirror again and sighed. He applied sand armor to the spot, which made it almost as conspicuous as the hickey on its own. "Whatever," He grabbed the door handle. "Let's get going."

…

"I have to go back to Konoha," Beki said as she collected her things. "I have to meet with Tsunade ASAP to go over her portion of the negotiations."

"Before you leave," Gaara walked over to the sideboard. "Now that you probably have an official looking desk somewhere." He presented her with a small potted saguaro.

"Aww," Beki took the baby cactus. "Thank you dear. What should we call him?"

"That's clearly a 'her'," Gaara folded his arms in mock indignation.

"Then let's call her Bekiko then." Beki grinned.

Gaara heaved a sigh. "I don't know why I expected anything else. Bekiko it is."

"Alright, I have to go meet up with my Leafling escort," Beki gave him a quick peck. "I'll write you when I get back."

Gaara grabbed her arm. "Just a heads up: now that you're an ambassador, they aren't going to screen the mail you send me."

Beki's smile twisted wickedly. "Really?"

…

"So how did the mission go?" Kabuto was meticulously washing scalpels in the lab sink. They had already wheeled the body out and Miki was mopping up the table.

"Oh, it went fine. I got the information we were looking for and submitted my report to Orochimaru sama." Her thoughts strayed to the promise she had made in Suna. _Just forget about it, Miki. The girl probably forgot about it anyway. It isn't worth risking what little good grace you've built up here._

Miki looked at her hands, the gloves covered in gore and God-knows-what. _Then again, I owe her one._ "I did here something interesting while I was there."

Kabuto made a vaguely interested noise.

"I guess the ambassador for Getsugakure went missing on the border of the Land of Tea," Miki kept her eyes on her work. She didn't want to give away that she was looking for information.

"So?" The clink of the scalpels on the metal tray sent shivers through Miki's body.

 _Think on your feet, Miki._ "I just thought it was interesting because he was a big guy. We're talking more than six feet, almost three hundred pounds. Who would have the manpower to take him on?

"Miki," Kabuto turned around and Miki saw he had a scalpel in his hands. She kept her cool as he spoke but her eyes never left the instrument. "Why would it matter if some ambassador from a two-bit village disappeared? This is the shinobi world. That sort of thing happens all the time. I don't know if you've noticed but the Sound doesn't take in high profile people. We open the door for wayward sheep and then shape them into something great."

"You're right, I was being silly," Miki dumped the used rags in a soggy laundry basket. Despite her admission there was still an air of expectancy in the room.

"What are you sticking your nose into, Nomura?" Kabuto was watching her carefully. There was a smile on his face and on the surface, he looked calm and relaxed but Miki knew better. He was a snake coiling to strike.

"You're giving me too much credit again," Miki sighed. "We both know I'm not smart enough to be up to anything. When I'm out there in the world pretending to be a damned waitress all the time, gossiping with the girls in the back room and with customers, I guess it kind of rubs off on me for a bit. I apologize for annoying you." She stole a glance at him to check his reaction only to take a damp towel to the face.

"Take that with you to the laundry," Kabuto was packing up his scalpels. "Try not to chameleon too much into your roles, Miki. A waitress won't make it in the Sound. You have to be a shinobi to survive here."

"Thanks, Kabuto," Miki tossed his rag in the basket, glad that she had survived another conversation.

"And Nomura?" Kabuto glanced at her as he opened the door. "Stop thanking me for everything. It makes you come off as a kiss ass."

"Got it," Miki raised a hand in acceptance of the title. 'Than- I mean, get the hell out of my morgue."

"That's better." Kabuto shut the door behind him and Miki almost heard her knees shaking.

 _Damn it, Tsukimori. I don't care what you say, we're square after that._

 _..._

Kankuro eyed Gaara suspiciously. "So...what's with the scarf?"

"I was cold," Gaara plopped down in his desk chair.

"That's one of Temari's scarves," Kankuro squared off with him. "Spill."

"I would have worn one of my own but I realized I don't have a scarf," Gaara folded his arms. "Do you have a problem?"

"Oh, you know, its just that we live in a desert," Kankuro reached over and yanked off the scarf. Gaara stared him down and Kankuro dissolved into a fit of laughter. "You ho! Look at that giant hickey!"

"Is it bad?" Gaara held his neck self consciously.

"I think you should cancel your appointments today." Kankuro gave him a somber look. "No one can possibly respect you when you look like some slutty teenage girl."

Gaara looked around and grabbed his Kage hat. "No one will question this."

"Not at all," Kakuro snickered and Gaara elbowed him.

"Let it go, Kankuro."

"Are you kidding?" Kankuro shook his head as he walked over to the door. "I'm hanging onto this forever."


	70. Lost and Found

**Hi everyone, I won't take up too much time here. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed! I've gotten lots of helpful feedback. Please enjoy this next chapter and let me know what you think~Ponchoninjax3**

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Beki approached the Hokage's mansion feeling a little more prepared to do her job. She had copies of the proposal for Tsunade and had even gone as far as to highlight points of interest. The guard let her in right away. Tsunade waved her over to take a seat in front of her desk.

"Alright Tsukimori, what do you have for me?" Tsunade held out a hand for the papers.

Beki handed over Tsunade's copy of the negotiations. "These are the adjustments my father had worked out with the court back home." Beki pointed at the highlighted sections. "I checked in with Ishida and had him go over anything that might be new for you. That's the highlighted stuff. I figured it would save you some time."

"That's sweet of you," Tsunade rifled through the papers. "I'm still going to have to go through everything though."

Beki sat expectantly across the desk from the Hokage, ready to answer any questions she might have. As the silence stretched from moments to minutes a question tugged at the back of Beki's mind. She tried her best to repress the idea because it was a professional visit. Her patience waned quickly and before she could stop herself, Beki had blurted: "So, any word on my father yet?"

Tsunade paused and looked up from the paper in her hands. "I'm afraid not. I probably shouldn't go into details but since it's your father I guess I can spare some information." Tsunade set the papers aside. "Your father has disappeared without a trace. The kanabo was a lucky find but that's all that has turned up. No one has even seen a man matching his description within a hundred-mile radius of where he fell off the map."

Beki's heart sunk. She had hoped that there would have been a sign by now that her father was alive. A ransom demand would have even set her heart at ease. "So how will we proceed?"

Tsunade sighed. "We'll keep the search on a few more weeks but then we'll have to call the search parties back. I'm sure Getsu will continue to investigate reports of his appearance on that side of the world and if we hear anything over here I'll dispatch a scout or two."

Beki kept up a brave face but Tsunade could plainly see the girl was in distress. She loved her father and had so much forced on her shoulders. Unfortunately, she was being faced with the fact that her father wasn't as important to the world as he was to Beki.

"I…" Beki looked down and shook her head. "Thank you for your time. I'll leave all this for you to review and I'll stop by later to go over any issues with you."

Tsunade let her go. The tears had already begun to well in Beki's eyes and her voice cracked at the end of her sentence. Beki held her breath all the way out of the office. It wasn't until she had reached the bottom of the stairs that she allowed herself to breathe. There was a painful ache in Beki's chest, a knot that wrapped around her heart and squeezed it until she couldn't think straight. Before she knew it, Beki had stumbled back to Hinata's house and was fumbling with the door.

The house was empty. The absence of sound and warmth was like a sucking void drawing Beki inside. She pulled off her shoes and trudged up the stairs as if compelled by an outside force. Beki removed her clothes and pulled on a long soft t-shirt and crawled under the sheets. He cat was there, burrowed deep down under the blankets. He was a mysterious creature that somehow always turned up when Beki least expected it. She made a soft clicking sound with her tongue and the cat mewed. He crawled up to her and nudged her face with his head. Beki kissed the top of his head and pulled him close.

"Where do you hide out all day?" Beki sighed. "I don't even know if Naruto knows you live here."

The cat meowed again and began to purr while he kneaded her stomach.

"Where do you think dad is?" Beki picked up the cat and held him so they were face to face. "Miki hasn't sent word, so he isn't in the Sound. Or she's dead. Where could he be, Socks?"

They cat reached out and touched Beki's nose with his paw. At first, she thought it was a touching gesture but then he put his other paw in her eye. Beki sat Socks down and lay back on the fluffy pillows. She pressed her palms into her eyes, using the pressure to relieve the throbbing behind her eyes.

A gentle knock at the door drew Beki's attention. "Come in."

Hinata peeked her head in. "Rough day?"

"I'm just," Beki sighed. "I'm having a hard time coming to terms with things."

"What sorts of things?" Hinata crossed the room and sat on the bed. "Ambassador work?"

"No," Beki sat up and hugged her knees. "It's, you know, they're going to stop looking for my dad soon. If he doesn't turn up in the next week or so they're going to call everyone back."

Hinata listened patiently, nodding occasionally with a concerned expression on her face. "You're worried they won't find him?"

"I have been doing a really good job of juggling this ambassador business," Beki reburied her face in her hands. She pressed hard against her closed lids, the black behind them lighting up bright red and white before she let them go with a sigh. "That's only because I've told myself it's to make things easier for dad when he gets back. I've been stressed to the max but I've held in there for him. If he's gone, I can't do this. I can't be the ambassador."

"You've already been the ambassador, Beki," Hinata rubbed Beki's shoulder comfortingly. "You would just have to start doing it for yourself."

"Hinata, if my dad is dead," Beki shook her head. "I couldn't keep this up. The hassling I get from the kage and more experienced diplomats would only get worse. This is the shinobi world. People are not kind and considerate or understanding of people's circumstances. They will smell blood in the water and go in for the kill."

"I'll do whatever I can to help, Beki. If you want, I'm sure Tsunade would be happy to send us along with you for diplomatic missions." Hinata offered.

Beki stood up and walked over to her closet. Hinata watched quietly to see what her friend was planning to do. She started to fish around behind her clothes.

"How about I draw you a bath," Hinata stood up and walked into Beki's bathroom. "I'll put a bath bomb in it for you and you can just soak a while. While you're in here, do some brainstorming. While I make dinner, I'll do the same thing. We can share what we come up with when you get out."

"Hinata," Beki's voice was small, almost childlike. "What if they aren't looking that hard for my dad?"

Hinata walked back into the bedroom. Beki was standing outside her closet with a duffel bag. Hinata's gaze shifted back to Beki's crestfallen face.

"Everyone's been saying there's no evidence, that he's disappeared without a trace." Beki fiddled with the strap on the bag. "My dad is over six feet tall and has a build like a tank. His bounty on the black market is steep but not steep enough for anyone to risk crossing him. He specialized in taking on large groups of enemies and has a reputation for making ambushes backfire."

"So who could have possibly taken him down?" Hinata pressed her hand to her chin. "You're right. Something doesn't add up."

"I can't just sit by and wait anymore," Beki started to stuff gear into her bag. "They've told me enough that I can do some investigating myself."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hinata gripped her hands nervously. "What if you get abducted as well?"

Beki shook her head. "Hinata, he's my father. He is the only family I have in this entire world. If I lose him and there was something I could do about it, I will never forgive myself."

"Can you promise me you'll be careful?" Hinata reached out and took Beki's hand. "Why don't we ask Tsunade to send some people out with you?"

"I don't have time for that," Beki sighed. "Tsunade will stall me and do everything in her power to convince me to stay. She'll assure me she has her best people on it and that I would be helping more by staying put."

"You know she would be right," Hinata reached for the bag and Beki held it behind her.

"Please, Hinata. When you got grabbed, I went after you. When Akatskui nabbed Gaara, I went after him. What kind of person would I be if I did that for my friends by not my father?" Beki started to strap on her kunai belt and gauntlets. "I have gone against my instincts and listened to other people long enough. I need to go."

Hinata sighed and opened the door for her. "Are you sure you can't wait until morning?"

"I know it's dark but I'm familiar enough with this part of the country that I shouldn't have any trouble at least making it to the border by midnight." Beki called out as she descended the steps.

"You have to write me then," Hinata chased after her. "Every town you pass through, you must send me a letter telling me how you are."

"I'll let you know what's turned up in the case," Beki strapped on her boots. "Maybe if I find something good Tsunade and the King will commit more men to finding my dad."

Hinata pulled Beki into a tight hug. "Please, please come home safe. I wouldn't be able to handle it if you disappeared, too."

"This is me we're talking about," Beki grinned. "I've got a flawless record."

Hinata winced and gave a silent prayer that Beki didn't jinx herself. The door closed behind her friend and Hinata was left with an unshakeable sense of foreboding.

 _Watch out, Beki. Something is out there._

…

Beki knew the streets and the patrols well enough to dart unnoticed through Konoha. She headed for one of the lesser used side gates and was running through how to distract the guards when a hand grabbed her wrist. She turned with a start only to see a stern faced Yasahiro staring her down.

"Beki, I've been looking everywhere for you."

"I can explain-" Beki began immediately but Yasahiro held up a hand.

"I went by the Hyugas and Hinata told me you had set out on your own," Yasahiro tightened his grip on her wrist.

 _She sold me out that fast?_ Beki sighed. _I guess Hinata didn't want me to go._

"I'm not upset," Yasahiro pulled Beki closer and dropped his voice low. "I have a lead on your father."

"Where is he?" Beki's heart began to pound. "Is he alright?"

"It's just a lead," Yasahiro looked around. "I'll explain on the way. Come on."

Yasahiro tugged on her arm and led her in the opposite direction.

"I was going to take the side gate," Beki pointed behind them. "It's more lightly guarded."

Yasahiro shook his head. "There's an incident going on at that gate. Someone with stolen papers or something. I headed straight there after I left the Hyugas hoping to cut you off."

"So why didn't Tsunade tell me about this lead?" Beki tailed him closely, matching his gait. "I just saw her today and she said they hadn't found anything."

"That's because something isn't right with the investigation," Yasahiro's voice was low and his eyes darted from the rooftops to the alleyways. "The reports coming in from the Getsu and Konoha shinobi have differed greatly. It almost seems like evidence is being lost or misplaced at every turn."

"What do you mean?" Beki asked.

"Someone is trying to cover their tracks, cleaning up after themselves between teams," Yasahiro explained. "I think the teams have gotten close to finding him several times but then the abductors move him between sweeps."

"So where are we headed now?" Beki noticed Yasahiro had stopped. She stalked up behind him and waited. A patrol passed by, seemingly unawares of the pair in the shadows.

"I've noticed a pattern in the locations I think your father was being held at," Yasahiro waved for Beki to follow him. "The investigation started at your father's last known location and has been moving towards Konoha. I think the abductors have been forced to move in the same manner, closer and closer to Konoha. There are a few locations that meet the criteria of the previous holding sites in the Land of Fire."

"Thank you for bringing me along," Beki extended and retracted the claws on the gauntlets. Yasahiro's eyes were drawn to the movement and he frowned.

"I'm hoping we won't have to use those."

"I've got them if we need them," Beki sighed. "I just want to find dad."

"We'll find him, Beki." Yasahiro smiled reassuringly. "We'll find him."

…

It had taken twenty minutes to find an opening to slip past the guards. Once they were clear of the gate, Yasahiro led Beki deep into the woods. She was familiar with most of it for about an hour and some change. At that point, the landscape started to change. The woods and brush were denser and it looked less traveled overall. The moonlight hardly penetrated the thick canopy so the pair had to move slowly in the darkness. It warped her sense of time so they could have been traveling for as little as twenty minutes or as much as several hours before Yasahiro motioned for her to stop.

"There," He pointed to a small clearing in the trees ahead. The brush was still thick but it looked as though all the trees had been chopped down. As they approached, Beki made out the shape of a burnt-out farmhouse half-collapsed in the middle of the clearing. Yasahiro reached over and took ahold of Beki's arm. "This house burned down but it's cellar is still intact. There are two entrances, one on the outside of the ruin and one inside the house."

"Which one are we taking?" Beki extended her claws.

"You will take the outside and I will take the one inside the house," Yasahiro poked her nose. "Go in loud and I'll flank them from behind."

Beki furrowed her brow. "Do we know how many people are down there? I can take a couple of hits, uncle, but I'm not my dad."

"Just be a distraction, dummy," Yasahiro sighed. "Don't try to fight everyone at once. Besides, I don't think there's more than five of them. They'll be good, don't get me wrong, but not good enough to fight the two of us plus your father once we've released him."

Beki nodded. "Got it."

…

Beki watched intently as her uncle crept through the ruins. After a few moments, she saw his handkerchief flapping and took the signal to approach the cellar entrance. Sure enough, there was a chain securing the handles shut. It looked rusty, so Beki bashed the lock with her gauntlet and it snapped like a dry twig. She tossed the ruined chain aside and opened the cellar door. Beki was careful to open it off to the side in case breaking the lock had alerted the people inside. No one came charging out but Beki stood in wait for a few more moments. She didn't hear anything suspicious so she cautiously began to descend the steps.

The stairs ended at a wall and the corner opened into a large space. Beki stopped short of the opening and peered inside. In the center of the room an enormous man was tied up and slumped over in a chair. Beki held perfectly still. She couldn't sense anyone else in the room and heard nothing aside from the labored breathing of the man in the chair. Beki stayed low as she crept towards the man in the chair. As she approached him Beki smelled the unmistakable sour smell of blood and metal. It was everything she had not to run up to the seat. After the eternity it took to get to him, Beki reached out and lifted his face in her hands.

It was Seiichiro. His face was bloody and beaten, the swelling making him almost unrecognizable.

"Dad," Beki's voice cracked at the sight of her father's wounds. "Dad, it's me. It's Beki."

He slowly opened his eyes but they stared out blankly before him.

"Uncle and I are here to rescue you," Beki pulled away slightly to survey his bonds. The chains were flimsy and should never have been able to hold her dad. It made her worry about what other injuries he must have that bike chains could keep him bound.

Seiichiro inhaled sharply and Beki's eyes darted back to his face. His eyes saw her at last, the flicker of recognition paired with terror. "Beki, you have to run."

Beki looked at him in confusion, taking his face into her hands again. "No Dad, it's okay. We're going to save you."

"There might still be some time," Seiichiro hissed. "Run."

Beki sensed them too late. Two men were on her before she could react, taking her by the wrists and shoulders and slamming her hard into the dirt. The impact knocked the wind out of her chest and stunned her. Even through her disorientation she felt them unstrapping her gauntlets and tossing them aside. They were not only physically strong but technically experienced. No matter how Beki wiggled or adjusted their grip remained vicelike.

"Beki…no…" Her father's voice was pathetic. "Please. Please let her go. You already have me, you don't need her. This has nothing to do with my daughter."

"You're mistaken," The one on Beki's left had a gravelly voice. "You're looking at Getsu's new ambassador."

"Everyone already thinks you're dead," The one on the right sounded young, maybe Beki's age. "She's more valuable a hostage than you are."

Beki heard a third set of footsteps approaching and looked up hopefully. Help had to be on the way.

…

"I have a terrible feeling about it," Hinata wrung her hands. "I never should have let her leave."

"What could you have done?" Neji folded his arms. "She's a bull when she has her mind set on something."

"I mean, couldn't you have just, you know?" Naruto imitated the gentle fist. "Pow pow, goodnight?"

Neji shook his head. "She's built up an immunity. Blows that should put a person down for a week only bring Beki to her knees."

Naruto's face twisted in disbelief. "No way."

Hinata tapped her fingers together. "We may have used it as a form of suppression a little too much."

"I don't know how," Naruto folded his arms. "I've been hit with it lots of times and it isn't getting easier for me."

"Should we tell Tsunade?" Hinata paced. "Maybe we can stop Beki before she gets too far?"

"I would say at this point it's our only option," Neji sighed and headed for the door. "Hinata, you should stay here in case Beki calls the house or doubles back. Naruto, would you come with me to talk to the Hokage?"

"Yeah, of course," Naruto nodded. "If the Gentle Fist doesn't work on Beki, we'll just drag her home with an army of shadow clones."

"That's crazy enough that it just might work," Neji sighed.

…

"What the hell do you mean Tsukimori's gone?" Tsunade had only opened the door a crack for them, but at the news she swung her door wide open. The boys were met with the unattractive sight of Tsunade in her pajamas and averted their gaze respectfully. The Hokage's face shifted from shocked to furious. "What kind of half brained scheme is she up to now?!"

"Apparently, she decided to find her father on her own," Neji explained. "She left about an hour ago."

Tsunade massaged her temples. "Do we know what direction she headed out in?"

The boys shook their head. "Just…to find her dad?" Naruto shrugged.

"Go wake up Sakura and bring her along in case she's managed to fall off a cliff or something," Tsunade sighed. "Get her back here in one piece, if you can. I'll deal with her when you all get back."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "We'll track her down."

"The sooner the better," Tsunade sighed. "This girl really can't just sit back and let professionals handle things, can she?"

The boys gave Tsunade a bow and headed off to wake up Sakura. The entire run to her house was spent playing paper, rock, scissors to see who had to do the unpleasant task of rousing her from her beauty sleep.

Naruto tossed rocks beside the window of Sakura's room. It took three or four attempts before she angrily stormed over and threw open the pane.

"What's the big idea!? It's one in the morning!"

"Hey, Sakura," Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "We're getting called out on a mission. Tsunade wants us to go and bring Beki back to Konoha."

Sakura blinked in confusion. "When did she leave? I just saw her a few hours ago."

"She decided to go look for her father on her own," Neji folded his arms. "Which is obviously a terrible idea and the Hokage agrees."

Sakura closed the window with a groan. A few minutes later she emerged out the front door in full mission gear. "Leave it to Beki to just run off and risk getting kidnapped herself. When we catch up to her I'm going to give her an earful."

"I call first dibs on lecturing her," Neji frowned. "Just marching off and putting Lady Hinata in such a bad spot-"

"Save it for Tsukimori," Sakura marched off towards the gates. "Do we at least know where we're headed?"

"Beki wouldn't take the front gates. She's straightforward but not that foolish," Neji pointed behind them. "She most likely took the east facing gate. I'll start scanning for tracks as soon as we're in the woods."

"The sooner we get this over with the sooner I can get some sleep," Sakura stretched with a pained expression. "I just finished a shift at the hospital and I'm dying to rest my aching feet."

It only took Neji a few minutes before he spotted the familiar tread of Beki's shoes. "That's odd," He furrowed his brow. "Why would she be going north?"

"Maybe she's trying to throw off trackers?" Sakura offered. "There's no way Beki didn't think she was going to be pursued."

Neji homed in on the tracks as they approached Beki's trail. "She wasn't alone. I don't recognize the second set but based on the size I'm guessing it was a man."

"Her father?" Naruto grinned. "Wouldn't that make this great if she went out to find her dad and did?"

"They aren't big or deep enough to be Seiichiro's," Neji picked up the pace. "This isn't right. Who could she be running off with?"

"She might have been followed," Sakura reached into her pack and popped a soldier pill. Naruto shot her an odd look. "Look, this doesn't sound as simple as bringing Beki home anymore. We don't know who this man is and should be ready for a fight, just in case."

"Fair enough," Naruto looked ahead. "Let's just hope she's okay."

…

The scent of burnt hair and flesh hung in the air like a macabre perfume. Thick smoke dulled the light and made Beki feel like she was suffocating. The poor air quality was drawing hacking coughs out of the body huddled in the corner. Beki was pressed flat into the grime, numb to the sting in her eyes and the burning sensation in her lungs. The pool of blood a few feet away had been scorched, a shiny black splatter on the dirt floor of the cellar. The charred chair had tipped over as the body it contained fell to the floor in a heap. All that remained of Beki's father at this point was his smoldering armor, which lay in the same shape it had been on his body. In her addled state, Beki half expected the fingers of the empty gauntlets to twitch.

 _I feel so heavy,_ Beki tried to determine where the floor stopped and she began. It vaguely occurred to her that she was naked and she wondered where her clothes had gone. The memories of the last few hours were foggy at best. Beki recalled the feeling of rough hands forcing her to the floor, glimpsing a knife shining in the dark, her father's motionless body, and then the clicking. During the chunin exams when Ren had almost died, Beki remembered hearing that same sound, that incessant aggressive clicking. This time the sound had been faster and louder like it was desperate. Then there had been a whoosh, which Beki at the time had thought was the rush of air of the cellar door opening. The room had instantly exploded in light at the same time. Now that she lay there in the dark smoky room she knew that couldn't be the case. No one had opened the door; something had just exploded.

The memories grew dimmer and less focused from there. There were screams, that burned smell, and a feeling of anger so intense that remembering the sensation sent a wave of nausea coursing through her. It was like nothing Beki had ever experienced before. She had of course felt angry before but this was a consuming thing; a blind senseless rage that lashed out at everything in its path while simultaneously turning it inward, eating away at its host like a parasite. _That must be why I'm so tired,_ Beki's realized as she tried to move and found herself completely drained. She couldn't even muster the effort to turn her face out of the dirt, let alone roll off her stomach. Beki knew she needed to get on her feet. A sense of foreboding was tugging at the back of her mind, although she couldn't remember what it was she needed to run from. The fear made her legs itch as her skin turned to gooseflesh. All she knew was that her father was dead and now she was going to die.

 _Would that really be so bad?_ Beki thought. _Mom's dead and now Dad is dead. If I die, I won't be alone anymore. I'll be with my family. The pain will end and I won't have to be afraid anymore._ Tears formed in Beki's eyes and a lump pulled at her throat. Beki wanted to die and that terrified her more than whatever else was lurking in the room. She heaved a sigh and centered herself. If she concentrated, Beki was sure she could at least adjust her position so she could see. She awkwardly tucked her arm under her body and rotated up onto her side, pulling her legs up to support herself.

Beki noticed how dark it had become. They were down in a cellar, but before dull atmospheric light had peeked in between the cracks around the entrance. _God knows how long we've been down here,_ Beki thought. _Has it been hours? Days?_ The body in the corner gave a soft groan. Whoever they were, they had resigned themselves to their fate just like Beki had. _If we do die, may death take us peacefully,_ she prayed.

Hours passed, or days, Beki couldn't tell. She had zoned out to a point near sleep where she was conscious but nearly unperceptive of the world around her. On the edge of her awareness Beki thought she heard something familiar. _The signal,_ Beki thought blankly, automatically raising her filthy hands to her mouth. She sputtered out a single weak note from her incredibly dry mouth and waited. Once or twice, Beki thought she heard the sound again. Just as soon as she heard it, though, she immediately questioned whether she had just imagined it. The effort to reply was too great; her arm rested limply before her with the fingers curled gently, unable to move.

After what seemed like an eternity spent in suspension, Beki heard the great groan of wood being moved against its will. An expectant silence followed it wherein Beki felt the person's gaze piercing the darkness. But it wasn't complete darkness. Not only had they flooded the room with moonlight, but Beki had noticed over time that as the shadows came to claim her they were held at bay by a strange glow that surrounded her.

She heard soft reassuring voices and then a gentle plop, so subtle and subdued Beki nearly missed it. Beki could feel movement in the darkness behind her. Whoever they were, their movement was completely silent. Not a footstep echoed or the ruffle of fabric gave away their position. At least until they had come within a few feet of Beki's body. All pretense of stealth fell away and their heavy footfalls as the approached should have filled Beki with fear. Once again, she came to the realization that her life was in danger but Beki was simply too exhausted to bring herself to do anything about it. She lay there with her eyes closed, waiting for whatever would come. A hand cradled her neck as carefully as if she were a baby. With the help of their other hand, the person simultaneously rolled Beki over and hoisted her up until they were cradling her. Their breath caught in their throat and Beki recognized the sound.

"Neji?" She asked, weakly opening her eyes. The look of horror on his face was softly illuminated by the glow that surrounded her. Seeing his face reminded her about her comb. She reached up with the arm hanging limply by her side and ran her fingers through her filthy, sooty hair. Her nails scraped against a thick wad of crispy debris, which when she fished them out crumbled in her hands. One of the burned bits looked distinctly like a starfish. "My comb. It's all burnt up."

Neji peeled his eyes off her to survey the room. Beki saw his eyes hover on the smoldering armor, the figure huddled sobbing in the corner, and the blackened blood.

"Is it clear?" A voice called out from somewhere above them. Beki recognized that voice too. _Are all my friends here? Maybe I'm just dreaming and I'll wake up any second now._

"Yes," Neji's voice was measured, forcibly calm. Beki recognized that voice to be the ones parents used when their child was injured severely and they were trying to reassure them they were fine. "I have the ambassador she needs medical attention. There's an unidentified person in the southwest corner. Proceed with caution."

 _No wonder he's a jounin. He's so good at his job._ Beki watched him talk, his voice never betraying the distress on his face. He looked down at her again and a spark of realization came over him. He set Beki down on the ground carefully and then removed his shirt.

"Let's get you covered up."

Beki feebly raised one arm and he slid on half his shirt. He leaned her against him for support and slid the other sleeve over her far arm. Neji pulled the opposite sides closed, like a kimono, and then cautiously picked her up bridal style. "I'm bringing her up."

Neji walked back over to the cellar door and jumped the seven feet to the surface with the ease and grace of a cat. There was a hum of soft voices and a gasp at the sight of Beki's squalid form. As arms began to grab at her limbs, Beki felt her consciousness slipping away. She had held out after all. Her parents would have to wait.


	71. Two Truths and a Lie

**Hi everyone~! I'm glad to hear you have all been enjoying the recent turn of events. I've answered those of you who have PM'd me and left reviews but I'd like to take a second to answer a question from a guest: not all villages have kage. Gestugakure is mentioned in the chunin exams (we see one kid in the manga but no one in the anime) but in one of the movies we get to see Tsukigakure, which has a king. Its kind of loosely accepted that the two are likely the same village as Getsu and Tsuki both mean moon. You get into some serious Japanese language stuff when you go into what the difference is between the two (tsuki=moon on its own, getsu is an idiom made by kanji characters). As there is no 100% established canon on this and so as not to conflict with what all goes on in the movie, I call the village Getsugakure but base its hereditary position inheriting and political structure on Tsukigakure, ergo Getsugakure has a king. Hope that helps! If you have any other questions, thoughts, or comments, let me know!**

* * *

"I followed protocol, Lady Tsunade," Neji explained. "I was the first man on the scene so I wrote up the report and submitted it to you as soon as we returned to Konoha."

"I reviewed your report, which you claim is a complete account of the incident," Tsunade slapped the paper on her desk. "I'm having a hard time believing you, considering the report's brevity."

Neji kept his gaze politely on the floor in front of Tsunade's desk. "I left nothing out, Lady Hokage."

Tsunade leaned forward. "Are you sure? Some detail slipping your mind, an unsavory memory you're leaving out to protect Miss Tsukimori?"

"No, Lady Hokage. Events transpired exactly as I reported them." Neji explained with a steady tone.

Tsunade stared him down. "Then how about some conjecture," She rose from her chair and walked around the front of her desk, so Neji's gaze was forced to either turn to her face or redirect to the sides of the room.

Neji looked up at Tsunade knowing that's what she expected him to do. "Conjecture? On what, Hokage sama?"

Tsunade tapped her foot. "Oh, I don't know, how about what you think happened? Tsukimori Haruka is found in a cellar, her uncle mutilated with burns, her father's armor fused to the floor with nothing left of him but smoking bits stuck to the bottom, and she's lying there in a pool of charred blood _glowing like a damned firefly."_

"There was clearly some kind of altercation," Neji offered. "Only Beki can tell us what happened."

"And her uncle, if he pulls through," Tsunade gave a frustrated sigh. "Neji, I know Beki has almost become a part of the Hyuuga clan by this point, but you must recognize she is a foreign power on our soil. Out of respect for her father I allowed her to remain here even though her control over her kekke genkai was dubious at best. She always claimed it had no combat potential but over the years I've come to doubt its harmlessness."

Neji tried to keep his face neutral. It was clear that Tsunade was suspicious of Beki and was looking to peg the blame of this incident on her head. The evidence against Beki was damning but he knew her too well to consider that she had snapped and murdered her father.

"Beki would never hurt Seiichiro," the words ran from his mouth before Neji could stop them. With no other choice, he stepped behind those words with confidence and stared the Hokage down. "She has been in this village for years without causing any major incidents. If she were prone to violent or volatile outbursts, we would have seen them by now." Tsunade folded her arms. Her heavy gaze clued Neji in to her expectation for him to continue speaking. Neji's gaze dropped back to the floor. "I don't know. All I can tell you is that shinobi are trained not to make assumptions based on appearances. There can be more to this than we are being led to believe."

"There's also an old saying that goes something like this: if it looks like a horse, if it sounds like a horse, if it acts like a horse, then it's probably a horse." Tsunade said as she crossed back behind her desk. "She didn't say anything to you when you found her? I'm looking for anything here, Neji."

Neji shook his head. "No. She was unconscious when I found her."

"You're dismissed," Tsunade gestured towards the door. "But if you suddenly remember something, I had better hear about it."

Neji bowed. "Yes, Hokage sama."

After Neji descended the steps and was certain he was out of Tsunade's sight, he allowed his composure to slip. He heaved a desperate sigh and ran his hands through his hair. The weight in his pocket called to him, so he reached in and clutched the remnants of Beki's charred comb. _What have you gotten yourself into, Beki?_

…

"What are we going to do," Hinata pulled at her hair nervously, running her fingers through the ends and tearing through the knots. "Do you...do you think she did it Neji? I just...I just can't imagine her doing something so horrible!"

Neji shook his head. "I didn't see what happened, so I can't definitively say it isn't a possibility." Hinata's crestfallen face betrayed her sadness and disappointment. "Please don't misunderstand me. I don't believe Beki capable of such a thing, either. Its just we can't say anything for sure until the evidence is all in."

Hinata paced around the kitchen. "The Hokage isn't going to let us be involved is she?"

Neji shook his head. "No, Lady Hinata. We're too close with Beki."

"We're the only ones who can help her, though!" Hinata slammed her hands on the kitchen counter. "There has to be a way!"

Neji sat down at the table and pressed his eyes into his hands. The tension had been building for hours and now he had a full blown migraine. "The Hokage made it clear she's suspicious of me. Tsunade knows I would certainly come and report to you. Who else do we know that would be just as sure of her innocence but it is distant enough from Beki to escape suspicion?"

Hinata's expression brightened and a small smile came to her lips. "Naruto. It's perfect." Neji gave her a confused look, so she explained: "He didn't return from training until Beki had been here for two years."

"Tsunade wouldn't think they were close," Neji nodded. "And if Naruto believes Beki is innocent, he'll go to bat for her for sure."

"I think we've found our champion," Hinata sighed. "Let's just hope Naruto can figure out where they're holding Beki and what exactly is going on."

Neji pressed his face harder into his hands. If anyone could make it happen, it was Naruto. Neji couldn't help but feel frustrated, though, that he had to sit back and behave while the woman he loved was in danger. Just based on what he had seen, Beki was in bad shape physically. He couldn't even imagine the mental distress she must be under. For now, though, their only hope to help her was that Naruto would be able to get to the bottom of things.

…

"You're too kind," Yasahiro smiled weakly as Shizune helped him drink a cup of water. To be honest, the man was hard to look at. His neck and shoulders, although covered with bandages and a hospital gown, were covered in horrid twisting burns. Yasahiro had such a clever, handsome face but now it was pale and pinched in discomfort. Worst of all, he smelled like decay. The dead and dying flesh gave off a pungent odor on top of all the salves they had applied to his wounds. Shizune and Tsunade had spent enough time in the medical world to politely ignore the smell, however it did garner him some extra pity.

"How are you feeling?" Tsunade asked.

Yasahiro shook his head, that strained smile still on his face. "I...I'm alright. The doctors say I'll fully recover. Aside from some scarring, of course."

"We're so sorry to trouble you so recently after you woke up," Shizune offered as she took out a pen and a paper. "We were hoping to get your statement about what happened to you."

Yasahiro sighed. "Its...its my fault, really." He looked up Tsunade. "Seiichiro told me the two of you were friends. Is this going to be an official record, or can I tell you everything in confidence? As his friend?"

Tsunade furrowed her brow. "What are you worried about?"

"The events leading up to my brother's death will certainly call his character into question," Yasahiro sighed. "What he did was for all the right reasons and had it worked would have rooted out traitors and schemers in the capital. It all went so wrong…"

His voice trailed off and Tsunade and Shizune shared a look. Tsunade shook her head and Shizune put the notepad away. "Tell us what happened," Tsunade closed the door. "From the beginning."

Yasahiro nodded and gave her another weak smile. "Thank you. That will make this a lot easier for me." He adjusted his blankets, sending a puff of that noxious smell around the room. "My brother had a stalker. Or rather, it was someone stalking his daughter to get to him. That's why Seiichiro left Beki here in Konoha: to keep her out of harm's way."

"Seiichiro explained it all to me shortly before his disappearance." Tsunade waved her hand. "You can just skip ahead to where all _this_ business began."

"My brother approached me with an idea," Yasahiro shook his head. "An ethically questionable plan: Seiichiro wanted to fake his own disappearance. I'm not proud that I agreed to help but his reasoning seemed sound. If he disappeared we could see who tried to take credit for it or who went after his job in the capital. He thought it would smoke out his stalker."

"And how did that work out?" Tsunade folded her arms. _That sounds incredibly desperate. Then again, last I saw him, Seiichiro looked pretty close to the grave._

Yasahiro held up his hands in a gesture of submission. "You saw what happened with Beki. She slowly came unhinged under the pressure of holding her father's spot. The stress of the job, the worry about his safety…" Yasahiro looked out the window. "You know, this is my fault. I...I told Seiichiro we needed to do something to reassure her. He didn't want to, he said that if she knew he was faking his abduction that Beki wouldn't be able to keep the secret. I told him she could."

"So you brought her to him?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes," Yasahiro nodded. "I brought her to the site. At first, the sight of her dad made her really happy. As he explained the situation though, something…"Yasahiro shook his head. "She became incensed at us, that we had put her under so much pressure and hadn't trusted her to be a part of it. We tried to reason with her. She was getting hysterical, so Seiichiro grabbed ahold of her to try to calm her down and then she burst into flames. I can-I can hear my brother screaming still. I tried to pull her off but she shoved me away." He gestured to the burns on his neck and shoulders. "It was the worst pain I have felt in my life."

Tsunade didn't let herself get wrapped up in his story. His story was convincing but the Hokage wasn't about to let herself be ruled by emotion. "There were chains at the site. Care to explain those?"

Yasahiro laughed, which descended into a coughing fit. "Did you see them? They're bicycle chains. Seiichiro would put those on if he heard someone coming. He had to keep up the act, you know. My brother could have escaped those bonds in half a second."

"Why wasn't Beki in on this from the start?" Tsunade folded her arms.

"She doesn't have the seasoning we do," Yasahiro cringed with pain, the coughing setting a cluster of raw nerves firing. "Beki would give it away under pressure."

"Thank you for your time," Tsunade opened the door and Shizune stepped out. They waited until they had left the hospital before either of them spoke.

"What did you think of him Shizune?" Tsunade kept her eyes forward and spoke casually so as not to give away how much the situation was nagging at her.

"Its hard to say," Shizune hugged herself. "He seems like he's telling the truth but I can't help but feel like it doesn't add up."

"We should see if Beki is awake. I'd like to see if their stories match up." Tsunade said as they walked. The two headed to the secure location that Beki was being held at. Until they were sure what she had done and what she was capable of, it was better to keep Beki away from the general populace. Beki had been unconscious for two days. The medics had said that she was stable and that none of her wounds were as bad as they looked. When Tsunade and Shizune arrived, Beki was sitting on the cot in her cell with her legs to her chest. She was dressed in nothing more than a hospital gown with a blanket wrapped around her for warmth. The Getsu ambassador looked dazed and confused. She stared in front of her as if there was some flitting shape in the corner of her cell and intense concentration could make it stand out.

At the sight of the pair Beki's eyes darted to them. "Am I in a basement?"

"You've finally decided to rejoin the living," Tsunade folded her arms.

Beki shrugged. "I'll tell you the same thing I've told the doctors and the guards: I don't remember what happened."

"Surely you remember something," Shizune held out a hand in a friendly gesture. "We're just trying to piece together what happened that night. Anything would help."

Beki sputtered. "Uh, well, let's see: I decided to go meet up with my dad and I ran into my uncle. He said he had some leads on where my dad was. We split up to take the place by both entrances...and then…" Beki ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. "My dad was in there and I got grabbed by some guys...then a knife...my dad was dead...and then there was this explosion."

"Okay good, go on." Tsunade rolled her wrist.

"That's it," Beki threw up her hands. "That's all I've got." At Tsunade's incredulous look, Beki scoffed. "Look, I'm just as upset I don't remember. My dad died and I was there. I wish I could remember how it happened and who was responsible."

"Tell me about the explosion, Beki." Tsunade's tone did not leave any room for doubt. This was not a friendly conversation, it was an interrogation.

Beki shrugged again. "Sorry. I don't remember."

"Well, let us know when you do." The pair left without another word and Beki heaved a sigh. Tears burned at her eyes and a lump formed in her throat. It felt like in the course of a single night the whole world had turned against her. Seiichiro was dead and she was suspect number one. People who she had thought were her friends had Beki cooped up in a cell without so much as a pair of pants. Beki was a threat and they were just trying to figure out how much damage she could do. Finally alone Beki let the tears flow free because the worst part of it all was Tsunade might be right.

…

"Any luck?" Hinata took Naruto's pack from him and walked it over to the counter as he unstrapped his shoes. It had been nearly a month since Beki had been brought back to the village. Hinata had been listening and town and hadn't heard anything. All she could do was hope Naruto had some better luck.

"No," He shook his head and sighed. "They're keeping her location locked up tight. Some people have had guesses but I don't have anything solid enough to follow up."

Hinata started to wash the dishes lethargically as if the news had drained her of her strength. "Oh."

"Don't give up yet," Naruto crossed the room and stepped behind her. He embraced her and Hinata hugged his arms. "Give me some more time. I'll find her, Hinata."

"I'm worried about her, Naruto," Hinata squeezed his arms. "Her father just died and they have her locked up somewhere like some criminal."

"It'll be okay. This is all just a misunderstanding, I'm sure." Naruto kissed the top of her head. "How about I start dinner?"

"Pancakes?" Hinata smiled, blinking away tears.

"That sounds like an awesome idea." Naruto said as he leaned in for a kiss.

…

It was the third body they had found that week. The Hokage had done a fine job keeping the situation under wraps but dark whispers were already floating around the village. At first it seemed a fluke, that two people should die on opposite sides of town under such strange circumstances. A third corpse proved it wasn't a coincidence; it was an emerging pattern.

Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki were unfortunate enough to have stumbled upon the most recent victim. That meant that their quiet night of guard duty was forfeit and they would be spending the remainder of the evening collecting evidence, providing reports, and filing paperwork.

"Who do you think they'll send for?" Kotetsu looked at the slumped corpse. He tried to guess the time of death just based on appearances. The summer heatwave that kept Konoha locked in its sweaty grasp had done a number on the body already. The man might have only passed a few hours ago but his flesh was already drooping and a wretched stench was hanging around it like a cloud.

Izumo shrugged. "Shiranui found the last one, so they'll probably be dragging him out of bed. I'd hate to be the guy that wakes him up."

"Then they'll probably grab Yamashiro, too," Kotetsu shook his head. "I ran into him right after they let him go. He wasn't allowed to tell me much, but he was really shaken up. Aoba's such an upbeat guy. I haven't seen him so upset in a long time."

The pair of jonin had seen plenty of corpses, not to mention how many they had made with their own two hands. Usually the sight of a body going cold slumped against the wall in an alley wouldn't have phased them. Death had caught this man in a most unusual position, however. He was on his knees, as though he had been pressed up against the wall and his legs had given out beneath him. His arms hung limply at his sides and empty milky eyes stared up at the sky. There was no blood and no visible bruising on his body. The only thing that seemed out of place was his mouth. It was partially open, like a baby bird waiting for food. His lips were a hideous shade of purple.

Kotetsu winced.

"Do you think she did it?" Izumo asked and Kotetsu shot him a confused look. "The Tsukimori girl. Sorry. Seeing corpse eyes like that reminded me of the Ambassador's daughter."

Kotetsu turned his attention back to the body. "I don't know. I just hope she hasn't snapped and is breaking out of jail every night to murder civilians."

"It's doubtful," Izumo said. "Then again, it would make a pretty interesting case."

"Shit."

The pair looked down the end of the alley at Genma Shiranui, who spat in greeting. He jerked his head towards the corpse. "So, who's the dead guy?"

Kotetsu shook his head. "We were told not to touch anything until the rest of the team arrived."

"It smells to high hell, I tell you what," Genma sucked on the senbon in his mouth. "Our killer's a sadist."

"What makes you say that?" Izumo asked.

"This asshole is killing people so we have to stand out here in the heat, sweating like the devil's nutsack." Genma spat.

The clicking of a shutter was the only announcement of the Photographer's arrival. The man was so old that no one was quite sure what his name was; everyone just referred to him by his title or "Gramps." He was a hangover from the days when the Uchiha ran the Konoha police force. He had been the brother in law of someone who had married into the clan, and had therefore been spared the culling that erased the family from the face of the earth. With their elimination, the policing of Konoha's crimes was left to the jounin guards who were directly related to the case and a small team consisting of a doctor, a forensics specialist, and the Photographer.

"What do you think, Gramps?" Genma called out.

The Photographer grunted. "Konoha hasn't seen this many murders since Itachi Uchiha wiped out his whole family," He lowered the camera for a moment, his sharp blue eyes sizing up the scene. "He looks like he froze to death. Or drowned."

"That's what it looks like," Izumo agreed. "But it's the hottest summer on record and he's nowhere near water. Do you think this was staged?"

"We can't get a closer look until Aoba gets here," Kotetsu said. "Just sit there and stew on it."

Aoba was taking his time getting to the crime scene. When he had stumbled across the first body behind the hotel, it had turned his stomach. The body had been mangled, twisted into a grotesque inhuman form by the impact of its fall. The man was completely unidentifiable. Word from the forensic tech was that they were still finding teeth scattered around the site. Overall, it had been a meaty macabre pile of bone, sinew, and blood.

They had called him in on the second body as well. That one wasn't as retch-worthy in that it looked like a standard execution: one jab right in the carotid artery. The forensic tech had done a mockup of what the murder weapon had looked like. It was an improvised shape with no recognizable origin or purpose. The Photographer had called it a "prison shank". The dark alley had glittered like a nightclub floor as the moonlight caught the arc of arterial blood splattered on the bricks. Aoba knew it shouldn't bother him, that none of it should bother him. This wasn't a mission, though. He wasn't in some hamlet in the Land of Grass silencing a target. All these murders happening in familiar locals to people he had probably passed on the street was completely unsettling. He reached the edge of the alleyway and steeled himself for another rude awakening.

As soon as the others saw him, the nodded in recognition and continued their conversations.

"But think about it," Kotetsu protested. "How long do you stalk a target? We can't look at the first murder as day one. The killer has been striking once a week in rapid succession completely undetected."

"Not to mention there's no defensive wounds," Genma had grabbed the man's arm by the sleeve and was examining his fingers. "Not a cut, no bruises, nothing. He was completely blitzed."

"So, either he knew his attacker or we're dealing with a professional killer," The Photographer heaved a sigh. "You all need to find what these victims have in common. Were they killed in muggings gone wrong, are these all cheating husbands, or heirs to some family fortune? You boys have some footwork on your hands."

"So, the cleanup team is on the way?" Izumo asked.

The Photographer nodded. "Keep looking for clues. I'll be taking my smoke break."

Aoba hovered awkwardly to the sides while the other three dove in. It wasn't that he didn't believe himself capable of examining the body, it was just that the others seemed so comfortable with it he didn't want to get in the way. Rigor mortis had set in, so Izumo and Kotetsu were leaning the man forward, balancing him on his knees, while Genma patted down his pockets.

"SHIT!" Genma pulled his hand away as though he had been bitten by a snake. The sudden movement startled Izumo and Kotetsu, whose grips loosened just enough for the body to tip forward and land on the pavement with a crunch. The group looked at each other.

"That didn't sound right," Izumo looked at the body warily.

"What bit you?" Kotetsu leaned over to see Genma's hand.

Genma shook his head and gingerly reached into the dead man's coat. He extracted a blade from the lining, so long and thin it was hair like. He frowned and sniffed the blade, then licked the blood pooling on his finger. "It isn't poisoned, thank God. I've had one or two of these pulled on me before."

"He was an assassin," Aoba said softly. "An expensive one, judging by his suit and the grade of that weapon."

"That or he works for someone with some serious money," Genma smirked. "Things just got a helluva lot more interesting, boys."

"Once we find out what inside him _crunched,_ " Kotetsu side eyed the blood trickling out of the corpse's mouth. "Let's report our suspicions to the Hokage."

"I'd hold off on that," wisps of smoke curled around the Photographer like a noir protagonist. "Until you have something definitive to say. That woman doesn't have time for you to be walking through her office like a revolving door."

The heavy footfalls of the medical team in charge of the cleanup prevented any further discussion.

"You two have to go with the body," Genma looked at Kotetsu and Izumo. "I'll cover your patrol."

"What about me?" Aoba offered, hoping he could make up for his lack of enthusiasm for the case by being helpful.

"Go home," Genma chuckled. "You look like hell."

…

"His lungs shattered," The coroner said with a note of surprise. "That was the sound you heard."

"Shattered?" Izumo asked. "How can you shatter lungs?"

"When they're frozen solid," The coroner shook her head. "I've never seen anything like this. Massive cell death all down the larynx, through the windpipe, and in the tissues surrounding the area that once held the lungs."

"How is that possible?" Kotetsu looked at the grotesque pool of slush that was what remained of the victim's lungs and cringed.

The coroner took on a lecturing tone as she explained: "The body can only survive on room temperature air. Your body has systems in place to heat or cool air to meet that safe temperature. This man was exposed to subzero temperatures that were pumped directly into his respiratory system. It overloaded him, freezing the air in his lungs, and killing him instantly."

"That sounds," Izumo's voice trailed off.

"Incredibly painful," The coroner nodded. "It was."

"Would you hate me if I changed the subject to 'what the hell do these murders have in common'?" Kotetsu asked. "Last I checked they all died differently-"

"They range in age from 19 to 35, they ranged physically from slight to medium build, and their heights ranged from 1.69 meters to 1.8 meters tall," The coroner explained. "Their complexions are mostly on the fair side, some scarring, and none of them were found with any identification."

"The murders," She continued as she walked over to a counter with several files lined up neatly. The coroner picked two of them up and opened them, gesturing for Kotetsu and Izumo to follow. "We have a fatal stabbing, a fall, and now, frozen lungs." She looked up at the pair and gave a frustrated sigh. "To be honest, the only guess I can venture is that these men were in the village to do something no one was supposed to find out about. Whoever this person is, they found out, and they've been stopping them."

"For example?" Izumo raised an eyebrow.

"We could have a fugitive amongst us and these men were sent to silence them," The coroner gaze up at the ceiling. "Or this could simply come down to organized crime rings falling out in the streets."

Silence fell between them as they all considered the possibilities. "What I'm hearing is we need more evidence," Kotetsu sighed. "We'd better get to the tech. He probably has some information for us by now."

"I hate to say it, but the only way I can give you boys any more information is if we find another body," The coroner put on a fresh pair of gloves. "And that's not something anyone wants."

…

Genma walked into the guard barracks at the end of the night shift. The bags under his eyes were a dead giveaway that he was running on less than three hours of sleep. The next shift was getting ready to head out and they gave him a nod as they headed out into the dawn.

"Hey," A sultry but obviously drunken voice called out to him from the holding cell. Genma looked over at the source to see a solitary woman wearing hardly anything pressed up against the bars. "Unless I'm getting charged with something, you have to let me out."

Genma narrowed his eyes at the woman and sized her up. She was tall, with a well-toned slender body. Her porcelain flesh was dotted by freckles in a band across her nose and cheeks, as well as in clusters on her shoulders. Her hair was jet black but it was so lustrous it shone even in the muted light of the guard station. Her sizeable chest was packed into what he could only assume was a stage costume. Genma's eyes were tired, so didn't take in many details

"Sayuri," Genma looked at the intake log for the evening. There was no last name listed and he chuffed. The woman was a stripper at best and a prostitute at worst. "Drunk and disorderly conduct."

Sayuri let out a rambunctious laugh. "I clearly wasn't that drunk or disorderly. See? No puke on my shoes. Or your shoes."

"The last shift told you to sleep it off," Genma stared her down. "So get comfortable."

"You don't have to bust my balls, buddy," Sayuri sighed. "A girl has to ask, right?"

Genma said nothing in response. As he filled out his patrol report, he threw her an occasional glance. Sayuri's cheeks were flushed and by the clumsy way she held herself up by the bars, there was no way she was faking how wasted she was. There was a clarity to the woman's eyes, however, that Genma found unsettling. They were the brightest and sharpest blue he had ever seen. In the dim light, they flashed with an electric glow as if they had a current running through them. She was just a drunk stripper, though, and he was exhausted. He decided to pay her no further mind. Without another word Genma closed the logs and headed out into the light of the rising sun.

 _Great,_ he thought as the sunshine seared his eyes and set his head throbbing. _I've got a migraine._


	72. Murdery

**Hi everyone, here's the next chapter! Let me know what you think. I've been getting some very interesting theories from you all (and some of them are right on the money!). Look forward to hearing from you all and feel free to ask any questions that pop up.**

* * *

The next day the Hokage called the four guards into her office. The way that the door guard avoided their gaze let the men know it would not be a pleasant visit. Shizune let them in and picked Tonton up, preemptively comforting him in the face of the onslaught to come.

"You have all been doing a fine job filling out your paperwork," Tsunade slammed a fat pile of forms on her desk. "But that doesn't get us any closer to this homicidal maniac. I can't keep this quiet much longer. What are you four going to do about it?"

"We have some leads," Izumo offered. "It seems as though all the victims were hitmen. When the bodies were found, they all were carrying specialized assassination equipment. Garrotes, needles, etc."

"We've also eliminated mugging as a motive," Aoba offered. "They were all carrying large sums of money and none of their valuables had been removed."

Tsunade stared them all down as they spoke. She was poised with her hands on her desk, ready to rain down hell at the first provocation. "Go on," Her voice was dangerously low.

"Based on the methods used by the killer we suspect they're an outsider, and that they have come into the village recently," Kotetsu explained.

"What evidence do you have to that effect?" Tsunade asked. "I understand homicide is infrequent in this city so it is easy to pass the buck onto a non-resident. We have to remember that the largest scale murder rampage in the village's history was carried out by one of our best."

Kotetsu bowed respectfully to the irate kage. "The murders have been occurring once a week over the last three weeks. The methods used to commit the deed are not within the scope of a Konoha shinobi. For example, the third victim's lungs were frozen."

Tsunade sobered slightly. "There are no known Konoha shinobi with ice jutsu of that caliber." She heaved a sigh and leaned back in her chair, her anger abetting. "So, what time frame are you looking at?"

"The guards are going through the intake logs for the last two months," Genma said. "We should have some suspects in for questioning by the end of the day."

"Alright," Tsunade nodded. "Stay on top of this. The sooner we catch this person, the better. In times like these people become afraid and lash out. The last thing we need is someone killing their neighbor because they think they're the boogeyman the guards can't catch."

"Understood, Hokage-sama," The four bowed in unison.

"You're dismissed," Tsunade waved them away.

The men all held their breath until they were outside the door and down the stairs.

Tsunade buried her face in her hands. "Shizune, when is the junior ambassador from Getsugakure scheduled to arrive?"

Shizune stroked the shuddering pig in her arms. "Mr. Ishida should arrive in about a week's time, ma'am."

"Ugh," Tsunade slammed her fists on her desk. "He's going to chock this whole thing up to being this killer. He'll have plenty of probable cause that neither of the Tsukimori killed Seiichiro and pin it all on us for having piss poor security."

"That isn't the impression I got from him," Shizune explained. "He seemed very close with Seiichiro. I think he wants to get to the truth as much as we do."

"Let's just hope we aren't all dead before he gets here," Tsunade gave her a weary look.

…

"I get that this is serious but it's not like we're the ones going around offing these people," Genma grumbled. "It's not like she busted us playing poker on the job or something."

"She's nervous," Izumo defended the Hokage. "Everyone is. It's not like we deal with these kinds of problems on a regular basis. The occasional domestic incident or a drunken bar fight don't add up to multiple homicides out in the middle of the street."

"Based on their times of death, at least one of these was carried out in broad daylight," Aoba added, shrinking at the death glare Genma shot him.

"Whatever," Genma shook his head. "We should go down to the barracks and see who looks good for this."

The men walked down to the barracks without incident.

"This is it?" Izumo flipped through the four pages they had been presented with. There were three suspects per page with their names, addresses, place of origin, and occupation listed. "I imagined we had a lot more people coming through here in a two-month period."

"We took the liberty of eliminating the elderly, young children, and people we know have alibis for the dates where the murders occurred," The tired looking guard said with exasperation. "'Thank you' would have been nice."

"Thanks," Getsu snatched the pages. "Great," He sighed looking at the names. "Prepare to have your asses kicked by disgruntled retirees and newlyweds."

"Let's split it in half," Kotetsu offered. "Izumo and I will take the first six and you two take the other six."

"Fair enough," Aoba shrugged. Part of him wished that this all could be over with but at the same time he knew what that meant: interrogating innocent people, feeding the rumor mill, and worst of all coming face to face with the killer. Experience had taught Aoba that many times the most dangerous people were the ones that concealed their true intentions and abilities behind a mask of normalcy. On missions, he had witnessed this in the form of elite shinobi appearing before them not as grizzly hardened muscular beasts splattered in blood, but as a farmer trying to repair a cart on the side of the road, or what appeared to be a mother pushing a stroller full of concealed weapons. He subconsciously scanned the crowd on the street. Any one of these people could be the killer by that standard. If luck was on their side, however, it would turn out to be one of the people on their list. Confronted with their deeds, they would crumble. The case could be open and shut in a matter of hours. His intuition dismissed this idea as ludicrous, however. Deep down he knew this case was far from being solved.

…

"Are you going to arrest me?" The grizzled man with graying hair stared down Izumo and Kotetsu.

"No, sir, at this time all we're asking is where were you the night before last?" Kotetsu's tone was measured. "You can happily cooperate here on your doorstep or we can bring you down to the station."

"What's all this about, then?" The man watched them carefully for any unintentional giveaways, but the pair were too well practiced.

"There is a patient in critical condition in the hospital," Izumo explained. "He's unconscious, but we're trying to find out information on the assault. He should be waking up any day now, but we know it would give the poor sap some peace of mind if he woke up know his attacker was behind bars."

The man's expression relaxed slightly. "I was...I was out."

"Where were you at approximately 11 PM?" Kotetsu took out a notepad and watched the older man carefully. His hands may have been occupied with the pen and pad, but Kotetsu was ready to defend himself against a sudden attack. If it happened, it wouldn't be the first time or the last.

The older man sighed. "I was walking home. From an AA meeting,"

"How long have you been sober?" Izumo asked, trying to seem friendly.

"Almost two years I haven't touched a drop," The old man explained. "Where was the assault?"

"A few blocks south of here," Kotetsu gestured with his chin. "Is that the route you take home?"

The man nodded and scratched his chin. "I didn't see anything outside the ordinary. The usual night crowd was out. It's been so damned hot lately lots of people are walking around that time of night, enjoying the break in the heat. There were some kids horsing around, couples, and one really good looking woman. That's about it."

"Thank you for your time sir," Kotetsu bowed respectfully and Izumo followed suit. "We apologize for the inconvenience. If you can remember anything, please call the station." He handed the man a card with the station's number embossed on it.

A few blocks away Izumo elbowed Kotetsu. "I thought that guy was going to deck us."

"His rap sheet is a mile long," Kotetsu sighed. "Of course he would be suspicious of guards knocking on his door."

"Well, that's almost all of them," Izumo looked at the list. "I wonder if Genma and Aoba are having any more luck?"

…

"Oh no," Genma flinched when he saw the last name on their list. "I think I know who this is."

Aoba leaned over and looked at the paper. "Sato Sayuri? Do you know her?"

"She was in lock up last night for a drunk and disorderly," Genma sighed. "That woman was hell drunk. I can't even imagine what she'll be like sober."

They knocked on the door of her third-floor apartment. After a moment of shuffling within, Sayuri opened the door wide. It struck Aoba how trusting she seemed, opening the door all the way without asking who it was. The next thing that hit him was how gorgeous she was. Sayuri wasn't conventionally pretty in that there was something otherworldly in her beauty. It hung around her like a cloud as if light itself bent around the woman to always cast her in a perfectly soft glow.

"H-Hello," He managed at last and Genma shot him a dirty look.

"Ma'am, do you remember me from the guard station?" Genma asked gruffly.

"Why, yes, I do remember you," The slightest smirk pulled at her lips, giving her a playfully mischievous air. "What brings you here, _officers_?"

Genma didn't like the woman. As attractive as she was, there was something about her that put him off. Perhaps it was the nagging sense that there was a secret behind the unassuming facade. Aoba probably thought she said "officers" out of respect and that the hesitation in her voice was because she wasn't sure if it was the right title to give them. Genma suspected she knew damned well they were just guards and was mocking them.

"There was an assault in the area. We were wondering if we could ask you some questions?" Genma watched her carefully for any telltale signs of anxiousness. All Sayuri did was smile.

"Come on in, then," Sayuri waved them inside and Genma could practically hear Aoba being blinded by her radiance. "I've got a while before I have to head into work. I'm happy to help."

"So, who got knifed?" Sayuri asked casually as she walked into the kitchen.

"The victim is in critical condition," Genma looked around the apartment. It was sparse to say the least. The place almost felt sterile, as if no one actually lived in it. There wasn't a single photo on the wall. The furniture was cheap and functional, all corners and rough edges. With a body and a face like hers, Sayuri would probably make at least a few hundred dollars a night working the poorest club in the village. Genma knew that the apartment building wasn't an expensive one; he had looked at it himself when he had been apartment hunting a year before. The meager living arrangements when Sayuri made that kind of money was a red flag. If Genma were to guess, the usual reasons for such a discrepancy would be she owed someone a lot of money, she had a tendency of picking up and moving at the drop of a hat, or she was just incredibly cheap.

"For his privacy we can't go into details," Aoba filled the awkward silence Genma had left in the wake of his analysis. "We're just asking around the neighborhood if anyone has witnessed any suspicious activity in the area."

"Coffee?" Sayuri opened her fridge and Genma stole a peek. She pulled out the creamer and shut the door. All he saw was a water pitcher, eggs, and bread.

"Sure," Genma leaned against the wall. Sayuri clearly didn't have company often. There was only one armchair in the living area and no table to speak of.

Sayuri had an old-fashioned stove top coffee pot. She filled it with water, replaced the filter and grounds, and put it on top of the burner. As Genma surveyed the apartment more in depth, he noticed that there was a lack of modern conveniences. Other than the built-in appliances, everything she had was old fashioned. Her laundry was hanging up to dry in the kitchen, meaning she washed her clothes in the sink. The radio sitting on the counter was an older model as well, but it was in good condition. Other than the furniture, all her belongings seemed to be in excellent shape, as if they had been purchased recently. That implied that Sayuri bought the older pieces out of familiarity, not that they were possessions she had brought with her from somewhere else.

"My old man had that radio," Genma jerked his head in its direction. "I haven't seen one of those in years."

Sayuri shrugged. "More lights and buttons doesn't mean something works better. A person is more likely to find happiness with simple necessities than to constantly be chasing after new possessions."

"That's awfully philosophical for a stripper," Genma snapped, but Sayuri just smiled at him as she poured the cups of coffee.

"Tell me, _officer_ ," Sayuri handed Aoba his mug and held the other out to Genma. "Do you think people only end up being strippers? Isn't it possible I chose to be one?"

Genma sipped the coffee, never letting his eyes part from hers. There was a light that shined from within her that was wild and free in a primal and nearly inhuman fashion. If she wasn't so poised and eloquent, he would have almost called it madness. Then again, maybe his body was just setting him on high alert against her. The freedom that shimmer promised wasn't madness, it caused madness. He stole a glance at Aoba and his suspicions were confirmed. There was a gravity to her and it was sucking Aoba in. If he wasn't careful, Genma was sure she could find some way under his armor, too.

Sayuri backed away, putting herself equally between the two. "Okay, I'll bite," Genma said at last. "Why did you decide to be a stripper?"

Sayuri smiled. "Isn't it obvious? I'm damn good looking and I make in a month what you make in a year."

"I bet you meet all kinds of wonderful people," Genma offered sarcastically, taking another sip of the coffee. The beans were clearly expensive. That proved she was human: she indulged in something.

"Scumbags mostly," Sayuri cocked her head. "But they're the most fun to part with their money." She glanced back and forth between the two. "I apologize. It seems like our conversation got off track. You wanted to ask me about…?"

"You must come home late at night," Genma set the empty mug on the sad looking arm of the armchair. "Have you seen or heard anything strange the last few nights?"

Sayuri shook her head. "We live in a village where people can breathe fire, run on their hands, and can see through walls. You're going to have to be more specific."

"Stabbing. Violence, that sort of thing," Aoba had found his voice at last.

"Sadly, I can't help you," Sayuri sighed a little too convincingly. "It's been quiet and peaceful the last few days."

"Thank you for your time," Aoba set his mug down beside Genma's. "If you hear or see anything, feel free to contact us."

The pair headed for the door. Just as Genma's hand wrapped around the knob, Sayuri protested. "Wait,"

There was an anxious note in her voice. Genma had never heard her sound anything less than perfectly composed. She was either in distress or a fabulous actress.

"It hasn't been around here," Sayuri gestured towards the street. "I have noticed a…murdery looking man."

"Murdery?" Aoba asked. "What do you mean?"

Sayuri shrugged. "You just get that vibe off him. He hangs out around the club. I see him at market from time to time. The other girls think he's a creep, too."

Genma called it the doorknob problem. The second he put his hand on the doorknob to leave, people finally found the courage to talk.

"Has he done something? Or is it just your intuition?" Aoba asked.

Sayuri shook her head. "Nothing yet. You know what? Forget it. Probably just a dime a dozen kind of jerk. Thank you for your time."

Aoba and Genma walked out of her apartment into the late afternoon sun. No new knowledge had been acquired and nothing about the visit had been unexplainably out of the ordinary. Despite that, Genma felt like they had just reached a milestone point in the case, be it Sayuri or the mysterious "murdery" individual who darkened the doorway of the club.

"She's gorgeous," Aoba shook his head. "Have you ever seen a woman that beautiful in all your life? Like, holy crap! She should be glittering on some rich man's arm or starring in movies!"

"That tells you all you need to know, kid," Genma took a senbon out of his pouch and sucked on it pensively. "She's either crazy or broken. Or crazy and broken, which is the worst possible combination. Keep your head on the job."

"That reminds me, we've got to get on Asuma's bachelor party," Aoba shook his head. "All this, 'serial killer on the loose' stuff made it slip my mind."

"You're right," Genma sighed. "I wonder if the other guys have put any time into it."

…

The diner was unusual empty for dinnertime. The walk there had also proven suspiciously lonely. No matter how hard the Hokage tried to keep a damper on the situation, it seemed as if rumor was traveling fast. People knew there was a killer on the loose and no one wanted to get caught in an alley alone with them. Genma and Aoba took a seat at the counter next to Gai and Kakashi, whom had already placed their orders.

"Any luck?" Kakashi asked in a passive tone, as if inquiring about locating a lost coat and not a murderer.

"We dug up a couple of leads," Aoba sighed as he took a pack of chopsticks out of a cup on the counter. "We'll follow up on them soon."

"How about you two?" Genma took the senbon out of his mouth. "Is Asuma going to have a bachelor party or are we just going to get drunk at my place again?"

Gai gave him a thumb up and a charming smile. "Don't worry about it. Kakashi and I have done all the footwork on this one."

"Hopefully more Kakashi than Gai," Aoba chuckled. "Unless we all want to be taking shots between arm wrestling contests."

Gai's expression darkened, as though Aoba had hit the nail on the head. "That was only _one_ of the options I had prepared…"

"You all have enough on your plates," Kakashi offered. "You'll just get to come along and enjoy yourselves."

"What do we owe you?" Aoba took out his wallet and Genma followed suit.

"Well, when we split it six ways, it comes out to-" Gai began, but Genma and Aoba both threw 5000 Ryo notes at him. "B-but this is too much!"

"Shut up and take it," Genma growled and Kakashi pocketed the notes.

"You know we'll end up drinking more than we paid for beforehand, Gai," Kakashi explained. "They're just trying to help cover the difference."

"That's a great idea!" Gai punched the air. "We're really planning on taking out all the stops, then!" He turned his intense gaze on Kakashi. "I challenge you to a drinking contest!"

"We aren't even there yet, Gai," Kakashi sighed. "Hold it till then."

"So, when are we all getting together?" Aoba asked. "The Hokage is going to want to make sure we've got enough coverage on the guard if we're all there."

"It's this Friday night at nine," Kakashi explained. "We already let Tsunade know. She's calling in some alternates for extra hours. They're glad for it."

"I'm glad we're doing this," Aoba sighed. "I could really use a distraction. I mean, I had one today, but I mean like, a _real_ distraction."

"What are you talking about?" Gai asked.

"There's this woman-" Aoba started and Gai whooped.

"You're the next one we're going to have a bachelor party for, then?" Gai grinned.

"No, she's related to the case," Aoba flushed slightly and smiled back good naturedly. "But I tell you what, she's a looker. A real class act."

"He's being stupid," Genma spat. "She's bad news. They always are when they look like that. Not to mention she has the personality of a viper that's been stepped on."

"She wasn't that bad," Aoba shook his head. "You're always this way. Once you make up your mind about someone, that's that."

"So, present company would have to agree my intuition's pretty good then, huh?" Genma glowered.

"It's not that you have bad judgement, you're just kind of rigid." Aoba shrugged. "Her life probably made her that way, you know?"

"She was weird," Genma grumbled.

"How do you mean?" Kakashi's interest was piqued.

"I mean, it was kind of strange how she hardly had any furniture," Aoba explained. "There weren't any photos on the walls or anything. That could just be a lifestyle, though. She does have kind of a transient job."

"Transient how?" Gai asked. "A farmer, a construction worker, a priestess?"

"A stripper," Genma said.

"So, what's your read on her then?" Kakashi asked. "What's setting you off?"

Genma thought about it for a moment, replacing the senbon and sucking on it in concentration. "She seems too deliberate."

Aoba shook his head. "What does that even mean?"

"She seems too damned smart to be a stripper, for one," Genma explained. "Number two, what was with all that outdated crap? She went out and bought an old-fashioned radio, has all old-school pots and pans. It would be one thing if she was just poor and couldn't afford any better, but it was all in excellent condition. Who does that?"

"Someone who grew up with them, I would guess," Kakashi shrugged. "I shave with a straight razor because my father did. It's just what I know."

"See that's the thing," Genma rapped his knuckles on the counter. "If you take it all apart, you can explain it away one piece at a time. When it's all together, it stinks."

The waitress came around and interrupted their conversation. After she took their orders, conversation digressed back to the bachelor party. After they finished their meals, the men parted ways. The usually quiet town seemed almost foreboding in the sliver of moonlight, where they all knew somewhere within the walls, a killer crept. They moved like a shadow, stealing life from alleyways like a snake stealing eggs from a nest. As they walked, each of the men wondered if that night they would be the one the snake came for.

…

The men all met up at the club Friday night, which was in a less seedy portion of Konoha's red light district. The building had seen better days, but the forgiving glow of the neon lights helped soften its harsh appearance. After they stepped inside, they saw that the interior wasn't much better. The floor was gritty with glitter and spilled booze and the clientele looked like the bandits the shinobi were usually sent on missions to clear out of the woods.

"Don't get that look," Kakashi cautioned Asuma. "You should know this is the only one Gai and I went to that someone didn't try to stab us."

"I told Kakashi the other ones would be better," Gai grumbled. "We're men of action! Attempted stabbings keep you on your best game!"

"Thanks for that," Asuma said as he looked around. "I feel much better. At least it looks like they let us smoke in here."

They took their seats at a booth one of the scantily clad waitresses had just finished clearing off. "Kurenai is going to kill me if I come home covered in fairy dust," Asuma sighed, which elicited a few chuckles from his friends. "Have you ever been locked in a genjutsu by an angry woman? I didn't think so."

The waitress came over and took their drink orders. Asuma fished out his cigarettes and his lighter. He tapped one out of the pack and put it to his lips. After he flicked open the lighter, he tried to ignite it but the flame wouldn't catch. His brow furrowed as the lighter flicked hopelessly. "And none of you idiots smoke," he sighed.

"Need a light?" One of the girls had been walking by the side wall of the booth and heard his plight. He caught sight of her blue eyes and black hair over the top of the wall.

"Here, use mine," She walked around the side to give it to Asuma and Genma let out a groan.

"Of all the hellholes in all the world we end up here," Genma said under his breath and Kakashi looked at him curiously. "That's the broad from the lockup."

Sayuri tossed her lighter to Asuma and scanned the group with a smile. Her eyes locked on to Aoba and Genma and her grin took a wicked turn. "Well, officers. I didn't expect to see you here."

Aoba gestured towards Asuma. "He's getting married next weekend."

"Well congratulations," Sayuri flashed her dazzling eyes in his direction. "I'll let the girls know. We like giving the grooms to be a hard time for tying the knot and leaving the dating pool."

Asuma chuckled. "Try not to get me into too much trouble with the old lady." He flicked open Sayuri's lighter and lit the end of his cigarette. "Thanks for the light."

Sayuri waved dismissively. "Keep it. There are a dozen lighters left on the floor here every night. We've got more than we know what to do with."

"So, you're one of the dancers?" Aoba asked. "Are you on tonight?"

Sayuri cocked her head. "Will you be sad if I'm not?"

Aoba flushed and stammered for an answer.

"I'm just giving you a hard time babe. I'll be on in an hour." Sayuri's smile slipped a little as she scanned the room. "Keep an eye out for that shady bastard I told you about the other day."

"What's he look like again?" Aoba leaned forward in the booth to get a better look at the room.

Sayuri shook her head. "He's not here yet. You know him when you see him, though. The second he walks in the door it gets quiet in here. The first time he came here, one of the regulars tried to start a fight with him. We've got a no weapons rule in here, so the guy breaks a bottle over the regular's head and tries to shove the neck of it down his throat."

"Why didn't you guys 86 him then?" Genma asked and Sayuri's eyes flickered in his direction.

"The bouncers don't do anything unless someone gets handsy with us ladies. Of course, all the dancers were uncomfortable, but let's be honest. Look at me," Sayuri gestured to her hourglass figure. "How good I look determines how much I make. I'm not going to go ask a guy with a busted bottle to ease up."

"Fair enough," Genma folded his arms.

"I have to get changed. I'll see you guys when I'm on stage," Sayuri winked as she walked away.

"See what I mean?" Aoba elbowed Gai. "Isn't she good looking?"

Gai nodded. "She has a fierce spirit. The fiery passion of her youth is obvious just by looking at her eyes."

Aoba gave a frustrated sigh. "Of course you were looking at her _eyes."_

Asuma was quietly looking over the lighter. "Crazy to me someone would just leave this lying around. It's an expensive piece. I think it's silver."

Genma got a strange look on his face. "Let me see that a second." Asuma handed it over and Genma began to examine it. On the large face of the lighter an ornate snake curled menacingly. "Yeah. Almost suspicious, isn't it?"

"Let it go, Genma," Aoba sighed. "If you don't like someone, everything they do is suspicious."

The MC announced the next dancer, who went by the stage name of Sunny. She was slight of build and small in stature with an innocent looking face and flowing strawberry blonde hair. A few moments into her dance she caught sight of someone in the audience and her whole rhythm was thrown off. She slowed down to almost a standstill until she was booed by the men at the bar. Sunny caught herself and tried to get back into the groove of things but it was ruined. When the song ended, the girl hurried back off the stage and the lights came back up.

"That must be the guy Sayuri was talking about," Aoba stuck his nose over the back of their booth. "The stocky guy at the bar."

The rest of the group turned their attention to that side of the room. It was obvious who Aoba was referring to; a single man stood out from the surly crowd. Where they were ornery, he looked meaner. As wicked as they looked he was more sinister. The lighting was no good but the man appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties with salt and pepper hair and scars across his mouth that gave him a permanent scowl. He was staring off towards the stage entrance that Sunny had retreated to. The lusty look on his face wasn't one of desire but a thirst for blood.

"I have to admit he does look awful 'murdery'," Genma sighed. "Maybe the stripper isn't so off point."

"It'll be interesting to see if he looks at all the girls that way or if he just hates Sunny in particular." Aoba scratched his chin.

"What a shame," Gai sighed. "For these girls to be dancing with all the fire of their youth only to be scowled out. It's disheartening."

A collective groan filled the booth.

"Hey fellas, I thought we were here to not work?" Asuma took a drag on his cigarette. "You wanna pull out some reports to pick at while we wait for our drinks."

"Sorry Asuma," Aoba smiled apologetically. "Guess I need to shift gears-"

The MC's voice cut Aoba short. "And now, for our most popular dancer, the classic beauty with a bad attitude, Sayuri!"

A cheer went up in the room as the lights dimmed. A raucous song came on and the black-haired woman trotted out on the stage in a pair of break neck heels and an elaborate stage costume. The multilayered outfit was a ruse. Sayuri ripped it off in one felled swoop like a tracksuit and haphazardly threw it behind her. She danced the whole duration of the song as wild and free as if she were the only person in the room. The men seated right next to the stage were already drunk and one of them kept calling for her to come over to him. Sayuri ignored him and kept dancing. When she passed by that part of the stage, the man made a grab for Sayuri and she sidestepped it gracefully allowing him to faceplant behind her. Over the throb of the bass he yelled out, "Hey, Bitch!" and hawked a shot glass right at her face.

The stripper turned her head, avoiding the projectile, and caught it with her far hand. "Ooohs" went up from the crowd as she flashed the drunk a wicked smile and chucked the glass right back at his face. The man fell backwards out of his seat with what looked like a broken nose. His friends rose, half of them turning to aid their friend and the others turning their attention on Sayuri. Bouncers descended on the crowd and forcefully shuffled them outside. Sayuri blew a kiss after the men and sauntered back behind the curtains.

Once the lights came back on it was business as usual in the club. Girls milled around the room, flirting with clients and dancing to the loud music coming from the DJ booth. The men got Asuma good and drunk and made sure that when they staggered out the doors just before last call, he was absolutely coated in glitter. They stumbled out into the night laughing loudly while simultaneously shushing each other.

"Come on guys," Gai said a little too loudly. "We need to be setting a good example." He had gotten in a drinking contest with Kakashi and the two were barely able to stay on their feet. Aoba and Genma had a little less to drink, so they each supported one of their more inebriated friends. As they made their way home, Genma heard what sounded like crying and looked over his shoulder. He saw Sayuri and Sunny walking out of the club. Sunny was bawling into her hands and Sayuri was patting her back while speaking what looked like words of encouragement. Genma shook his head and turned his attention back to the walk home. He had enough to deal with tonight; his job could wait until morning.


	73. Setting Sun

**Hi everyone! Here's the next installment. For those of you who have been reviewing/pming, thank you. It seems like a lot of you are enjoying this and I'm loving hearing all of your theories on it. For those of you who have questions or are confused, please feel free to contact me. I know this arc is different than what we did before but there's a purpose behind it. There have been a lot of side plots building up to this point that you're going to see come together in the next few chapters. That being said, thank you for your patience and I look forward to hearing what you think!**

* * *

"Officer," the voice instantly drew a sneer from Genma but he repressed it before he turned to face Sayuri.

"Yes, _ma'am_?" Genma emphasized the latter and watched the flicker of discomfort cross her face. _Two can play this game_ , he thought.

Sayuri let the comment pass. It was odd seeing her in normal clothes; almost every time Genma had seen her, Sayuri had been in costume. Seeing her in a turtleneck shirt and a pencil skirt was disconcerting, like when he was a kid and would see his teacher outside of school. He had to be careful to keep reminding himself that Sayuri was dangerous.

"Do you remember the girl who danced before me at the club?" Sayuri cocked her head, tossing her silky black locks.

"Sunny, was it?" Genma folded his arms. "Or was that just a stage name?"

"That was her," Sayuri's smile brightened at the memory of the girl. After a moment Sayuri regained her serious attitude. "I want you to talk to her about that son of a whore that keeps showing up at the club."

"Why isn't she talking to me herself?" Genma gestured to the bustle of the morning foot traffic. "As you can see, I'm working here."

"I think the streets of the Leaf will be safe without your vigilance for an hour." Sayuri turned and began to walk away, throwing him a beckoning look over her shoulder. "Come on, officer."

…

The apartment Sayuri led him to was in a fair part of town where working class families hung their hats. Sunny was on the first floor of the building and its doors faced outside, so the pair were outside her home in moments. Sayuri knocked firmly on the door. "Sunny, it's me. Open up."

"Sayuri?" The sweet voice called out from within. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to visit." Sayuri poised herself by the door knob. As soon as Sunny opened the door and caught sight of Genma she tried to slam it shut. Sayuri threw up her arms and caught the door mid swing.

"Sunny, this is the officer I was telling you about," Sayuri leaned against the doorframe, blocking the other girl from slamming it shut. "You really need to talk to him."

"Mind your own business, Sayuri," Sunny's voice was shaking almost as hard as her hands.

"That guy isn't going to go away. This is just going to get worse." Sayuri stared her down and Sunny's eyes darted between the two of them, sizing up the threat.

"Okay, fine," Sunny sighed and opened the door. "Come on in."

Sunny's apartment was much more charming than Sayuri's. She had wrapped colorful scarves around the shades of the cheap lamps to give the room a festive glow. Decorative pillows and cozy looking blankets made the threadbare couch look inviting. Curry was stewing in the pot on the stove, filling the tiny space with a homey and comforting scent. Genma felt much more at ease than he had on the way over. Part of him had worried this was a trap but it was obvious Sunny and Sayuri were nothing alike. There were still no pictures of people around the place but the young woman had carefully tacked up posters of famous works of art on the walls.

"Would you like tea?" Sunny asked as she filled a bright yellow tea kettle covered in a daisy pattern in the sink.

"Yes, thanks," Genma sat on the couch but Sayuri kept her back to the wall. "So, what seems to be the problem, miss?"

Sayuri's eyes darted to him at the difference in address. A small smirk of recognition pulled at her mouth and disappeared.

Sunny heaved a sigh over the sound of the stove burner clicking to life. "There's this...man at the club. Sayuri says you've seen him. Tall, dark, and terrifying."

"Salt and pepper hair, face scars?" Genma gestured to his mouth.

Sunny nodded. "Yeah, that's the guy. He's been coming around the club for the last month."

"Sayuri says he's bloodied up some of the clientele there," Genma tapped his hand on the arm of the chair. "Has he threatened you or harmed you in any way?"

"No," Sunny scratched her arm self-consciously. "He's come out back to find me before. I'm never alone out there; there's always some people on a smoke break. When he sees I'm with other people he says something like, 'I'm watching you' or 'I'll find you later'."

"Has he followed you home?" Genma asked.

Sunny was putting tea bags in plain white mugs. "No. Really you shouldn't be here. Nothing's happened."

"Tell him about the alley, Sunny." Sayuri folded her arms. "Stop being a coward."

Sunny cringed at the accusation. She picked up the steaming kettle and poured the boiling water into the cups. "He's a shinobi. Not from Konoha; I think he might be a ronin. He used a ninjutsu to trip one of the bouncers. He formed hand signs and the floor came up in a block and tripped the guy. He repeated the actions and the block was gone just as fast."

"Do you have a name for this guy?" He gave Sunny an appreciative nod as she handed him a cup of tea.

"I'm sorry," Sunny shook her head. "Everyone just calls him Breaker."

"Only sycophants and twelve year olds would think a name like that was catchy," Sayuri scoffed.

"Let me guess: it's because he breaks people?" Genma shook his head. The tea was weak, little more than hot flavored water. He took a few gracious sips before he set it on the wobbly end table. "Is there anything else you can give me to go on?"

"No, that's all. And really, you don't have to bother yourself with all this," Sunny shot Sayuri an accusatory look. "I don't think you should get involved. I can handle myself."

"If there's a ronin running around causing trouble we need to investigate it-" Genma began to explain.

"I don't want to end up dead in an alley!" Sunny slammed her cup on the counter, cracking the porcelain. "Oh shoot," she cursed as she hurried the shattered mug back into the kitchen and returned with a wad of rags. "I'm...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have flown off the handle like that. It's just with everything going on in town, like that guy who had his lungs frozen and the other one who was pushed off the hotel...I just...I think its Breaker. Strip clubs are exactly the sort of places that those kinds of people hide out in, right? Us girls, we're supposed to be stupid sacks of pretty meat. If we see something or say something, no one will care if we wind up dead in a dumpster."

Genma sat there in shocked silence. He took a moment to compose himself, reached into his kunai bag and withdrew a senbon. Sunny's eyes tracked his movement and her body tensed in readiness. The guardsman put the senbon in his mouth and rose. "I'll be sure to be discreet, Sunny. I was at the club and I think Breaker saw us. I don't think he'd connect it to you. Not to mention, it's your friend here who approached me. Her and I have history, you don't."

"Thanks," Sunny sighed. "If nothing comes of it, forget it. Girls like me can take care of ourselves. We have to."

Sayuri moved to the door and opened it for Genma. After he walked out, she followed, throwing a reassurance over her shoulder. "This is for your own good, Sunny. Remember that."

Genma walked towards the main road and was annoyed to see Sayuri keeping pace beside him. "What?"

Sayuri shot him a surprised look. "I assumed you would want to follow up with me about that visit."

"She obviously doesn't want help," Genma moved the senbon to the corner of his mouth so he could talk. "Why bother me about it?"

"Because Sunny _needs_ the help." Sayuri stretched, the joints in her arms and fingers popping. "She's a shady little bird and thinks that she has it all figured out but that attitude is going to get her killed."

Genma stopped and stared Sayuri down. "Shady how?"

"Well, I've walked in on her making some seedy phone calls before," Sayuri explained. "Cryo-something or other, always talking about an uncle or cousin that's coming to visit by boat or train. There's no trains here. It's obviously code for something. I've always just figured she's involved with pushing drugs or something."

Genma furrowed his brows and folded his arms. Sayuri shrugged and gave him a charming smile. "Not that I'm involved in any of that. I would be lying if I said other girls in this business don't take advantage of lucrative side jobs."

"Is it possible that Breaker is just a rival drug lord's bruiser?" Genma watched her face. As always, Sayuri gave nothing away. She was either telling the truth or the world's greatest liar.

"See that's the thing, he could be, but why would he come after Sunny? She's just some broad who dances in her skivvies for a living. If she was part of the trade, what the hell would she know? It's not like they could press her for information or use her as a hostage. Like she said, she's just pretty meat. This guy's sizing her up for something else." Sayuri ran her fingers through her silky black tresses. "I don't think she's being a hundred percent honest about how many run ins she's had with Breaker. She's come into work with blood splattered on her clothes and bruises on her hands. Last week she had her wrist bandaged up like she'd sprained it."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Genma cocked his head. "You can't tell me you give a crap about this girl."

"I do, she's the cutest little pumpkin, isn't she?" Sayuri beamed. "They call her Sunny because that's what she's normally like. Sunshine and rainbows and all that jazz. It's only been recently the storm clouds rolled in. I'd say she's had shaky hands and darting eyes for only about four weeks."

"When did you two start working together?" Genma stepped aside under the awning of a nearby shop. It was lunchtime and the sidewalk traffic was picking up.

Sayuri followed his lead and stood uncomfortably close. She played with her hair and smiled up at him with gleaming eyes so passersby would think they were having an intimate conversation. _Why is she a stripper?_ Genma shook his head. _She's probably the best actress I've ever met._

"Sunny started working there about a two months ago. I've only been at the club a little more than a month and we hit it off right away. She's not as airheaded as the other broads. I get the feeling she was something more dignified before she took this job," Sayuri explained. "She knows a lot of anatomy and medicinal information. Anytime one of the girls is hurt or sick Sunny is on the scene, bandaging sprained ankles and putting together herbal remedies for them."

Genma realized he was tensing and unfolded his arms. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and feigned casual interest in Sayuri as she spoke. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I thought it might be useful information," Sayuri shrugged. "I figured she dropped out of med school or something. Anything you want to ask me?"

Genma had gotten a lot of information in a short span of time and was doing his best to sort it all out. At first all the evidence had pointed to Sayuri. After speaking with Sunny, however, there were some major factors that indicated she was somehow involved. The facts Sayuri had provided were damning but so were Sunny's own statements. Her description of Breaker as a shinobi had been more than what he would have expected of a bystander. More suspiciously, Sunny had mentioned particulars about the crimes that weren't public knowledge. She knew how two of the victims had died when the public wasn't even aware there had been deaths. These revelations warranted further inquiries if nothing else.

"Thank you for your time," Genma held up a hand to indicate the conversation was over. "I'll see what we can do for your friend."

Sayuri wrinkled her nose as she smiled. "Thank you. I knew I could count on you."

…

"That's the place," Naruto gestured through the trees to the sturdy brick building. "It's an outpost on the surface but there's a small jail in the basement. I've been listening in on the guards. They come into town after their shift and have dinner at Ichiraku." Naruto grinned like a fool. "And people say I'm no good at gathering intel."

Neji sighed. "We're just lucky they happen to frequent your favorite establishment, since you were eating on the job."

Naruto stood back, affronted. "Hey, a guy's gotta eat! This intel gathering stuff is hungry work!"

Neji activated his Byakugan. The building was full of shinobi, coming and going. The building served as a relay point for bird messengers and had a staff of two. One man was on the roof taking care of the birds and the other was on the ground floor relaying information, dispensing supplies, and so on. There was a small staff room in the back of the building that contained the staircase to the underground jail. There was a guard posted at the top of the stairs but Beki was by herself in the holding cell below.

"So? We ready to go?" Naruto put his hands behind his head.

Neji shook his head. "No. I have no idea how we're going to pull this off. We can't get back up because it would draw too much attention if we all left town geared up."

"Do you recognize any of them?" Naruto narrowed his eyes at the tiny shapes moving around the building. "Maybe that could help me strike up a distraction."

Neji focused on each of them until he ended up on the guard by the stairs. "Its…it's that guard that's always by Tsunade's office. I think he's friends with Beki"

"Maybe he'll let us go down and talk to her." Naruto scratched his chin. "I'm sure he's got to feel bad for her being by herself all the time."

Neji rubbed his temples. The pair didn't have a lot of options. Beki had been isolated down there for more than a month and public opinion of her was constantly dropping. Her charming uncle had been released from the hospital and was doing his damnedest to cast Beki in an incriminating light. He had been making the rounds to restaurants and tea houses, stumbling into important figures in Konoha, and telling them the tragic tale of his niece gone mad. What really stuck in Neji's craw was that a lot of people seemed to believe his story even though they knew Beki and he was a stranger. There was nothing that man could say to convince the people who really knew her. Beki would never hurt her father; as dangerous as her powers were Neji had never seen her lose control.

Naruto had noticed the intensifying look of anger on Neji's face and gave him a soft sock on the shoulder to gain his attention. "I say we walk right in the back door and talk to the guard." Neji turned that boring glare and Naruto and he shrugged, unfazed. "What do we have to lose?"

Neji glanced over at Beki, hunched over in a hospital gown on a sagging cot in the basement. There was a hopelessness to the crestfallen look on her face that forced all doubt from his mind. "You're right. Let's go."

The pair approached casually as if they were supposed to be there. None of the others paid them any mind, even when they rounded the corner to the back door.

"Is it locked?" Naruto asked.

Neji activated the Byakugan and chuffed. He reached out and opened the back door without resistance. "This isn't exactly a maximum security set up, is it?"

Naruto beamed. "We're supposed to be here then. Everything's going our way!"

"Don't jinx us." Neji walked inside first and the guard from the Mansion gave him a questioning look. "We, ahem we were sent to- "

The guard shrugged. "Just go down and talk to her already."

"Really?!" Naruto punched the air.

"That's all right? You're just going to let us go down there?" Neji furrowed his brow. He had expected a lot more opposition to Beki being visited.

"She's not supposed to have visitors but its killing me seeing her like this," The guard jerked his thumb towards the stairs. "She's lost in her own little world down there. Beki won't cry when people are watching but I hear her when I'm up here. They've been doing medical exams and interrogating her on a regular basis. The kid is a basket of nerves, so be kind to her, okay? Maybe seeing some friends will perk her up a bit."

"Thanks," Naruto grinned. "We promise we won't bust her out."

The guard shook his head. "You kids seem to misunderstand: this is to protect her until we sort out everything that's going on. I'm risking my job letting you go down there because I know she hasn't done anything wrong and she shouldn't be cut off from the world for a misunderstanding." He waved them off. "Get going before I change my mind."

The boys took the stairs two at a time, Naruto emphatically calling out Beki's name. At the sight of them, Beki's expression only darkened. She turned her face away and bundled herself up in the blankets.

"Hey, aren't you happy to see us?" Naruto approached the bars. "It was really hard finding out where you were, you know."

Neji almost knocked Naruto out of the way. "Beki, are you well? Have they been feeding you enough? You look like you've lost a lot of weight. Are you sleeping all right?"

"My god, calm down," Naruto punched his arm. "Let her get a word in edgewise."

Neji bit his tongue to restrain himself and turned his attention back to Beki.

"I'm…I'm okay." She mumbled.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Naruto blinked in confusion. "Everyone is super worried about you. Especially Hinata. I think she's cleaned the house like, twenty times over. I saw her ironing curtains yesterday after she had already washed every window in the house. If we don't get you out of here soon, I don't think she's going to have any skin left on her hands from all the scrubbing she's been doing."

"That seems to be the theme of things," Beki buried her face in her hands. "I destroy everyone and everything I'm involved with."

"What are you talking about," Neji grabbed the bars. "What happened, Beki? Who did this to you?"

"I did," Beki bit her lip and turned her face away. "I'm a monster. I've always been a monster but all this time it's been locked up. That night my dad died, I let it out and it's destroyed everything I had."

"Not everything," Neji's voice softened. "We're all here for you. You still have us."

"I appreciate that but I don't think you're understanding me. I've only known you guys for a few years. I had my dad all my life..." Beki shook her head.

Naruto sobered, the jovial attitude fading with understanding. "Beki, what happened?"

"I did it," Beki's voice broke. "I killed my dad."

…

Genma and Aoba were perched atop rooftops across from the club Sunny and Sayuri worked at. Izumo and Kotetsu were staggered down the road hidden in the shadows of the alleyways. They had agreed to split up and follow the women when they left work. There was a chance nothing would happen tonight or that other factors would come into play that could derail the mission. If the stake out failed, the group planned to bring both women in and obtain search warrants for their apartments.

A few hours before close, Sunny walked out the back door of the club. She was alone and was walking with determination. The stripper had changed into dark street clothes and had her hair up in a fastidious looking bun.

"Isn't she supposed to work till close?" Izumo asked into the headset. "Didn't you check the schedule, Aoba?"

"No, she's definitely taking off early." Aoba looked at the paper he had gotten from the manager under the pretense of throwing another bachelor party. "Sunny is supposed to work till 3 AM."

"It doesn't look like she's sick. Follow her." Genma said.

"Roger," Kotetsu's voice hissed in the headset. "We'll radio in if something develops."

Sunny walked through the darkened streets, unawares she was being watched. Izumo and Kotetsu followed the girl, leaving Aoba and Genma to cover Sayuri. Instead of seeing the black-haired bombshell come out the backdoor of the club, they saw Breaker come out looking for someone. He dropped to one knee, spotted Sunny's footprints, and followed down the street after her.

"Dammit," Genma spat. "You've got someone in pursuit. The possible ronin from the club."

Izumo swore. "Alright, we'll keep an eye out. She might have figured out she's being followed or she's taking measures just in case. You were right. Something's fishy with this one."

"I'm going to have to follow this guy," Genma looked at Aoba across the street. "Do you think you can track Sayuri on your own?"

"If Sunny and Breaker are going to be our problem children tonight, Sayuri will be easy to track home." Aoba nodded. "Be careful guys. One of these three are our murderer."

Genma waited until Breaker was almost out of eyesight before he began the tail. The man was experienced and would periodically turn and check his surroundings before continuing along Sunny's trail. Genma hoped that the men would be able to get some answers tonight and wrap up all this serial killer nonsense before the town descended into chaos.

…

Sunny squeezed her way down a narrow alley created by two buildings that were built far too close together. Kotetsu and Izumo approached cautiously in case it was a trap. They split up, one staying at the entrance of the alley and the other leaping along the rooftops to wait on the other side. Sunny had been out of eyesight for so long they began to worry she had slipped inside a building. Just before they radioed in, Sunny reemerged the way she came with a look of horror on her face and blood splattering her clothes. She looked around and began to run as fast as she could, darting around corners and through alleys. The shinobi kept on her tail as best they could, occasionally losing her in the night only to see the shine of her hair in the moonlight a few moments after.

The pair almost ran into Genma.

"Shit," He looked around nervously. "If you're here, Sunny's close, right?"

They blinked. "Why, did you lose Breaker?"

Before Genma could speak, they heard a scream.

"That sounded like Sunny," Izumo winced. "We'd better go."

The three came upon Breaker holding the girl up off the ground, a vice like grip around her throat.

"I told you everything I know," She whined. "Would I have told you the location- "

"Shut up," Breaker squeezed. "You've been offing us one by one so you get a bigger cut on the reward."

"No, I swear! It's a misunderstanding!" Sunny kicked her legs.

"Lying whore," Breaker squeezed and the three shinobi moved in to stop him. Before they could get close enough, Breaker had crushed Sunny's windpipe and threw her useless body at them. Izumo caught her as Kotetsu and Genma stepped up to fight Breaker.

"I wonder when you idiots were going to show yourselves." Breaker folded his arms. "Too bad I don't have time to play with you."

"Hate to tell you this but you're not going anywhere," Kotetsu spun his kunai.

"We've got a couple of questions for you," Genma stuck his hand into his kunai pouch. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Don't act like you have a damned clue what's going on," Breaker laughed. "This village is going to be the laughing stock of the ninja world by the time we're done with it."

"Who is 'we'?" Genma smirked. "Cuz from where we're standing it doesn't look like you have a whole lot of friends."

"If you're referring to the stripper," Breaker jerked his head towards Sunny. "She's just some gold digging bitch who thought no one would notice she was offing people for a higher cut of the reward money. She was a cog that didn't know her place and so she's been removed from the equation."

Screams when up from around the corner and briefly drew their attention. Breaker threw hand signs and the ground opened, swallowing him whole and closing over him almost instantly.

"Shit," Genma spat. "Tsunade's going to kill us for this."

"Not necessarily," Kotetsu put his kunai away. "We have some real leads now. Let's go find him."

Izumo pressed the button on his radio. "Is Sayuri still at the club?"

"Yeah, it's all quiet here." Aoba said.

"Can you come here and wait with a body till a medic team shows up?" Izumo asked. "We've got a ronin to pursue."

"I'll be right there," Aoba's voice was tinny through the speaker. "Let me know how it goes."

Genma gestured towards the screams. "I'll go check that out while you two go after Breaker. Your teamwork is better."

"Got it," The two said in unison as they took off in pursuit of the ronin. Genma turned and headed towards the screaming. A woman in a cleaning uniform was blubbering at the entrance of an alleyway, her eyes wide in fear and her hands shaking.

"Ma'am, what's the problem?" Genma asked, looking around carefully.

"I-in the alley," She stammered. "There's…there's a man. He's dead! Blood everywhere…his head wide open…" She closed her eyes and groaned, swaying as her knees gave out. Genma caught her as she fainted and set her gently on the ground. He pressed the button on his headset. "We need another medic team over here."

"On their way," Aoba confirmed.

Genma cautiously entered the dark alley. The cleaning woman had been right, the body was a grisly sight to see. The man was young, maybe in his early twenties, dressed simply but armed to the teeth in shinobi gear. An icicle had fallen straight through the top of his head, piercing his skull, and coming out the other side.

"Did Sunny go down an alleyway?" Genma asked.

"Yeah," Izumo buzzed in. "She came out bloody. We were chasing her down when Breaker caught her."

"I think he was right, she's our killer. There's a body here with an icicle through its skull." Genma sighed. "At least that's one loose end tied up."

"I mean, we won't have random killings anymore, but what the hell are these people after?" Kotetsu asked. "They're risking a hell of a lot coming into Konoha as ronin and offing each other to boot. Whatever this reward is they're after it's got to be pretty hefty."

"Who would put up that kind of money, and for what?" Aoba asked.

"Find Breaker and we'll hear what we need to know." Genma crouched over the body. "I hope you're the last body I have to see for a while. I'm getting too old for this shit."

…

"All the gates are on lockdown," Tsunade folded her arms. "That Breaker isn't going anywhere. I'm disappointed you weren't able to apprehend him earlier, but now that we know he's involved it's just a matter of time."

The four were exhausted and could only reply to her with nods.

"Now that we know who the killer was and are on the brink of closing this case, why don't you four take some time off?" Tsunade sighed. "I know I haven't been appreciative of your hard work lately. I owe you this as my thanks for finding the underlying cause of this mess."

"Thank you, Tsunade sama," Aoba spoke for the group.

"We appreciate it," Izumo bowed.

The four walked out, their feet dragging behind them.

"I'm going home, ordering a pizza, taking a shower, and sleeping." Aoba yawned.

"Forget the pizza and the shower, I'm going to bed," Genma stretched.

"Let's not let this get the best of us," Izumo said. "Let's plan on getting together tonight for dinner to celebrate."

"We haven't gotten to see the guys in a while. Let's invite them along," Kotetsu suggested. "I could use watching Gai and Kakashi goofing off to lighten my mood."

"Sounds like a plan," Aoba smiled for the first time in a while. "I'm excited. Let's get some beers."


	74. Inheritance

**Hi everyone! I know this arc has been very different. I hope that this chapter answers some of the questions you have. Thank you to those of you who have been reviewing/pm'ing. Please let me know what you think!**

* * *

"It's a shame Asuma couldn't come along," Genma scratched his nose. "Talk about the ball and chain."

"They're getting married in a couple of weeks. It's good for them to spend time together," Aoba smiled.

"They'll be spending time together for the rest of their lives," Kotetsu shook his head. "Let him enjoy being a bachelor for a couple more weeks."

"I'm looking forward to growing our bond as brothers in arms," Gai nodded somberly. "By drinking more than all of you put together!"

"We'll see about that," Kakashi shot him a dangerous look. "I won't concede without a fight."

There was a soft whimpering sound off to their left and all six men stopped dead in their tracks. The sound repeated but louder this time. Someone was begging for their life. Wordlessly they darted down the alley, some of them taking to the rooftops while the others took different alleyways to approach the spot.

The pleading began again and Genma tensed. He nearly didn't recognize the voice because of its lack of pompous overconfidence. It was Breaker.

"Please, I've told you what you wanted to know." Genma spotted him. The man was on his knees, ice encasing him all the way up to his neck. "Either let me know or just kill me."

"It's a common misconception that freezing to death isn't painful," Sayuri stepped into view, circling Breaker. "Everyone I've ever frozen has told me that the slow process of necrosis is excruciating. Do you agree?"

"You're enjoying this, you bitch," Breaker panted, his tough guy act completely dissolved in his pain. "You can go to hell."

"I've already been there," Sayuri got close to his face and flashed that dazzling, terrifying smile, like a predator baring its teeth. "It's incredibly boring." She took a step back and her expression softened. "I'm sorry. I really should thank you. It's been awhile since I had full control of my ice jutsu. I appreciate you being my guinea pig. With This fight, I know I don't have to hold back anymore, my powers have fully returned."

"Who the hell are you? Who do you work for?" Breaker strained his neck, trying to flex his way free from the ice.

Sayuri took ahold of his face and turned it towards her. "I am the vengeance, the blade the wrath of a man you and yours murdered in cold blood. If you meet him on the other side pray he will be more merciful than I am. I can only kill you once; he'll have an eternity to deliver your retribution."

Breaker winced and cried out in pain as the ice crawled up his face with icy fingers, encasing his head and silencing his please. Sayuri took a step back when the group descended upon her.

"Let him go, Sayuri," Genma was the first to step into the light. Sayuri looked at him, all pretense gone from her face. Her eyes were focused and determined, slowly moving from right to left as she sized up the number of opponents. As soon as she'd catalogued them all, Sayuri's steely expression pulled into a self-satisfied look.

"You still don't get what's going on here, do you?" Sayuri tossed her hair. "I've been leaving you a trail of breadcrumbs a mile long but you are all just too simple minded to connect the dots. No wonder this town is such a mess."

"Who are you?" Aoba echoed Breaker. "What have you been up to?"

"I would love to stay and explain but I have to go stop an assassination, since you're all too incompetent to do it yourselves." Sayuri gestured to them all. "Good night, gentlemen."

"Now wait one second," Genma stepped forward. "You're coming down to the station-"

Sayuri spun and kicked the frozen ronin, shattering him into a thousand tiny pieces that sprayed the shinobi in an arc. They covered their faces or stepped out of the line of fire to prevent themselves from being covered in powdered corpse. Sayuri used the momentum of her kick to take off at a sprint back down the alley. She moved so quickly that when Izumo and Kotetsu tried to grab her, she dropped low out of their grasp and kept on sprinting. The sudden change in movement at the last moment trapped the two in their momentum, costing them precious seconds towards apprehending her. Before they could right themselves, Gai and Kakashi vaulted over them in pursuit.

The way Sayuri moved changed from a breakneck sprint to a graceful back and forth skate. Despite the gentler movement, the woman picked up speed.

"That's strange," Gai narrowed his eyes. "She's going faster."

Kakashi pulled up his headband and activated the Sharingan. "That's because she's skating."

"But the terrain is uneven. If she tried to roller skate she'd break an ankle at best," Gai was at a casual jog so as not to leave everyone completely in the dust.

"She's ice skating," Kakashi concentrated on her feet. "She's casting an ice path in front of herself and is skating on blades she's formed on her feet."

"Have you fought an ice user like this before?" Gai asked. "I know there was that kid with Zabuza, but could he do this?"

Kakashi shook his head. "This woman is on a whole other level."

"It's a good thing we were with them," Gai jerked his thumb towards the others, desperately racing to catch up. "I think we're just the right dynamic duo to take her down."

Kakashi nodded silently. He was wracking his brain for every ice technique he had seen, and then thinking of a counter strategy. This was promising to not be the relaxing night they had all intended it to be.

…

Strange sounds stirred Beki from her already troubled slumber. She sat up and strained her ears, trying to identify the source of the sound. As her consciousness returned to her, she realized that the sound made of up a combination of crackling, hissing, and an occasional shout.

"Hey," She called up to the night guard. "What's going on?"

There was a thud as the guard opened the door and it slammed against the stair rail. The lights were all on upstairs, which instantly flooded the basement with painfully bright light. Beki heard the rapid thuds of the guard coming down the stairs as she blinked for her eyes to adjust. Before her vision had fully returned to her Beki already knew she was in trouble. The guard's lifeless body was at the foot of the stairs, his eyes blankly transfixed on the roof as his lifeblood pooled around him on the concrete.

"Oh shit," Beki whispered as she backed away from the bars. She looked around her enclosure for a weapon and swore again. _We're under attack and not only am I defenseless, I'm practically naked._ She looked around for a possible means of escape, ignoring the sounds of multiple sets of feet coming down the stairs towards her.

"So, this is her, huh?" A woman laughed. "She doesn't look so scary to me."

"She isn't," A man replied. "Come on little girl. You're coming with us."

"Fat chance," Beki tried to look threatening. She stood at her full height and waited for their faces to change at the sight of the Drowned Maiden. Instead of terror, the small group looked at her expectantly.

"Is that all?" The man asked, his voice almost as impatient as his face. "Was that supposed to scare us?"

Beki looked down at her hands, still bright and peachy. The hair that fell in her face was still a shiny platinum blonde. _Why isn't it working? I normally don't even have to think about transforming and yet here I can't even get my hair to change color._

"I'm not in the mood for a fight," The man waved impatiently. "Knock her out and finish torching this place."

Beki went rigid. "Where are you taking me?" _They're busting me out and making it look like I burned the place down._ "Who are you people?!"

"Shut her up already!" The man said as he stormed up the stairs.

"Good night, little girl." The woman stuck her hand between the bars, spreading her fingers wide. Beki saw the room lose focus and felt a fuzzy warmth spreading over her.

"Damned genjutsu users…" Beki grumbled just before her body hit the floor.

…

When they reached the woods, Sayuri abandoned her skating and took to the trees. Her speed dropped significantly but she was still able to keep her distance from the Konoha shinobi. She was searching for something, her head constantly bobbing right and left as she scanned her surroundings.

"What are you looking for…?" Kakashi thought aloud. She suddenly stopped and leapt up to the denser foliage above, concealing herself from view. Kakashi's first instinct was to keep an eye on her but he was curious what had triggered her reaction. Down below, a group of shinobi had come into view. There were about ten of them and they were aware they had been spotted. Kakashi grabbed Gai and they followed Sayuri's lead, retreating further up into the branches.

"Come on out," The lead shinobi called out. "We know you're there. Might as well get this over with."

Kakashi concentrated on the group. They were all ronin, from varying villages. The one thing the group had in common was that every one of them appeared to be seasoned mercenaries. Up into the trees, he spotted Sayuri dropping down to the ground out of their sight. She positioned herself against the trunk and readied to strike.

"Here, kitty kitty," The lead shinobi clicked his tongue and some of the others laughed. "We aren't going to hurt you."

Sayuri looked up and caught Kakashi's eye. She winked at him and smiled, holding up a finger for silence. One of the shinobi strayed too close to Sayuri's position and she lashed out, grabbing ahold of her, and pulling her into the brush. The woman didn't even have time to scream. It was silent for a few moments as the group searched for their pursuer when at last one of them called out:

"Where's Sae san?"

As soon as the words were out of the man's mouth, a frozen arm dropped down from the canopy above. The group went on high alert, their eyes and heads darting about as they tried to locate the source. The man who spoke approached the arm and grimaced. He picked it up and sighed. "It's Sae's."

"You think you're funny?" The leader cried out. "You're just a coward! Come out and fight!"

The rest of Sae's disembodied limbs dropped to the ground, falling from the trees and landing with the same soft thuds as ripe apples. The leader looked shaken and some of the others appeared to be losing their nerve as well.

"That's a tad...extreme," Gai said under his breath and Kakashi nodded.

Sayuri darted through the group, lashing out so quickly neither of her targets had time to respond. She was back in the trees before the group could compose themselves. The two men she had struck had confused looks on their faces just before their heads parted from their bodies.

The leader lost his cool he raised his hand to his head and pressed the button on his headset.

"No!" Sayuri cried out, emerging from the trees and charging right for the leader.

"We're under attack! You need to move quickly! Shinobi inbound-" he was able to call out before Sayuri froze his head solid. He fell to the ground, his hands desperately clawing at his encased head. The group surrounded her and drew their weapons.

"Son of a whore!" Sayuri kicked the leader. She looked up at Kakashi and Gai. "You need to get to the shack where they found Seiichiro. They're taking Beki there now." The ground began to fog as ice crept out from under her feet towards the shinobi surrounding her. "You have to save the ambassador."

Two of the shinobi turned to attack Gai and Kakashi but icy hands jutted out of the frost beneath their feet, trapping them. "You don't have time to think about it! GO NOW!" Sayuri cried.

Although no wind could make it through the dense woods, Sayuri's hair floated gently, brightening from coal black to a snowy white in almost moments. Almost instantly her skin took on an icy sheen, paling her to almost the shade of her hair. As the transformation took shape, the rest of the Konoha shinobi arrived, their momentum instantly halted by the standoff they found.

"They're going to assassinate Tsukimori Haruka at the shack they found her father in," Kakashi called out as he and Gai leapt down from the trees. "We'll keep an eye on this group. You need to stop them."

The guards sized up the situation for a moment and then nodded, continuing their pursuit beyond the ronin surrounding Sayuri. "Stop them!" One of the men cried out. A snowball hit him in the face and he turned his attention back to the horrifying woman floating before them.

"Sorry, you're dancing with me."

The shinobi looked at Kakashi and Gai. "Get out of here or we'll kill you, too."

Kakashi stared him down. "You attack us, you die. It's your choice."

…

Beki regained consciousness in a place she only remembered from her nightmares. The stuffy space with its smell of smoke, blood, and burned flesh turned her stomach. She had been thrown on her face down on the floor with so little care that her nose was bleeding from the impact. Her hospital gown was torn and filthy from the floor and goosebumps were forming on her exposed skin. She could hear the voices of the shinobi from the cell earlier. They were arguing about how they were going to "do it."

"Put her on her knees and ram a sword through her stomach," the woman scoffed. "Why make this so complicated?"

"People are going to have to believe she killed herself," The leader smacked his hands for emphasis. "She isn't a seasoned warrior who dishonored herself, she's a teenage girl. Don't they slit their wrists?"

Beki snapped completely awake. Her heart was racing and her first instinct was to run but she suppressed the urge. She carefully turned her head to figure out her escape route. The back door of the cellar was dead ahead. If she rose slowly and sprinted, she might make it up the stairs and have the door open before they could catch her. They were still arguing so Beki took a deep breath, pushed herself up slowly, and ran for the door. The woman shouted and Beki immediately heard footsteps approaching from behind. Her hospital gown was sagging so Beki tore it off and threw it behind her, hoping it would slow them down. As she glanced over her shoulder to toss the gown she saw they were much too close for comfort. _I'm not going to make it._ Beki was left with a choice: dart up the stairs and try to fight them off or go for the stairs.

At the last moment, Beki juked left and bolted for the other exit. The men who were pursuing her were thrown off balance. One fell flat onto the stairs and the other turned and stumbled after her, falling as his feet crossed in front of each other. He managed to grab at her ankle just enough to throw off her rhythm. There was nothing she could do to stop herself from falling. Beki put out her hands and immediately tried to scramble back up to her feet but the man who tripped her had caught ahold of her ankle. Seiichiro's armor was burned into the concrete beside her, so as she kicked at the man on her legs, Beki wiggled towards the metal plates. The kunoichi was storming over with a murderous look on her face. Beki hoped that she could dislodge one of the plates on her father's armor and use it as a shield or a blunt weapon.

Beki managed to connect a kick square to the nose of the man holding her ankles. He released her, swearing as he cupped his bleeding face. Beki could scramble over to the armor just as the kunoichi reached her. She took ahold of one of the gauntlets and gave it a solid tug. Beki had expected resistance from the metal but instead it came free instantly. The metal warmed on contact with her skin, shrinking to fit her smaller proportions and shaping itself around her arm. She was stunned to silence at the sight of her father's gauntlet forming to her shape.

"Get over here," The kunoichi grabbed ahold of Beki's shoulders and spun her. Beki was surprised to find her arm move as if guided by an outside force, following the momentum of the spin and clocked the kunoichi across the face with the gauntlet. The woman was knocked sideways, lost her footing, and falling face first into the ground.

Beki got to her feet and looked at the shinobi closing in on her. Seiichiro's voice came to her, a memory from when she was young coming to life: "Then the father would fall in battle, and it would be up to his son to remove the armor from him. He had to don the set still covered in his father's life to carry on his fight."

"Tsukimori hold the line," Beki echoed his words as they sounded in his head.

"What the hell?!" The kunoichi spat. "Where'd you get that?!"

Beki stepped backwards towards the armor. She crouched down and extended her hand toward the other gauntlet. It followed its mate's suit, snapping to Beki's hand as if attracted by magnetism and melting to form to her shape.

"The armor!" The leader cried. "But that was her fathers! It shouldn't fit!"

They all approached cautiously, unsure of what powers were at play. The armored skirt followed the lead of the gauntlets. The waist shrunk to fit her frame and shortened to her knees. The shinobi who had grabbed at her ankle made a pass at her. Beki stepped back, caught his wrist, and spun him away. The breastplate and pauldrons snapped on over her shoulders and cinched until it fit her torso.

Tsukimori Haruka had been dragged down to this cellar to die naked and alone. Now as Beki stood there in her father's armor, she felt the chakra of all the ancestors whom had donned it before her. Loudest amongst them was her father. Their presence was a comfort in her hour of need and helped her to stand tall against her enemies. Beki looked down at her hands and her feet, where she caught sight of her father's mask. She crouched, picking up the battered metal half mask.

"Listen, little girl," The kunoichi held a knife up to her. "You try anything funny and we'll make this as painful as possible."

Beki looked the woman dead in the eye as she donned the oni's mask. "Try it."

The long platinum blond hair that had fallen in her face was testament that Beki hadn't transformed into the Drowned Maiden. That meant the looks of fear that twisted these shinobi's faces was for Beki herself. These people, these _assholes_ had kidnapped and murdered her father. Now they dared to fake Beki's suicide to cast all suspicion on her.

"I need to know one thing," Beki raised her head so she was looking down on them, her eyes filled with murderous intent. "Who are you working for? What son of a bitch is behind all this?!"

…

The Konoha shinobi converged on the abandoned shack.

"Dammit," Genma swore. "She was just leading us on. That bitch has probably murdered Kakashi and Gai-"

There was a loud crash as the cellar doors were blown open in a fiery explosion. The shinobi were left standing there expectantly until a familiar blonde head emerged from the smoking maw like a demon out of hell. Beki's body was fully lit from within, her skin swirling shades of gold, crimson, and ochre. Her hair floated gently, which when paired with the blood splattered armor she was wearing completed the demoness look. She turned her steely gaze upon them and for a moment they faltered, forgetting the girl behind the mask for the demon she appeared to be. As she emerged, she dragged along the unconscious body of a young woman. Angry burns covered the woman's arms in the shape of Beki's handprints.

Beki bodily threw the woman at them. "Tsukimori Yasahiro," Her voice was thick and raspy, full of the smoke that surrounded her. "He murdered my father and hired these ronin to stage my suicide."

"Are there others?" Aoba asked, cautiously keep a distance.

Beki over at him, her eyes full of remorseless rage. "Not anymore."

…

"Well that's the last of them," Sayuri heaved a sigh as her hair settled back to inky black. "Do you think they were able to get there in time?"

Kakashi and Gai had moved too quickly for Sayuri, their kunai poised at each side of her throat.

"Okay, okay. I get it," Sayuri raised her arms. "I have some explaining to do." Neither of the men budged. "I'll come quietly, I promise."

"I'm going to bind her hands so she can't use ninjutsu," Kakashi retracted his kunai so only Gai's blade stood between Sayuri and escape. Kakashi stood behind her and began to bind her hands.

"So, you're pretty good with knots then?" Sayuri smiled and Kakashi replied by tightening the ropes. "All right, all right. Bad timing. I get it."

Soon the sounds of the other Konoha shinobi returning. Sayuri looked over at them, the slightest hint of concern on her face. The men were carrying both the unconscious ronin kunoichi, her hands and legs bound, and Beki.

"She isn't dead, is she?" Sayuri furrowed her brows. "You'd better tell me she's all right."

"Beki's fine," Genma scoffed. "She wore herself out burning up the other ronin."

"Let's get back into town." Kakashi gave her a shove.

"What, I don't get a piggy back ride like the other girls?" Sayuri smirked but walked along anyway, her head held high and a self-satisfied look on her face.

"Can't we knock her out so we don't have to look at that smug face she's making?" Genma asked but Aoba shook his head.

"Let it be, Genma."

…

"Hey, wake up," Genma rattled the bars of the cell.

Sayuri opened an eye and threw a smile at him. "It's so charming how much you want my attention."

"You were behind all this, weren't you?" Genma folded his arms. "Who do you work for?"

Sayuri closed her eyes again but the smile remained. "Did you guys manage to catch Yasahiro? Or was he long gone by the time you all got there?"

"We've got shinobi in pursuit," Genma leered down at her on her cot. "He'll get what's coming to him."

Sayuri laughed. "If he doesn't die of old age before you dunces figure out where he is."

"This will go easier for everyone if you just start talking." Genma took out a tape recorder. "I bring this in and it all gets sorted out."

Sayuri flicked a tiny hunk of ice at the recorder, knocking it out of Genma's hands and forcing him to fumble to hold onto it. "I told you once, do-rag, I'm only talking to the Hokage. So, until the crone can find time in her schedule for me, you'll all just have to wait with baited breath to hear my tale."

"I liked you better when you were pretending to be a stripper," Genma scoffed as he shoved his tape recorder back into his pocket. "At least then you pretended to be nice."

"Boo hoo," Sayuri stretched. "What, did you want to spend the night with me or something? When I get out of here I could give you a pity lay."

"As if you will ever see the outside of a cell again," Genma glared. "So, make yourself comfortable."

"Thanks, I will." And so Sayuri drifted back off to sleep with another self-satisfied grin.


	75. Face Facts

**Hi everyone, sorry for the long break. I had a terrible case of writer's block. Thank you to those of you who have reviewed the last few chapters. You have had some good questions and I am more than happy to answer. I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts! Please enjoy.**

* * *

Hinata rushed into the hospital with a large tote bag slapping against her hip. The staff had been expecting her, so as soon as she was through the doors the Hyuga heiress was being led through the winding halls to Beki's room. The whole experience was a blur as Hinata's mind raced and her heart throbbed in her chest.

The jounin that had come to the house for Hinata had a hard time explaining exactly what happened. Apparently, the location Beki was being held at had been attacked by ronin. Beki was fine but they needed Hinata to bring her some clothes. Beyond that, the man had been useless for information. Hinata could only imagine what had happened to Beki and none of what she could come up with was good.

The nurse knocked on the door. Beki's voice called out for them to come in. _She sounds fine,_ Hinata took a deep breath to calm herself. She walked in the room to find her friend sitting on the end of an exam table in a hospital gown.

"Did you bring me clothes?" Beki eyed the bag. "Thank God. If I ever have to wear a hospital gown after this I think I'd rather just run around nude."

Hinata held out the bag and Beki fished out its contents. "Beki, what happened?"

Beki looked up at Hinata and then averted her gaze to the clothes. "It turns out my uncle has been behind everything: my father's murder, my kidnapping, and apparently, he hired people to stage my suicide. Killing me wasn't enough. He wanted to drag my name through the mud, too. Make it look like I killed my father."

"That's horrible, Beki." Hinata watched her with concern. "Are you okay?"

Beki shrugged as she separated the clothes. "I'm beyond pissed but I'm alive. I'm grieving my father, I was treated like a criminal, and it was all because my own flesh and blood probably wanted to pry the ambassador position away from me or some other pretentious shit."

Hinata walked over and sat on the exam table. "I just have one more question: why didn't you have any clothes?"

"It's not that I didn't have clothes, it's just," Beki held up her hands and looked at the ceiling as she searched for the words. "I…I'll explain later. Just know that physically, I'm fine."

Hinata watched Beki's face carefully as she dressed. It appeared she was telling the truth; there were no bruises or scratches on Beki's body. As her friend, however, Hinata still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. "You'll tell me when we get home, right?"

Beki heaved a sigh and nodded. "Yes, Hinata. I promise I'll tell you."

"The Hokage said she'll see you," Genma spat as he approached Sayuri's cell. "Get up."

Sayuri stretched languidly and rose from her cot as though it were the plushest bed in existence. "Finally. I thought I would die of old age in here."

Genma stared her down as she approached the bars with absolute hatred in his eyes.

"Well, aren't you going to let me out?" Sayuri blinked innocently, then shrugged. "Maybe you've forgotten your keys." She reached up and took ahold of the bars. There was a hissing sound as frost spread from the metal in her hands across the bars. Genma jumped back in surprise as Sayuri flicked the frozen bars and they shattered into frosty metal powder.

Sayuri turned her Cheshire grin on the startled guard as she stepped out of the cell. "There we go. Now lead the way."

Three jounin Sayuri didn't recognize escorted her from the jail to the Hokage's mansion. She sized them up and found them well within her ability to neutralize. She behaved herself through the duration of the walk. The lead guard mounted the steps ahead of them, announcing Sayuri at the door.

 _Finally,_ Sayuri popped her shoulder joints. _I haven't tangled with a sanin in a while._

…

The woman that walked in the room should never have warranted her guard based on appearances. Sayuri was young, in her mid-twenties Tsunade guessed, who took good care of herself and had a generally pleasant look on her face. To a trained shinobi, however, it was obvious from the second she walked through the door that the black-haired woman was sinister. The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees upon her arrival. Then again that could have been due to the malevolence of the chakra that seeped out of her body like a fog. The broad grin on Sayuri's face fell at the sight of Tsunade. She turned her gaze upon Shizune, her brow furrowing. "Where's the Hokage?"

"You're looking at her," Tsunade folded her arms.

Sayuri scoffed. "That can't be right."

"And why is that?" Tsunade walked around her desk to stare Sayuri down. Sayuri was nearly as tall in flats as Tsunade was in her heels and was completely unfazed by the sanin's close proximity.

"Senju Tsunade is in her fifties," Sayuri narrowed her eyes, examining Tsunade's face more closely. A small flicker of recognition darted through her eyes and a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Unless you're doing something extra to keep the crow's feet at bay."

Tsunade didn't honor her with an answer, which only encouraged the woman further. Sayuri gave her a friendly smile. "I can tell you my beauty secrets but I don't think they'll work for you- "

"I don't have time to play your games." Tsunade watched the woman closely. "From everything I've heard, you have been involved in countless unsavory activities in my village and I want to know what the hell is going on!"

"Where would you like me to start?" Sayuri smiled, holding up her hands in a gesture of submission. "I've been eager for us to have this conference. I'll tell you whatever you wish to know."

"How about we start with who you really are?" Tsunade asked. "It's clear you don't work for Yasahiro, so who you do work for and what your motive is would also be something you should share."

Sayuri gave a deep bow. "Asou Yukihana no Getsugakure. Lamentably I've been operating solo these last few months- "

"Don't lie to me." Tsunade stood at her full height and let some of her chakra loose so Sayuri could know who she was dealing with. "Asou Yukihana died twelve years ago. Tsukimori Seiichiro and I were old colleagues and I will not tolerate you trying to deceive his family."

"Twelve years ago, your former teammate came for my daughter," Sayuri's voice dropped dangerously low. "Orochimaru and I battled for hours but I was unarmed. I had worn through a fair portion of my chakra killing his men beforehand. I took a gamble and tried to lock him in an ice floe with me. When I woke up two months ago, I found myself alone in there. I guess the serpent was just too slippery."

"Other than your story, do you have any way to verify your identity?" Tsunade waved her hand at Sayuri. "Your story is a little too incredible to believe- "

"Lady Tsunade," Shizune whispered harshly from beside the door. "The ambassador from Getsu is here."

Sayuri's face broke into another conniving smile. "That wouldn't happen to be Ishida, would it? Bring him in."

Tsunade nodded and Shizune brought Ishida inside.

"Lady Hokage," Ishida gave a respectful bow as he entered. He scanned the room subconsciously, his face calm and his manner composed. The moment his eyes fell on Sayuri his complexion paled and he dropped his briefcase. "My God!"

Sayuri tossed her hair and flashed him a winning smile. "Long time, no see."

"This is impossible," Ishida scrambled for his briefcase, never once removing his sight from Sayuri. "You've been dead for twelve years!"

"This woman is claiming to be Asou Yukihana," Tsunade gestured towards Sayuri. "Are you corroborating her claims?"

Ishida stared silently at the woman for a long time. After a while, he shook his head slowly. "There's no mistaking it. I don't know how she's alive but it's Seiichiro's wife."

"I froze myself, Ishida," Yukihana scoffed. "It took a while for my power to run out and the jutsu to break."

Tsunade looked at the ambassador and he nodded. "It's completely unheard of but I believe it to be within her power."

Tsunade shook her head. "Alright, so we've confirmed that you are, in fact, Asou Yukihana. That doesn't explain what the hell you were doing, running around my village murdering people- "

"It was to protect my daughter," Yukihana's voice was firm, as steady as the Hokage's. Her self-satisfied grin had vanished and left a commanding sternness in its place. Her bright eyes shone so intensely the others were tempted to avert their eyes as she spoke. "When I returned to Getsugakure and discovered my husband had been murdered and my daughter was the chief suspect I set myself to work. I found Yasahiro's accomplices back in Getsugakure and _interrogated_ them."

"Was it anyone in court?" Ishida dared to interrupt, to which Yukihana flashed him a dangerous look.

"Of course. Seiichiro's been rattling people's cages for years. I couldn't get much on the courtiers, per se, but their henchmen did a lot of singing. That's how I ended up in Konoha doing recon in that strip club."

"I'm assuming this 'Sunny' was an accomplice of Yasahiro's?" Tsunade asked.

"She was the go between. It was her job to pass on orders and intel between the sources in Getsugakure and the mercenaries here," Yukihana explained. "I tailed her, intercepted the information, and then eliminated the mercenaries."

"Which would cast suspicion on her and undermine the overall structure of the enterprise," Ishida shook his head. "Sorry, go on."

"I had been trying to lead your men to figuring out the conspiracy but unfortunately that didn't take," Yukihana shrugged. "I was forced to see the matter through myself."

"You like to speak condescendingly about my men but they accurately pegged you for a murderer," Tsunade folded her arms. "Which you have just confessed yourself."

Yukihana held out her hands before her. "Not a single Konoha shinobi or civilian was slain. Each of the victims in question were mercenaries and ronin conspiring with enemies of the crown. As a group, they murdered a respected ambassador of the king, which is punishable by death, and were intending to murder his heir and frame her for their deeds. All this so their man, a blood traitor and a fratricidal villain, could elevate himself to his niece's rightful position."

Tsunade turned her attention to Ishida. "What would Yasahiro have done had he succeeded Seiichiro?"

Ishida sighed and adjusted his glasses. "He more than likely would have cast the whole situation as your fault, Lady Hokage. Yasahiro is a conniving fox. He would have claimed your subpar security resulted not only in Seiichiro's death but Beki's as well."

Yukihana took on a pitying, mocking tone. "And he would have been _oh so happy_ to cover it up for you. For a price."

Tsunade stared the woman down. She had singlehandedly undermined a conspiracy that would have put Konoha in an international hot seat. Yukihana had outwitted, outplayed, and outgunned an organization reached almost up to the crown itself. What she claimed were true: none of the victims were Konoha citizens and any panic she had caused was nowhere near what would have become of them had Yasahiro succeeded. "Release her bonds."

A smile flashed momentarily across Yukihana's face as the guards removed her bindings. Once free, Yukihana gave the Hokage a deep, theatrical bow. "Thank you, Lady Hokage."

Ishida cleared his throat. "So, this leads us to the matter of Miss Tsukimori herself."

"Yes," Tsunade crossed around behind her desk and took a seat. The stress of the situation was making her back ache and her temples throb. "Apparently, she has come into the full power of her kekke genkai. What can you tell me about the Burned Maiden?"

"They're stuff of legend," Ishida cautiously took a seat across from the desk, positioning himself so that he could keep an eye on Yukihana. "There isn't a living soul who has witnessed their power; the last known Burned Maiden perished a hundred years ago."

"My men who have seen Tsukimori in that form are more than concerned," Tsunade explained. "Are we certain she can control herself?"

"That's hard to say," Ishida adjusted in the uncomfortable chair. "Tsukimori exhibited excellent control of the Drowned Maiden, however the Burned Maiden is surely the most feared and powerful of the three lines. She has no training and no guidance in how to control it; also, having two active lines at once may affect her ability to control it."

"Not to mention seeing her father murdered," Tsunade sighed. "I imagine that would wreak havoc on even the soundest of psyches." She tapped her pen pensively on the desk. "I hate suggesting this, especially in this day and age, but would it be at all possible to seal her?"

"What, like a jinchuuriki?" Ishida scratched his chin. "Well, I suppose it would be possible- "

"Try it." Yukihana's sudden outburst caught them both off guard. The statement had been made with what sounded like a casual tone, but it left a threat hanging in the air that could not go ignored.

"Do you believe you have a say in this?" Tsunade gestured to herself and Ishida. "I am the Hokage and he is the voice of your King. Isn't it your duty to abide by our decision?"

"You can do whatever you wish," Yukihana folded her hands behind her. "Hokage sama."

Ishida looked back and forth between them. "Lady Asou, you have spent quite some time incarcerated. Perhaps you would like to go freshen up? I haven't had a chance to pay my respects to your husband. I can't imagine that with all you have been working on it would be possible for you have been able to, either."

Yukihana watched him carefully and although she didn't move there was a sensation of danger in the air. After a moment, she relaxed and shook her head. "You're right. I have other things to do. I trust that you'll keep everyone's best interest in mind, Ishida."

Yukihana bowed and walked out of the office, a free woman. Tsunade immediately turned her attention to Ishida. "Who does she think she is?"

"She wasn't threatening you," Ishida watched the door. "You don't…you can't think of her as an average person." He looked at the Hokage. "I'm sure over the years you got to know Seiichiro fairly well."

"I would say we were friends, yes." Tsunade shook her head. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Seiichiro was the kind of man that if you crossed him, he would hunt you to the ends of the earth," Ishida smiled affectionately. "He saved my reputation while on one of his witch hunts, rooting out corruption in the capital. He would make a case and put the information out there, ruining people for their misdeeds."

"Once again, Ishida, I have to ask how that applies to this situation?" Tsunade pressed her hands to her temples.

"Yukihana is not that way. She was raised to be a head priestess, to be the voice of righteousness and a purveyor of divine will. She is incredibly intelligent and highly educated. She's the kind of person that everything has come easily to. All that entitlement came together to create a lethal, self-righteous storm," Ishida explained. "If you cross her, she would feel no remorse carving through you and whoever tried to come between you." Ishida's voice dropped. "And she would enjoy every minute of it."

Tsunade considered him for a moment and sighed. "So, what does this mean for you? Are you going to have to write up some report that Asou Yukihana came back from the dead and bring it to the king?"

"If you wouldn't mind," Ishida's face paled. "I would rather we keep this contained. As far as the records go, no matter who she claims to be, please uphold that this woman is just the stripper, 'Sayuri'."

"Isn't word going to get out that she's Asou Yukihana?" Tsunade furrowed her brow. "Won't that make you look like a liar?"

"Rumors about a woman who resembles a shinobi who died twelve years ago will be of no substance in the court, especially after such a great shake up," Ishida explained. "However, if I were to report Yukihana was alive…"

"They would call you a madman?" Tsunade rested her face on her chin.

"No," Ishida shook his head. "They would put that monster back out into the field and I could never forgive myself."

…

Hatake Kakashi stood before the fallen shinobi monument with a deadened, faraway look in his eyes. The breeze that gently rustled the trees took some of the edge off the stifling summer heat but Kakashi felt none of it. It was on quiet days like this one that he was chased most aggressively by his demons, shadows of his lost loved ones lurking around every corner and behind every tree. He thought of what was and what could have been. He wondered about how he could avoid allowing his mistakes to be repeated by his students. He was tormented by the thought that no matter how much good he did, there was nothing that could ever wash away the blood on his hands.

"Son of a whore," A familiar voice drew him unpleasantly back to reality. The woman stumbling through the bushes was not dressed for the hike through the brush to reach the monument. Her long cotton dress had clearly caught branches several times. Snags and tears had left the hem tattered and ragged. She carried a large paper sack in each of her hands, one of which was clearly a bottle of alcohol. "What the hell is that face for?" the woman barked at him, nearly losing the cigarette balancing on her lip.

"The picnic grounds are over that way," Kakashi gestured closer to town.

"I know where I am," She grumbled, clearly halfway in the bottle already. "This hunk of rock is supposed to be for all the dead shinobi, right?"

"Yes," Kakashi furrowed his brow. "All the Konoha shinobi who have died in action-"

"Well, look," She pointed at him and he could hear the bottle sloshing. "My best friend is dead and I don't have a body to go visit, okay? So this _monunment_ -" she gestured to the rock disdainfully. "Is going to have to do because it's the closest thing to sacred ground I could find."

Kakashi had met the woman twice. On both occasions, at the strip club and in battle, she had been poised and composed always. Here at the monument, however, she was nothing more than an angry drunk. "I'll leave you to your mourning, then." He began to walk away and felt her eyes on his back. Once he reached the edge of the clearing, her attention turned back to the monument.

"Alright, Seii kun," Yukihana sighed as she settled on the ground with her back against a tree. She began to fish around in the bags. "This is the best sake I could find. It's more expensive than the swill we used to drink; I figured as you got older your taste in booze matured, too." She poured some out on the soil beside her. Yukihana set the bottle aside and fished out a small bowl and a box of incense. "And this is the closest I could find to what we always burned at the shrine." She used the end of her cigarette to light the incense and placed it in the bowl. Yukihana sat in silence, staring off towards home. "You know, it really pisses me off. I gave my life to save you and Haruka. Then, I come back and find out that you had up and died. I mean, you apparently became this hardened badass but also were a respectable character at the same time. What the hell, Seii? I feel like if you had been alive, you would have been too good for me now."

She sighed and took a swig off the bottle. "They're going to nail me so hard for public intoxication. I can just feel it."

…

Beki hovered over the papers, holding her temples as she read. She had been looking at the same letter for a half hour straight but the words wouldn't stick in her mind. Beki would read a paragraph and zone out, forgetting its contents only to have to repeat the process. "This is hopeless," She sighed, leaning back in her chair, and putting her hands over her eyes.

Ever since she had come home from the hospital, Beki had felt like she was living in a fishbowl. She could always feel someone's eyes on her, like they were waiting for her to snap. All she wanted was to establish a new normal, to throw herself body and soul into her work so she didn't have to deal with Seiichiro's death. But every worried look Hinata threw her, every cup of tea Naruto dropped off at her side, was a reminder that she was broken and everyone knew it.

"Hey, Beki," Hinata's infuriatingly gentle voice called out from the stairwell. "Are you hungry?"

"No, Hinata, I'm fine," Beki said, her tone a little too short.

Hinata winced. "You know I'm only asking because I care about you-"

"You care too much, you and everybody else," Beki glowered. "I don't know how the hell I'm ever supposed to feel normal again if everyone keeps treating me like I'm made out of glass."

"What do you want me to do, Beki?" Hinata finished coming down the stairs. "I'm worried sick about you and all you do is avoid me! I would take it personally but you don't talk to anyone, you don't leave the house, you aren't being yourself! I just want to help you!"

"How could you help me, Hinata?" Beki stood up so suddenly it nearly knocked the chair over. "You're the one always getting rescued, who always has the safety net in place so nothing truly terrible ever fucking happens to you!" Beki seethed and felt her skin getting hot. The sudden rush of powerful emotion made her feel nauseous and set her head spinning. Beki cast her gaze down at her feet. "I can't even stand looking at you," She said half to Hinata and half to herself as she turned and ran out the door, almost knocking Neji over as he approached the house.

"What was that about?" Neji asked, watching after Beki. He turned to look at Hinata, her eyes filled with tears and her lip quivering. Neji's brow furrowed and he frowned. "Excuse me, Lady Hinata," He said as he turned around and stormed out the door after Beki.

…

Beki had found a quiet spot under a tree in the courtyard where she could hide away. Before she had a chance to sit on the cool dirt, a hand wrapped around her shoulder and spun her violently. Beki was barely able to keep her balance, which wasn't made any easier by the furious look on Neji's face.

"You go back there and you apologize to Lady Hinata right now," Neji pointed back towards the house.

"I…I can't. I can't go back there." Beki shook her head.

"I don't care how angry you are right now, you swallow that down and be a damned adult," Neji stormed. "Lady Hinata loves you more than anyone in his whole village. How dare you treat her that way!"

"I know." Beki stared at her feet. "That's…that's why I can't go back."

Neji shook his head. "You aren't making any sense."

"I…I can't." Beki shook her head and bit her lip as she fought back the nausea.

"Use your words, Tsukimori," Neji grabbed her arm and gave her a tug. "Come on. I'll drag you if I have to."

They had only gone a few feet when Beki spoke, her voice so soft he nearly missed it: "I hate myself."

Neji stopped and stood there, unsure of how to reply. He slowly looked over her shoulder at her. Beki was staring at her feet, tears streaming down her face.

"Why would you say such a thing?" Neji softened his hold on her arm.

"I'm a terrible, worthless person," Beki's voice was flat and emotionless, as though she were repeating known facts. "I'm nothing but a rotten failure who spells nothing but disaster for everyone around me."

"That isn't true." Neji fought the urge to brush the tears out of her eyes, settling for gently stroking her arm. "You couldn't help what happened to your parents-"

"If I had been stronger and smarter I could have saved my dad," Beki was shaking. "I could have at least stopped Yasahiro. My dad was a hero, Neji. He should be alive, not me. He was so much more important than I am-" Beki dissolved into sobs for the first time. It was the shameless, childlike depth of sorrow that reaches right down to the soul.

Neji reached out and pulled her to him, squeezing her tight against his chest. Beki gasped for air between sobs, triggering an unfortunately timed case of hiccups. "Shh," He cradled her head as he held her. "You're all right." He held her until she had calmed somewhat and gave her a reassuring hug. "Come on. Let's get you inside."

When they walked through the door of Hinata's house, they found Hinata sitting on the couch hugging a pillow, her nose and cheeks a rosy pink from sniffing away the tears. The second Beki laid eyes upon her the waterworks started up again.

"I'm sorry, Hinata,"

Hinata saw Beki start to cry and couldn't keep her own tears welled away any longer. "It's okay Beki,"

Beki came running over to her friend like an injured child and Hinata threw aside the pillow to make room for her. Beki buried her face in Hinata's neck and let the tears flow. "I'm so sorry I took my anger out on you Hinata. I'm just so frustrated at how useless I am and how much I miss my dad."

"It's okay, Beki, I don't blame you," Hinata held her tight. "I know you're in a lot of pain."

"This is all my fault," Beki cried. "My dad is dead and I wasn't smart enough to save him!"

"Your uncle tricked a lot of people Beki," Hinata stroked her hair. "No one blames you. Don't think for a moment your father was upset with you, either."

Naruto came down the stairs to find out what the commotion was about. Once he saw the girls he sighed and headed for the door with Neji.

"I'm glad they're talking again," Naruto shook his head. "It was like a border standoff around here."

"I think they'll be okay now," Neji sighed as he opened the door. "Let's go get them some food."

…

Yukihana sat at the counter of the diner on the stool closest to the entrance. Her hair had fallen out of her braid into her face, partially concealing the red bags around her eyes. She had exhausted herself crying. Ishida had been right: Yukihana had been so transfixed on saving Haruka and avenging Seiichiro it hadn't caught up with her yet. The conspiracy being unhooded left Yukihana to face some harsh facts. Soon, she would have to face Haruka. She would have to figure out what to tell her, what to say, and it was all very intimidating. The utter failure and rejection she would have to place in her teenage daughter's hands was something Yukihana seldom had to deal with. Her daughter's opinion was one of two Yukihana had ever truly cared about. The other fact she had to deal with at last was she would have to face everything alone from now on.

The fighting came easy. Yukihana was at her best when she was outnumbered and her back was against the wall. The hard part would be dealing with people. She was just beginning to ruminate on those thoughts when a voice interrupted her:

"I finally figured out where I remembered you from."

Yukihana looked over her shoulder at the silver haired man. "That was a terrible pickup line. Go back and start over with something clever this time."

The man tossed a book on the counter next to her and Yukihana's eyes widened. As she opened the worn cover and turned the yellowed newspaper pages, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Where did you find this dinosaur?"

"It was my fathers," Kakashi sat down on the stool beside her.

"Who was he? Some wanna-be bounty hunter?" Yukihana peered at the page with her picture on it, then Seiichiro's picture beside hers.

"No," Kakashi folded his hands on the counter. "He's in there, too."

Yukihana furrowed her brow and smirked, her interest piqued. "Who was your old man, then?"

"The White Fang," Kakashi said casually, although he watched her face for a reaction.

"No kidding," Yukihana chuckled and shook her head. "I always wanted to take him on."

"Why is that? Konoha and Getsu weren't at war at the time," Kakashi asked.

Yukihana shook her head. "I wasn't in the thick of it for king and country. I fought to test myself, to pit my metal against the best. Your father was a cleaver of men, an apex predator." She shook her head. "What did him in? Mission gone awry?"

"Something like that," Kakashi shrugged.

"Shame. He was hot." Yukihana sighed and Kakashi shot her a strange look. "What? Just because he's your father doesn't make it a lie."

Kakashi gave a soft chuckle. "Is this the sort of thing you'll talk about with Beki?"

"Way to pop my balloon there, pal." Yukihana scoffed and settled back onto her elbows. "I haven't gotten that far yet."

"You've been in town for months and haven't talked to your daughter?" Kakashi gave her a quizzical look. "How can that be, when you were so ready to take on hordes of ronin for her?"

Yuki sighed. "Stabbing I can do. I'm having trouble figuring out what to say."

"Were you deep undercover somewhere?" Kakashi folded his arms on the counter. "Seiichiro was pretty convincing-"

"I thought I was dead." Yukihana ran her fingers through the hair of her crown. "I was locked in ice for twelve years. When I got out I came looking for everyone. Seiichiro was dead and Haruka was getting framed for it. I figured keeping her alive came first and I would figure out the introductions later."

"It isn't my place to give you advice but sooner is probably better," Kakashi offered. "The girl thinks she's an orphan after all. Maybe being reunited with her long-lost mother might soften the blow somewhat."

"Ugh, all right, _dad_ ," Yukihana stood and stretched. She pulled a wad of money out of her pocket and put it on the counter. _Leftovers from her days at the strip club,_ Kakashi shook his head.

"Thanks for the trip down memory lane," Yukihana pointed to the Bingo Book. "Seeing that makes me feel like all of that really did happen."

He gave her a nod as she walked out and looked down at the picture in the Bingo Book. He chuckled and closed the book, tucking it in his back pocket as the waiter came around for his order. It was a strange thought, that he had met the Yukionna his father had talked about all those years ago.


	76. Apprehension

**Hi everyone! I've really loved hearing all your thoughts on the last few chapters. This has all been a long time coming. I do a lot of planning well in advance, both in developing each arc and then for the story overall. Its really rewarding hearing your reactions to new characters or getting your takes on situations. It's invaluable to me and I use it as a gauge to know how well I'm getting my meanings across. That being said, I look forward to hearing from you all in the chapters to come. Just one last side note: my job is extra super mega crazy right now. The next few chapters are going to be a lot of work and I have some research to do for the next arc. With so much going on it may be a bit before I can get another chapter out. Or, you know, I could just go into overdrive and crank out three in a week while avoiding my adult responsibilities (like I did today). Just know that if I'm quiet for a while, there's always something in the works. Feel free to PM me if any questions pop up along the way. Ponchoninjax3 out.**

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The room was more crowded than usual, which wouldn't have bothered Tsunade if it weren't for the strange composition of its occupants. The head of the Hyuga clan, the junior ambassador of Getsugakure, and the long presumed dead widow of the previous ambassador were all in attendance. The purpose of their meeting was to discuss the future of Tsukimori Haruka.

"Ishida, this is the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi. He has been watching over Beki while she has been in Konoha." Tsunade began the introductions.

Ishida bowed respectfully before Hiashi. "I would like to thank you for taking such good care of Miss Tsukimori for us. I apologize for any inconvenience harboring her has caused for your family."

"It has been no trouble at all." Hiashi shook his head.

"I would like to reassure you that we will change her accommodations as soon as possible." Ishida remained in his bow as he spoke. "Now that Tsukimori is the ambassador, it would be unreasonable to ask you to continue to house her."

"That's unacceptable." Hiashi folded his arms and Ishida rose from his bow with a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean?" Ishida asked.

"Her father left her in our care," Hiashi explained. "Beki has been orphaned, thrust into a new position of responsibility, and was almost slain by her own kinsman. Seiichiro entrusted her safety and her wellbeing to my family. It would be disrespectful to his memory if we cast her out now in her time of utmost need, especially since no harm has ever come to her while under our roof. It has only been when she has been in the care of others that harm has befallen her."

Ishida took a moment to process Hiashi's statements. Years of working in court had taught Ishida that there was no such thing as a good deed without strings attached. Acts of selflessness were often a façade for someone looking to elevate themselves. "Is there any compensation I can offer you for your trouble?"

"No," Hiashi shook his head. "Tsukimori Beki is a guest in our home and a good friend to my daughter. It is no trouble at all for us to continue to house her."

 _So, he's keeping his hands on her as a bargaining chip._ Ishida fixed his glasses and considered how to delicately pry the Tsukimori heir out of the Hyuga's hands.

"Let it go, Ishida," Yukihana chimed in, breaking his train of thought. "If Seiichiro trusted the man with his daughter you have to trust his judgement."

 _She's right,_ Ishida sighed, resentful to agree with the Yuki-onna. He had never liked Yukihana, with her sly smiles and condescending attitude. Most irritatingly of all, Seiichiro held her opinion over all others. If Ishida had come to him with a situation and piles of evidence, Seiichiro would still side with his wife based on her intuition alone. He bowed once again to Hiashi. "Thank you, then. I will be sure to talk to her about maintaining a low profile while in your care."

Hiashi's attention had fallen on Yukihana. "This is the shinobi responsible for uncovering Yasahiro's plot and Beki's rescue."

Hiashi gave her a polite nod. "It would have caused a great deal of grief if Miss Tsukimori had been harmed. You have our thanks."

"I don't need your thanks," Yukihana cocked her head. "I did it for my own reasons."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes, sizing up the kunoichi. "Are you a Getsu shinobi."

"I was at one point," Yukihana held out her hand. "Asou Yukihana."

Hiashi cast her an incredulous look and turned his gaze upon Tsunade. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"She is who she claims to be," Tsunade rested her chin on her hand. "As incredible as it sounds, this is Tsukimori Beki's mother."

Hiashi sized Yukihana up. "You've been dead for twelve years."

Yukihana sighed, lowering hand he had ignored. "Presumed dead. Incorrectly, I might add. I've been…indisposed for some time."

"Her justu backfired and locked her in an ice floe for twelve years," Ishida's voice was impatient. "We're getting off track."

"So, what is to become of our Tsukimori Beki?" Tsunade watched Ishida cautiously. "What does Getsugakure have in store for her?"

Ishida sighed. "Traditionally, I would assume the role of senior ambassador and Beki would be sent back to Getsu to serve as junior ambassador in court. After much consideration, I've deemed that course of action inappropriate."

"Good," Hiashi nodded. "The last thing the girl needs is more change."

"Not to mention it would be perilous to her safety," Yukihana said as she settled into the couch. "I wasn't able to track down the courtiers who were in league with Yasahiro. If we sent her back to Getsu she would be walking around with a target on her back."

"Do you believe there is a still a threat to her in Konoha?" Tsunade was beginning to consider trusting Yukihana's judgement. Seiichiro had always spoken of how wise his wife had been and Yukihana had proven him right thus far. The least Tsunade could do would be to consider her opinion.

Yukihana had wrapped her arms around the back of the couch and crossed her legs. As she thought, she bounced her crossed leg. "I can't say for certain. I weeded out everyone involved in the current operation. If any subsequent plans have been laid, I'm not privy to them. It is obvious that she would be safer here than back home, however."

"So, we all agree it is in Beki's best interest to remain in Konoha?" Tsunade asked and the group nodded in assent. "How will you proceed with her training as an ambassador, then?"

Ishida shrugged. "I haven't worked out that much yet. Beki followed her father from assignment to assignment for the better part of her life. From what I've seen, she absorbed a fair amount. I'm sorry to say a lot of what she will need to learn will come with experience. She will continue her father's negotiations with the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind."

"We'll send her with an escort whenever she needs to leave the village," Tsunade scribbled a few notes on a pad on her desk. "Her safety is a priority."

"No offense," Yukihana raised her hand. "You can send whatever escort you want but I'm going to be her permanent security detail."

Ishida turned and stared her down. "Isn't that a little presumptuous, Miss Asou?"

"I don't think so," Yuki shook her head. "I'm afraid that I don't have much faith in the Leaf shinobi's ability to protect my daughter as well as I can. In fact, if there are any further plots against Beki, what better way to smoke them out than to let them believe she's waltzing around unattended?"

"I would prefer if we assigned her squad here to protect her," Ishida folded his hands and looked at Tsunade to cement his authority. "It would be two chunin- "

"Ishida." The levity had dropped from Yukihana's voice. "If you have two escorts assigned to her on the books versus a shadow escort, what will happen?"

Ishida remained stoic. "They are highly trained and have been working with Tsukimori since she was ten- "

"They are not going to send a cadre of cheap mercenaries next time." The temperature of air in the room was dropping, sending goosebumps down Ishida's arms. Yukihana's voice was cold and ethereal as she continued. "They're going to start sending assassins. Do you think two chunin are equipped to deal with them sending someone like me to kill Beki? If they're as good as you say, they might send more than one assassin."

"It's better than what you're suggesting," Ishida spat. "If there _is_ a plot against Beki, then you ghosting will only work once. They'll send an assassin and you'll kill him in whatever bloody mess you usually do and they'll come gunning for her even more."

Yukihana rose from the couch. "I think you need to have a little faith in me, Ishida." She turned and faced Tsunade, dropping into a respectful bow. "Do I have your permission to continue residing in your village to watch over my daughter?"

Tsunade considered the kunoichi. "Can you promise not to cause any more trouble?"

Yuki stared at the floor but the Hokage could feel the smile curling on her face. "I can promise if I cause any more trouble, I'll be sure to tell you about it first."

Tsunade waved dismissively. "I'll leave it up to Ishida if you can be her body guard but you have my permission to remain in the village, as her mother."

"What does Beki think of all this?" Hiashi gestured at Yukihana. "How did she react to the news you were alive?"

"She doesn't know yet," Yukihana folded her hands. "I haven't had the time to pull her aside and talk."

"I would recommend you do so soon," Hiashi folded his arms. "The girl believes she is an orphan. Learning that her long-lost mother has returned may soften the blow of Seiichiro's death."

"That's the hope," Yukihana sighed. "I just hope she takes it as well as you think."

…

Beki sat in the shade on the porch. It was early morning, so there was a slight nip in the air. Beki had thrown on her ugly sweater because its familiarity and bulk made her feel almost as safe as the armor. She had a stack of papers beside her that she desperately needed to attend to. Instead of getting her head back into working, Beki kept catching herself reminiscing about days gone by. She kept remembering small things about her father and trying to burn them into her memory. There was a gripping fear that accompanied her grief that somehow, she would forget her father: the way lines formed in his forehead when he frowned, the crushing weight of his hugs, and the way he smelled like cedarwood. Beki remembered how his 5 o'clock shadow would scratch her face when he kissed her forehead. His love for her was the sturdy foundation she had built her life on, as certain the sun would rise and as ferocious as the pits of hell. Beki had also been terrified of her father for that reason, angering or disappointing him had hovered over her head like a guillotine all her life.

Staring out at the bright blue summer sky, Beki was left thinking about everything she should have asked him. All the things Beki had fought him about, none of it seemed important now. The hardest thing for her to bear was that she could never talk to him again. She would never hear that deep, sonorous voice telling her about his travels, stories from his youth, or give her advice again. She would never get another letter with that haphazard but elegant penmanship. It was indescribably lonely and made Beki feel like a ship that had come unmoored and drifted off into open water overnight. Her father, her compass, was gone. Beki had to navigate life on her own now, brokenhearted and terrified.

"Hey," Naruto's voice was almost drowned in her thoughts.

"Oh, hey," Beki looked up at him and gave a hollow nod in greeting.

He took a seat beside her, careful to avoid the stack of papers Beki was ignoring. "How are you feeling?"

Beki shrugged. "Lost. Lonely. Sad."

Naruto nodded. "I know how much it sucks to feel like you're all alone in the world." He held out a cup of hot tea for her. It had irritated Beki at first when people tried to do small things like this for her. Over the last week, she had just learned to shut up and accept the kindness for what it was. She took the cup from him and muttered quiet thanks. "You know that you have all of us, right?"

Beki nodded without looking at him. "Yeah."

Naruto looked out at the sky. "So, what happened with you and Hinata last night? That didn't sound so good."

Beki shrugged. "I…I lashed out at her. I am really confused about everything right now and I felt like she was smothering me."

"I got that part," Naruto put his hands behind his head. "Did you guys work it out?"

"Yeah," Beki sighed. "I know Hinata has just been trying to help me but I already feel so damned useless. After I explained that, she came up with a deal: If she asks me what I need, I have to give her an answer and just let her do it. She promised to only ask to help me if I clearly need some help. If she asks to help me, that will be my cue that I'm coming a little undone and I should take a step back from things."

Naruto smiled. "That's Hinata for you. She's going to make a great mom someday."

Beki gave him the side eye. "Is there something I should know?"

Naruto stared at her blankly. "No, why?" Realization crossed his face and he squawked. "NO! I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!"

Beki laughed. It had been more than a month since she had a reason. It sounded odd and scratched at her throat but afterwards she felt better. Naruto was eager to change the subject and pointed at her letter.

"That one's from Gaara, right?" Naruto asked. "It's one of the ones that came for you while you were locked up."

Beki nodded and looked at the familiar handwriting.

"What's it say?" Naruto leaned in to peek at the paper and Beki held it out for him.

"Here, have at it."

"There aren't any private couple things in here, are there?" Naruto made a grossed-out face.

Beki shook her head and swatted at him. "This is Gaara we're talking about. He doesn't put that stuff in writing."

Naruto looked it over briefly and gave it back to Beki. "So, what are you going to write back?"

Beki shrugged. "Look, I get that he's worried about me because he heard what happened to my dad. I'm at my maximum capacity here dealing with the people around me. I've known Hinata longer than any of you and she is the least offensive person I have ever known. If I'm fighting with her, what do you think is going to happen if I start talking to Gaara about all this?"

Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion. "So, you're just going to ignore him?"

Beki heaved a sigh. "Only for a little while. I need time to collect my thoughts on it first."

"He's your boyfriend. Shouldn't you just be straightforward with him?" Naruto scratched his head. "You shouldn't have to think about what you're going to say."

"You don't understand with him," Beki rested her chin on her hand. "He was overprotective as it was; with my dad getting killed, me getting kidnapped and then almost murdered myself…he's probably having a cow."

"So, you should send him a letter and tell him you're okay!" Naruto gave her a soft nudge. "We've got it completely under control."

Beki furrowed her brows and pouted. "Naruto. If you were kidnapped an almost murdered, do you think Hinata would be soothed by a letter that told her to trust you, you were okay?"

Naruto's face paled and his mouth hung open. "No. She would go on the warpath."

Beki snapped her fingers. "Exactly. So that's why I have to think about this first."

"Hey," Neji called out as he approached the house.

"Morning," Naruto smiled.

Beki managed a half smile and a nod. Neji came up on the porch and stood over the two. "I was about to head into town to run some errands. I was hoping you would come with me, Beki."

As a million excuses ran through her head, Beki screwed up her face as she narrowed down on the most convincing. "I'm…not feeling well. I think I'll sit this out."

"Beki, you've been cooped up in the house for over a week," Neji folded his arms.

Beki extended her arms and looked around the patio. "I'm outside."

"Hiding within the confines of the Hyuga compound won't work forever," Neji sighed. "You don't have to do much. I'm not going to make you train, I'm not going to make you talk to anyone. In fact, I won't even make you change out of that monstrosity you call your 'favorite sweater'."

"Mmmm," Beki looked around for another out until her eyes fell on the papers by her side. "I have a lot of work to do, see? I need to catch up on my ambassador…ing."

"I'll get you coffee," Neji offered.

Beki raised her half empty mug. "Already had some tea, thanks."

"I'll take you to the bakery," Neji used his most persuasive voice.

"I'm not hungry, but thanks." Beki smiled. "Have fun!"

"What could I offer you to get you to come into town?" Neji held out his hands in a gesture of submission, although his irritation was beginning to seep through his tone.

"I'm okay. There isn't anything I want now." Beki took a drink of her tea. "Maybe I'll go with you next time."

Neji sighed. "Can't say I didn't try." He took a step forward and scooped Beki up, tossing her over his shoulder. "Come on."

"Hey!" Beki slapped his back. "Put me down!"

"I'll put you down outside the gates." Neji said without turning his head. "If you try to run I will use the gentle fist and carry you like a baby the whole time."

"You wouldn't get away with carrying a limp woman through town," Beki scoffed.

Neji laughed. "You would be amazed what passes for normal around here, especially if I ask Lee to tag along."

Beki folded her arms and propped up her chin with her hand. "Fair point. I concede. This time."

Neji chuckled as the two approached the gate. The odd arrangement didn't draw so much as a glance from the Hyuga attending the gate. Neji set her down gently. Beki jokingly made a move to run but Neji's hand was on her waistband faster than she could react.

"Ugh, okay. Fine." Beki crossed her arms, her face the picture of annoyance. "But what are we doing today?"

Neji began to count off the tasks on his fingers. "I need to go to the hardware store, pick up some odds and ends at the market, pick up some packages, and depending on how long that takes maybe one or two other quick stops."

Beki leered at him. "This sounds like an all-day thing."

"If you're good we'll stop for a treat." Neji began to walk without looking back, expecting her to follow.

Beki trudged along after him. "You make it sound like I'm some kid."

"It's not that you're a kid," Neji explained. "I just know you're a much more willing participant when there's a reward at the end."

"Curse you and your observational skills." Beki jokingly shook her fist at him. Neji swatted the hand away and took ahold of her wrist. He tugged Beki long until she willingly matched his gait.

Neji could no longer recall a time before he was constantly worrying about Beki. When her father disappeared, he had caught himself checking in on her repeatedly to make sure she was managing. After her father died and she was imprisoned Neji had stayed up late every night wondering if she was okay. This period had been the hardest of all. Beki was physically well and safe at home but she was no longer herself. She avoided leaving the house, stared blankly off into nothing, and she had no appetite. Neji had lost his father young, so all he remembered were bits and pieces from that painful part in his life. He was sure that losing a parent at this age, especially having seen it with her own eyes, was difficult to deal with. The only way he could think to help was to keep Beki from withdrawing completely into herself. Today, that meant dragging her along for errands that weren't all that necessary. He had already gotten her to joke a few times. Maybe by the end of the day, Neji could hear her laugh again.

The summer heat was beginning to break and she breathed in the crisp taste of the coming fall. _This isn't so bad,_ Beki sighed. For so long she had been trapped in a state of near paranoia, believing that if she left the house some ominous evil would claim her. Her father had always taught her that fear was a reaction. If you could put a face to it, to name the thing, it wouldn't be so terrifying anymore. It had always worked up until now. Beki couldn't place the source of her unease. Perhaps it was a combination of things: Yasahiro was still out there, she had a near death experience, and the Burned Maiden had just manifested inside her. In fact, it could have just been the Burned Maiden. _Maybe this is how I'll feel all the time now._

As they approached town, however, Beki felt her chest tighten. She felt eyes all over her and could almost hear them whisper: she was a monster, she killed her father, she was worthless. Beki's legs grew heavier and she stopped, unable to continue. Neji gave her a concerned look. "What's up?"

Beki shook her head. "I can't."

"What are you talking about?" Neji took ahold of her wrist again. "Come on."

"No, Neji, I…. Everyone is looking at me." Beki shielded her face with her hands. "I need to go home. I can't do this."

"Yes, you can," Neji dropped his hand into hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Beki shook her head. "I don't feel safe. Maybe if we go back and I put on the armor- "

Neji knew if he took Beki back to the house, she would hole herself up in her room and refuse to come out. This was his one shot to pull her back into the world. "We can't go back, Beki. We're already here." He could feel her heartrate pick up beneath his fingers. Beki's eyes were widening and her breathing was rapidly increasing. "Hey, why don't you change your hair? No one will recognize you with black hair, Beki."

"I can't," Beki squeezed her eyes shut and tried to steady herself. "I can't make my hair change anymore."

Neji blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? You can't get it to work right now?"

"No, I mean it's gone," Beki's skin was brightening and Neji could feel her hand grow feverishly hot between his fingers. "The Drowned Maiden is gone. I can't transform, I don't feel it anymore, I can't see her in my dreams."

Neji pulled Beki off the path and under a friendly tree. He took her face in his hands, brushing her hair behind her ears. "Beki, look at me."

Beki shook her head. It was taking all her control to keep the Burned Maiden at bay. Whenever Beki could feel her emotions rising, whether she was sad, scared, or angry, the Burned Maiden came roaring up the furnace, ready to explode. She didn't want to turn out in the open, especially with Neji so close. Beki didn't want to kill him, too. "Neji, let me go. I don't want to hurt you."

"You aren't going to hurt me," Neji shook his head. "You're stronger than that. You're stronger than this. Come on." Neji wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Take a deep breath."

Beki had tensed up at his embrace, the fear inside her growing a hundred-fold. She was certain that the Burned Maiden would come out and he'd be incinerated to ash and bone. Beki tried to warn him but Neji wouldn't listen. He kept hushing her and stroking her hair, soothing her like she was the one who needed to be protected. It began to work, to her surprise. Her heartrate began to steady and she could slow her breath. The boiling over feeling began to subside and her skin dulled to normal. Beki buried her face in his neck.

"What's wrong?" Neji pat her back. "Still not feeling well?"

"I feel like a crazy person, Neji," Beki's voice was soft, muffled by his shirt. "I'm so scared all the time now."

"It's okay," Neji gave her a final squeeze. "Nothing is going to happen. We are about to have a completely normal, utterly boring day running errands."

Beki took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. After a moment, collected herself enough to disengage from his arms. "Okay. Let's go."

…

Kakashi had finished his morning routine and was on his way to market to get his week's groceries. There was a blessed break in the heat so the streets were more crowded than usual. No amount of people could have concealed a familiar figure lurking around the corner of a shop in front of him, a halo of smoke around her head.

"Yukihana?" He called out and she jumped, the cigarette dropping from her lips in her surprise. She turned to face him. The startled expression faded off her face.

"Oh, it's you," She stamped out her cigarette and tossed it in the trash. She cleared her throat as she turned to face him. "Out for your morning constitutional?"

Kakashi eyed her suspiciously, taking note of how her eyes darted down the road every few moments. He followed the path of her gaze and caught sight of a sweater so hideous it was beyond words. "You're stalking your daughter?"

"I'm not stalking anything," Yukihana shuffled. "I'm out in the open, see? Just waiting for someone to come along."

"She's headed right this way." Kakashi watched for Yuki's reaction. The woman grew deathly still and her skin paled. "You still haven't talked to her yet?"

Yuki clutched her hands. "This is intimidating for me, okay?"

"I saw you dismember people. How is this intimidating?" Kakashi raised his hands in a gesture of confusion.

Yukihana cast a nervous glance over her shoulder. "I have only cared about the opinions of two people in my life. One of them is dead and the other one I haven't seen since she thought that tutus were perfectly normal daily attire."

"So, you're following her around," Kakashi shook his head. "You can't turn it off, can you?"

"This is another mission," Yuki watched her daughter munch happily on a crepe ice cream. "I do some recon, figure her out, then I have my method of approach."

"What if I just yell out her name right now?" Kakashi smiled under his mask at the way she tensed. It reminded him of his students when they were younger. For such a seasoned shinobi, her emotions were plain.

"Wait," Yuki narrowed her eyes. "Do you know anything about Beki? What does she like? Who are her friends? What's her personality like?"

Kakashi threw up his hands. "I only know your daughter by extension. One of my students is her roommate."

Yuki considered this for a moment. "But you're around teens all the time. Even if you don't know my daughter, you've got valuable information on what they're into. What's a good bet, then? The cool, mysterious type? Should I be ultra-nurturing, is there a celebrity I should imitate?"

"Lord, no," Kakashi shook his head. "Why don't you just act like yourself?"

Yuki got a strange look on her face and stared at the ground. She shrugged and turned her attention back on her daughter. "People don't tend to like _me_."

"From what Naruto says, she acts like a smaller version of her father," Kakashi gave a dismissive wave. "If that helps. You knew him better than I did."

"I knew him when we were young," Yuki shrugged. "It sounds like he grew up and got all…reserved."

"What makes you say that?" Kakashi cocked his head. "I always found him a rather intimidating fellow."

Yuki scoffed. "I know he mellowed out because _my_ Seiichiro would have 'accidentally' set the village on fire at least twice over all these years."

"Well, whatever you're planning on doing I would decide now." Kakashi pointed. "She's rounding the corner now."

Yukihana blinked away into the alley, leaving no trace of her previous occupancy. Even the smoke had dissipated, leaving Kakashi standing alone around the corner of the shop. Neji and Beki walked by and gave him a polite nod. After they had passed, he turned his attention back on the alley. He could sense the vacancy in that dark alley. Yukihana had moved on to another vantage point. He chuckled and headed on his way towards market. "We all have our quirks, I suppose," Kakashi said to himself as he walked along.

…

"I feel like we're being followed," Beki shuddered.

Neji put an arm around her shoulder reassuringly. "You're fine, I told you, no one is staring."

Beki shook her head. "I know. I just can't shake that feeling."

"It's hard being out in the open after so long. You'll get used to it." Neji smiled, but he had noticed the same feeling. It had only been once or twice he had sensed something watching them, like the moon peeking out between clouds from time to time on a windy night. He could never quite pinpoint it. When it did manifest, he could sense no malintent in their gaze, either. Neji assumed Beki's paranoia was beginning to bleed over and he was reacting protectively against a nonexistent threat. "We've gotten enough done today. Let's go home."

"Sounds good," Beki heaved a sigh. "I'm exhausted. I don't know if I'm still healing or if I'm that out of shape."

"You're healing," Neji smiled. "You still look like you could bench press me."

Beki shot him a scathing look. "If this ice cream wasn't so good I'd smash it in your face."

He leaned over and took a bite as she squealed in protest. "You're right, it is good."

Beki licked the whole cone in retaliation and he laughed. _There she is. There's my Beki._


	77. Domestic Dispute

**Hi everyone. Here is the latest update on the story. My schedule is going to become less busy in the near future, so hopefully we can return to a more frequent update schedule soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you so much to those of you who review and check in. It's a big encouragement for me to sit down and work on a chapter when everyone has such interesting questions and thoughts about the story. I look forward to hearing from you all!**

* * *

The soft knock on the door roused Beki from her sleep. She pulled herself out of the drool pile on her pillow. "What's up?"

"You have a visitor," Hinata peeked in the room. When she saw her friend's disheveled state, her face pulled into a concerned frown. "Um, Beki, I'll buy you some time to freshen up."

Beki, still in her drunken half asleep state, nodded. "Oh, yeah, thanks."

Hinata closed the door and Beki rose clumsily. She made her way into the bathroom and washed her face. She had no idea why she was getting ready but her routine was so automatic it didn't matter. After she had brushed her hair, Beki adjusted her shirt and pulled on the pair of sweatpants she had laid out on the floor beside her bed. She plodded down the stairs two at a time.

"Hey what's up?" Beki called out ahead of her, her eyes on her feet as she descended.

Beki stopped short at the familiar sight of scarlet hair. "Gaara?" she blurted as she came to a dead stop two steps from the bottom of the stairs.

He looked up at her with thinly veiled concern on his face. "Sorry, were you sleeping?"

"It's okay," Beki looked at the clock. It was well past nine thirty, which might as well have been noon in the Hyuga compound. "It was time for me to get up anyway." As she took the last two steps, Beki could sense she had interrupted a conversation. Based on the way the words hung in the air with guilt it was a safe guess that she had been the topic of conversation. Hinata had taken up position beside Naruto in the kitchen. The pair were the picture of domestic harmony; Naruto washing dishes while Hinata dried them with a fluffy white towel. Beki took a deep breath. "We have a lot to talk about. Come on, let's go for a walk." Beki slid on her shoes and took hold of Gaara's hand.

"Aren't you hungry?" Hinata called out, her maternal instincts kicking in.

Beki shook her head. "It's okay, I can eat when we get back. Skipping a meal won't kill me, Hinata."

Gaara allowed himself to be led outside as he surveyed his girlfriend. Physically, Beki was paler than usual. Everything about her seemed subdued, like a reflection in murky water. He waited for her to start talking but Beki never spoke. They were well past the gates of the Hyuga compound when he decided she was waiting for him. "It's almost been two months since I've heard from you Beki. What's been going on?"

Beki heaved a sigh. "The short version is my uncle kidnapped my father, murdered him, framed it on me, and then tried to stage my suicide to take my job."

Gaara blinked. "You're going to have to do better than that. Slow down and start over, Beki."

They had reached the woods. Beki could feel some of the tension she had developed from the surprise visit beginning to ease. Feeling Gaara's physical presence was almost as comforting as the knowledge that they were away from people. It made up for the fact that Beki didn't want to talk about what had happened for what felt like the hundredth time. It was exhausting to go through the same events over and over, answering the same questions. Each time she told the story she felt herself detaching from it, as if it hadn't happened to her. Knowing the topic would come up every time she met with someone she hadn't seen since it happened made her hate leaving the house. All Beki wanted to do was to get past this, to move on with her life and start feeling normal again. She would have told Gaara as much but he deserved an explanation. Beki would just have to swallow the bitterness creeping up her throat and tell her tale again.

"My father disappeared and Yasahiro came from Getsu to name me as my father's temporary replacement."

"I know that much," Gaara shook his head. "You can skip ahead to-"

"The murder, yes, of course," Beki couldn't help but interrupt. It wasn't enough that she had to tell the story over and over, no one let her tell it how she wanted to. No one wanted to make it easy for her. _They_ needed to know what _they_ wanted to know. Apparently Gaara was no exception. "I had decided to go out and look for my father on my own when I ran into my uncle. Yasahiro told me he had a lead on where my father was, so of course I followed him out of the village." Beki explained. "It was this burned-out cottage; Yasahiro said my dad was probably in the cellar. He said he would take the front if I took the back entrance. I couldn't sense anyone, so I went down there."

"Why didn't you take anyone with you, Beki?" Gaara interrupted.

"Because he was my uncle and up until then I had no reason to doubt him, Gaara," Beki kept her voice even but she was already boiling under the surface. She gave his hand a squeeze to remind herself that she liked him and it wasn't his fault he was just like everyone else. "So, my dad was down there. He was in terrible shape. I tried to help him but then I was attacked." Beki paused. A lot of what happened that night was still foggy, bits of memory mired in the stuff of her repeating nightmares. "I don't remember much from that night. Yasahiro killed my father and I awakened the Burned Maiden. I killed Yasahiro's men and injured him. Konoha shinobi came out and rescued us both."

"When was all this going on?" Gaara furrowed his brow.

"About a month ago," Beki was already feeling weary. Maybe it was the walking or the talking or both. She wanted to go home and crawl back into bed with her cat.

Gaara shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would have helped you."

"They locked me up. No one knew what happened that night but Yasahiro and I, and I was disoriented. It looked bad for me. A lot of people thought I had killed my father and the rumors Yasahiro was spreading reinforced those assumptions." Beki shook her head. "About a week ago he sent a bunch of mercenaries to kidnap me, take me to that cottage, and stage my suicide. He wanted it to look like I had killed myself out of guilt for killing my father."

"Who rescued you?" Gaara asked. "Did the Konoha shinobi respond that quickly to the abduction?"

Beki shook her head. "They showed up but I had taken care of it."

Gaara walked along beside her quietly for a moment. "I'm glad you're all right."

Beki let out a sigh of relief. If anyone understood extreme family dysfunction, it was Gaara. She had owed him an explanation and now it was over. They could move on and she could enjoy the company of the man she loved. Maybe if he was there beside her, Beki could brave going into town. The two could have a normal date like they used to. A smile began to tug at the corner of her mouth. It might take a while for her to fully recover but this was one area of her life she could just pick up again.

"This wouldn't have happened if you were in Suna," Gaara shook his head. "This is exactly the sort of thing I've been telling you, Beki. I could protect you better."

A chill ran down Beki's spine as her happy vision for their day shattered. "What?"

"Are you going to be the ambassador for this part of the world?" Gaara asked.

Beki tucked her hair behind her ear. "I don't know, Gaara. I haven't talked to Ishida about it. Usually the junior ambassador lives in Getsu."

"No," Gaara shook his head. "That's where all these problems came from. You would be in danger and no one could help you if you went home."

"I know," Beki sighed. "But what am I supposed to do? I know it doesn't seem like it but I'm an active shinobi for Getsugakure. Wherever I'm told to serve, I have to go."

"Then quit." The words came out of Gaara's mouth as casually as if he had suggested they get some ice cream, but they shocked Beki to the core.

"Absolutely not!" She took her hand out of his. "Gaara, I will not run away from my problems. I will not dishonor my father's death by letting his work go to waste and his murderers unpunished."

"Then just come home with me. You can work things out with Ishida so you can serve from Suna," Gaara reached out and took ahold of Beki's arm. It was surprisingly hot to the touch, so much so he jerked his hand away in surprise.

"You're hearing me but you aren't listening!" Beki stomped her foot. "I will not move to Suna with you, Gaara! Am I supposed to live in your house and twiddle my thumbs, waiting for you to get out of work every day?!"

Gaara kept his voice low and steady. "Am I supposed to lose you? You were kidnapped and almost murdered, Beki. I hadn't heard from you for months. I have been walking around, worried so sick I've been useless at my job. I will not allow this to continue."

"How would I be any safer there?!" Beki couldn't help but yell. "The Akatsuki didn't have a very hard time taking you out, did they?! No one is safe anywhere, Gaara. Safety is an illusion. I thought my father was undefeatable. I thought he was a pillar of steel that could never be toppled and his own brother murdered him."

"I have done my best respecting your wishes in our relationship," Gaara folded his arms. "I have done my best to accommodate you. I have asked you to come live with me before and you have refused. I think this proves you aren't capable of taking care of yourself and that Hinata Hyuga isn't enough to keep you safe."

"How dare you," Beki was so furious she could feel her stomach turning. "Do you know what I've had to do to stay alive? Do you know what I've become?!"

"Do you really want to talk to me about going too far to survive?" Gaara shook his head. "You're acting like a child, Beki. You don't understand the gravity of the situation you're in. You won't listen to reason, you won't accept help; I don't know what to do with you!"

"I'm not a child who needs to be taken care of," Beki could hear the telltale clicking of her anger reaching the boiling point. "It isn't your job to look out for my wellbeing. You have no faith in me at all if this is how you really feel."

"I don't have time for this," Gaara snarled. "You get to fall off the grid for months and get pitch a fit that I'm upset."

"You're upset?!" Beki threw up her hands. "It's not like I watched my father get murdered and was locked up for a month because everyone thought I did it! It's hard for me to leave the damned house and your feelings are hurt because I didn't answer your letter fast enough!"

"That's supposed to make you special?" Gaara gestured back towards the house. "How many people do you know are orphans? Hinata's mother's dead, Naruto and I are orphans. You don't see any of us shutting down and avoiding living our lives."

Beki shook her head. "You really are a shitty boyfriend, you know that?"

Gaara's eyes widened in surprise. Almost immediately he recovered his composure and his gaze became steely. "Because I won't let you sit here and whine like a child about how hard your life is?"

"No, because I think you could literally replace me with any other girl in the world right now and you'd be behaving the same. You don't really know me, you don't really care about me, you just like the idea of me. The idea of a girlfriend."

"You say I'm treating you like a child. How else am I supposed to treat you when this is how you're acting?" Gaara sighed. "Let me know when you're done throwing a tantrum and we can talk like adults."

"Just get on your sand cloud and fly back to gourd-land already," Beki pressed against her throbbing temples. "I need some space."

Gaara threw out his arms. "Be my guest."

Beki watched him fly away and felt the bile roiling in her stomach. She swallowed the rising acid and bit her lip to hold back tears. The last thing Beki wanted to do was to cry again but she was so upset with Gaara it was the only thing she could do. She tasted blood but it was no use. The tears welling up in her eyes spilled over and she heaved one sob, then another. The clicking started up again but Beki didn't have the fortitude to stop it. As she cried, Beki buried her face in her hands and collapsed to her knees. Her body caught fire and the smell of burning cotton filled the air. Beki cried harder knowing that was another set of good clothes wasted thanks to her inability to keep it together.

…

Yukihana blew gently on the opening of the lid of her thermos before taking a sip of the scalding jasmine tea. The summer heat had finally broken, so from her vantage point in the shade of a great tree she was feeling chilled. In any other situation, Yuki would coat herself with a thin layer of ice, trapping her body's warmth within the chakra regulated bodysuit. Using jutsu would give away her position, however, so today it was hot tea and a sweater that kept Yuki warm.

Haruka ambled through the woods beside a young man Yuki could only assume was her lover. He was tall and carried himself with the quiet dignity of someone of rank. That ended her positive appraisal of the lad. He was garish and gaudy. The boy was covered from head to toe in scarlet like freshly fallen blood on snow. He stuck out against the muted background drawing far too much attention to himself for any shinobi worth respecting. For a moment, Yuki wondered if she was being weird and overprotective. Her boyfriend was the bad boy rockstar type, which in retrospect was exactly what had attracted Yuki to Seiichiro. He had been rebellion incarnate. Perhaps Seiichiro had been too strict with his daughter and this is how Haruka stood in defiance of his tyranny.

 _No,_ Yuki shook her head. _Seii would have never been overbearing like his dad. This must be something else._

The conversation was taking a sour turn. As Yuki watched undetected, the pair of teens' body language made an about face. They went from holding hands to squaring off in moments. Yuki strained to hear through the rustle of leaves and chirping of irritated birds. It didn't take long for the disagreement to escalate to the point where Yuki could hear what they were saying plainly.

"You're hearing me but you aren't listening!" Haruka stomped her foot, which brought a smile to Yuki's face. _Some things never change._ Her mother regretted smiling at her daughter in a time of distress but it was reassuring to see the five-year-old she remembered was in there somewhere.

"It wouldn't matter if I was in Suna. I wouldn't be any safer there than I am here!" Beki folded her arms.

The boy didn't raise his voice. Yuki had to wonder whether he was patient and composed or if his anger was like Seiichiro's. Her husband had always had a terrifying temper in that he grew quieter the more furious he was. Yuki watched closely. The aura around the boy grew darker, sucking energy from the air around him like a black hole. Yuki screwed up her face in suspicion; that was not a normal phenomenon. Her hand twitched subconsciously, itching to respond to the threat against her daughter. Haruka appeared to take no notice of the ominous chakra vortex. Their spat continued, escalating to a shouting match. Yuki couldn't catch it all but it sounded like the boy was trying to get Haruka to go somewhere. Haruka's clothes began to smoke but the boy took no notice, eventually the container on his back burst open and what looked like sand came pouring out. Yuki watched closely as it formed under his feet and raised him off the ground.

The boy in red flew away, leaving Haruka standing alone in the copse of trees. The girl's knees gave out and she collapsed, burying her face in her hands. Her clothes burst into flame and her skin glowed in a fascinating swirl of orange, gold, ochre, and crimson. Yuki smiled. The rumors were true: her daughter had awakened the Burned Maiden. Back at the shrine, Yukihana remembered reading about the legendary Tsukimori women and was pleased to see that in person it was as gorgeous as she imagined. Yuki could feel the heat all the way up in her tree. The glow the girl cast set the woods in a soft otherworldly radiance.

The smoldering remains of Haruka's clothes had all turned to ash. Yuki watched as the smoke cleared and the light from within the girl ebbed away. The time had finally come for her to approach her daughter.

As she hopped down from her post, Yuki's heart began to race. _What do I say? Hi honey, its momma?_ The closer she came to the girl; the more Yuki's confidence began to falter. She had just watched her daughter in a domestic, not to mention the fact she was completely naked now. How strange would it be for a woman she didn't know to come up and strike a conversation with her? Haruka's eyes lifted and her gaze fell upon Yuki, whose stomach lurched instantly. _I can't._

Yuki peeled off her sweater and held it out to the girl. "Sorry, I was out on a walk and I saw everything. I figured you could use this."

Beki blinked in surprise. "Really? Thanks." She wiped the tears away with her sooty hands and accepted the sweater.

"Is this something that happens to you often?" Yuki stuck her hands in her pants pockets, trying her best to seem a casual bystander.

Beki nodded. "Somehow I end up naked in public way more than a person should. The first time was during the chunin exams when I had my shirt torn open. More recently it's been my body catching fire and burning away my clothes. It's almost at the point where people in town don't notice anymore."

This was the closest Yuki had come to her daughter since she had reawakened. Parts of the girl she remembered were there. Haruka had grown up to be a pretty girl but she had a few features that society would have docked points for. Her daughter had taken after her father's side of the family in most ways: tall, broad shouldered, and a jaw that could have cut glass. Yuki couldn't help but smile, though. The sight of those things reminded her right away of Seiichiro and although they weren't typical features one could call beautiful, they all seemed to suit Haruka just fine. As her daughter donned the borrowed jacket, Yuki caught sight of her breasts and recognized a familiar feature.

"You've got my tits," She said half to herself.

"What?" Beki looked up at her in surprise.

Yuki pointed at the girl's jawline. "You've got zits. I was just surprised because I would think with catching fire, all those puppies would have popped."

Beki let out a frustrated sigh. "You would think, right? It's not bad enough I'm a hormonal teenager but a fire monster to boot." The girl rose, the hem of the sweater long enough to cover all the interesting parts of her body. She buttoned the cardigan up as high as it would go, but the v neck was meant to have a shirt under it. The cleavage wasn't enough to be considered scandalous but would still draw the attention of wandering eyes. "Thanks for the sweater. I'll get it cleaned up and return it to you. Where can I find you?"

Yuki gave her a dismissive wave. "I'm sure we'll run into each other again sometime soon. Don't worry about it."

Beki shrugged and started her long barefoot trek back to the compound. "Thanks again!" She said with a wave.

Yuki returned the gesture and sighed. She had spent the better part of the previous night imagining all the ways that the two could strike up a conversation. In all the possibilities Yuki had come up with, not even one of them involved her daughter fighting with her boyfriend or spontaneously bursting into flame. She took a sip of her now room temperature tea and considered her options. Now at least the ice had been broken; through the lending of the sweater there was a debt between them and the promise of another encounter. Hungry and defeated, Yukihana decided to mill over her options with a good meal. She headed into town to find a hot meal and her confidence.

…

Yuki was midbite when a familiar figure took up the seat beside her. "So, how did it go?"

She put down her spoon and looked up at Kakashi. "Well, you see…"

"You still haven't talked to her yet?" Kakashi shook his head. "That's pathetic, Yukihana."

"I did talk to her. I told her she had my tits," Yuki finished her bite and Kakashi balked.

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was," Yuki shrugged. "I mean, she was naked and right in front of me. She looks so much like her father that I spotted something of mine and blurted it out. When you're trapped in ice, you don't talk. All you have is what's in your head. Now that I'm out in the world there's no filter. I think it, I say it."

Kakashi held up his hands. "Wait a second, you're going to have to explain."

"So, I was up in a tree waiting for her and she came by and got in a fight with this gaudy kid I'm assuming is her boyfriend. He flew off and she burst into flames- "Yuki explained.

"And you walked up and told her she had your breasts?" Kakashi shook his head. "That's…I don't even know what to say."

Yuki held up her hand. "I gave her my sweater. While she was putting it on I just happened to notice, okay?"

"You say that like it helps," Kakashi sighed. "A tree? Really?" Yuki opened her mouth to contest but he stopped her with a look. "Let me get this straight: you were spying on a teenage girl up in a tree and eavesdropped on her private conversation with her boyfriend. You then walked up to the naked girl that had just been on fire, gave her your sweater, commented on her breasts, and I presume at that point you ran away?"

Yuki looked up at the ceiling, nodded, and gave him a smile. "Yeah, that about sums it up. You're good at this."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "You're really something."

"What was I supposed to do?" Yuki threw up her hands in exasperation. "Say, 'Hey, I know you're naked but look' and flash my breasts at her and go 'Samesies!' It's hard enough figuring out what to say to your long-lost daughter. I went through hundreds of possible conversations in my head last night and none of them involved her being naked or on fire."

Kakashi sighed. "I suppose that's fair." He put his face in his hands and inhaled deeply. After a moment, he shook his head and exhaled. "I can't take this anymore."

Yuki furrowed her brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm going to help you," Kakashi gave her an exhausted look. "This is just too painful for me to allow it to continue."

Yuki beamed. "Really? That would…that just might work." She took a deep breath and looked down into her soup. "Okay. I can do this." She tapped her spoon pensively on the counter. "Okay, so do I go with the casual mentions of things that only I would know about or should I ease her in with an explanation about where I've been all these years…?"

"Ease her in," Kakashi said as he rose from his seat. "You're kind of a lot to handle."

…

Beki had gone home and somehow managed to avoid Hinata and Naruto as she cleaned up. She had showered, washed the sweater she had been lent, and redressed. After the morning's incident, Beki had burned through her last bra and pair of training shoes. As much as she hated to venture back into town she was left without a choice. Beki was forced to wear a swimsuit top under her clothes, which left her bouncing with every step. Beki folded her arms over her chest self-consciously as she walked, lamenting over her clothes' pitiable fates. She wondered to herself if there was an armor specialist in Konoha she could see about making her flame retardant undergarments.

Fortunately, the shop had her size bra in stock and so she bought five of them. The clerk gave her an odd look. Beki paid it no notice, accepting that she would probably have to put up with a lot of that sort of treatment from now on. She was on her way to the shoe store when she heard someone call her name. Beki turned around to see Kakashi sensei and the woman that had lent her the sweater earlier.

"Oh, hi," Beki waved. She unzipped her bag and fished out the freshly laundered sweater. "Thanks for this earlier. It made the walk home less awkward."

"Yeah, of course," Yuki accepted the sweater. It was a strange feeling, being so anxious. Here her daughter was, calm as could be, completely unaware of the bomb that was about to be dropped on her.

Beki looked between the two. "You guys know each other?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, this is my friend Yuki- "

"I'm your mother!" Yuki blurted out, unable to hold herself back any longer.

"What?" Beki narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Sorry, I think I heard you wrong."

Kakashi turned his head and stared at Yukihana with a look of amazement.

"I..I'm your mom. I know you think I've been dead for years but I was just frozen. I tried to tell you earlier but I choked. I'm sorry. It's just so weird to see you all grown up. I have all this stuff in my head that I want to say and the second I see you it all just goes out the window."

"Is this some kind of joke?" Beki's expression was wounded as she glanced at Kakashi. "This isn't funny."

"This isn't a joke-" Kakashi held up his hands as a sign of reassurance. Maybe it was still early enough he could do some damage control.

"Frogs!" Yuki blurted, regaining both of their attention. "When we went up to the shrine you would hop along after the frogs. When they croaked, you would say "be-ki, be-ki. You were two. Everyone started calling you Beki as a joke and the name stuck."

"I don't understand," Beki screwed up her face in confusion. "None of this is making any sense."

"I know this is a lot to take in," Yuki reached out to put a hand on her shoulder but Beki jerked away. "I'm sorry. What do you need me to do?"

Beki took a step back. "What you're saying can't be true. I don't know who you are or how you know that but my mother has been dead for twelve years. Orochimaru killed her."

"Haruka, please listen-" Yuki began but Beki had enough.

"Stay away from me!" Beki yelled as she ran, leaving her mother and Kakashi to draw all the confused looks. They stood there for a moment in silence before Kakashi found his voice.

"I'm astounded. What happened to easing her into this?"

Yuki shook her head. "Sorry. I guess after all this time I just wanted to get it over with."

"You succeeded in scaring her off," Kakashi stared out after the escaping teen. "How do you plan on recovering this?"

Yuki kicked at the dirt. "Shit, I don't know. From the second I crawled out of the ice I've been busting my ass to get back to my family and look at what's happened to me so far." Yuki sighed. "No, this isn't the end. We can get past this. I'll give her a little time to process and go back to see her."

Kakashi pat her on the back. "I hope that works. For both of your sakes."


	78. Going Forward

**Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I had some great ideas and a little free time so I was able to get this chapter out this week. I hope you all enjoy it! I've been loving hearing what everyone thinks of what's been going on. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this next part!**

* * *

Ishida had stopped by the local shrine that morning and burned some incense for Seiichiro. He had gone early in the morning, when the only other person around was the priest. Ishida had never been religious, at least not in the way his predecessor had been. For many years, Ishida had believed that the reason Seiichiro spent so much time at the shrine had been a habit the man had formed courting Yukihana. Even after she had died, however, Ishida caught Seiichiro in prayer often. Burning the incense was meaningless to Ishida but he knew it would have meant the world to Seiichiro. The fragrant smoke filled the air with a scent like mahogany.

For months Ishida had been a nervous wreck coordinating the search efforts for Tsukimori Seiichiro. He had fought tooth and nail at court to continue funding the operation long after the courtiers had found the notion boring. The phone calls and letters he had sent back and forth between villages was staggering but to Ishida it was worth it. If it could have guaranteed his return, Ishida would have doubled the amount of work he put in. Instead of success, however, he was dealt a bitter blow. For nearly a decade, Ishida had followed dutifully along behind his mentor, the dashing but rugged ambassador. So, different had they been people jokingly referred to the mild mannered and ever-proper junior ambassador as Seiichiro's secretary. Ishida hadn't minded; even being Seiichiro's secretary would have been an honor in his eyes.

The twenty-eight-year-old Ishida Toshio was born a nobody. His family was an offshoot of a branch of a minorly important clan, with no legendary trade skills or remarkable wealth. They had enough to send him to the academy and university beyond that. He had excelled at school, especially in the areas pertaining to the nobility and law. Ishida's skills were impressive enough that at the unheard-of age of eighteen, he was appointed to a position as junior ambassador. His knowledge of theory was dashed against the reality of practice, however. Ishida had made bitter enemies at court within months to the point that they had plotted to have him murdered.

Seiichiro was a junior ambassador at the time as well. His childhood spent in a noble clan had prepared him for the two-faced behavior at court. In terms of threats against his life, no one at court dared to go after the hulk of a man directly, and his previous career as a ruthless shinobi discouraged any subterfuge against him. Somehow, the man caught wind of the plots and the identities of the power players, including Ishida's immediate supervisor. He had waited until the last minute to act, allowing him to swoop in like the cavalry and save the day.

Ishida's supervisor had called him into the office and immediately locked the door behind them. The supply closet had opened and three men dressed completely in black had stepped into the room. Two of them had grabbed Ishida as the other wrapped a noose around his throat, saying "Today is the day you hang yourself." The door was kicked in with such force it knocked Ishida's supervisor off his feet and into the opposite wall, knocking him unconscious. Seiichiro had stepped through the door in full armor with three other shinobi in tail. The men holding Ishida threw him through the floor and attempted to escape. Ishida watched from the floor as Seiichiro knocked two of them together, his hands wrapping around their heads like they were dolls. The three other jounin with him grabbed the third and then tied them all up to bring them in for questioning. After they were all subdued, Seiichiro had walked out the door as if nothing were amiss.

They had promoted Seiichiro instantly out of a mixture of fear and respect. To keep the two straight shooters out of other people's way, Ishida was reassigned as Seiichiro's junior. Ishida could still remember the day he first walked into Seiichiro's office as his junior. The man was handsome and rugged, more suited as a warrior than a diplomat. Too large for an office chair, Seiichiro was seated across from the door in a great black leather armchair. He was partially dressed in armor and had a cigar hanging out of the corner of his mouth. It took a full two minutes for him to look up and notice Ishida standing there in his best suit with a briefcase. He looked up at Ishida with eyes like burnished steel, jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the vacant desk in the back, and said "Get to work."

Seiichiro was everything a man should be: strong, intelligent, and he didn't mince words. Ishida was fiercely loyal to him and had always hoped to pay Seiichiro back for giving him everything he had. As Ishida stood there in that lonely shrine, he thought of how he had failed Seiichiro. Despite all his work, Ishida hadn't been able to rescue his senior. He stood there and thought of the immense leather armchair, worn in and scented of the cigars Seiichiro still snuck from time to time. There would be an emptiness in that office, an unfillable silence now that Seiichiro's deep growl of a voice was silenced forever. Ishida's mind roiled with all these thoughts and memories and his heart sank. The priest had stepped out of the room so there was no one to notice the tears Ishida was mixing into the incense ash.

…

To say Beki felt disoriented would be an understatement. The fight with Gaara had immediately been followed by a woman claiming to be her long dead mother harassing her. As she wandered towards home, Beki's brain was a muddle of both problems: how to handle Gaara mixed in with whether this woman was her mom until the words jumbled together and none of it made sense. Worse yet, she would have to relive all this again when she got home. Beki would take one step through the door and Hinata would know something was off. She had dodged the bullet after the fight earlier but Beki knew she wouldn't get that lucky twice.

Emotionally and physically Beki was becoming a mess. She hadn't trained in months and could feel herself going soft. The lack of activity made her feel restless and added to the overall anxious state she seemed to exist in. As she stood under a tree a few hundred feet from the Hyuga compound entrance, Beki mulled over what she could do.

"Why are you lurking off by yourself?" Neji's voice pulled Beki out of her head. "Did you and Hinata get in another spat."

"No," Beki shook her head. "That isn't it. I just...I'm in a mood and I don't want to talk about it, you know?"

Neji's first instinct was to ask her what was wrong but he bit his tongue. That was exactly what she was trying to avoid. The best he could come up with to recover was: "What can I do to help?"

Beki took a deep breath and put a hand over her eyes. The bag strings itched in her hand and the muscles of her back were crying out for attention. "Could you do me a favor and go get the kanabo?"

Neji blinked in surprise. "You want to go train? I'll go with you-"

"I need to be alone for a bit." Beki turned to face him. She looked sick again; her skin had taken on an ashen pallor and she had lost a lot of weight. Her hair looked duller and there was a deadened look in her eyes, like a doll's. Her overall expression could only be described as tormented. Neji had no idea what was going on inside Beki's head but it frightened him.

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way but I'm not comfortable with that." Neji folded his arms. "I'm not going to make you go in there and talk to Hinata. You don't even have to talk to me but I'm not letting you go out alone right now."

Beki rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to do anything crazy, okay? I just need a big stick that I can go hit stuff with until I feel better. Where's there to worry about with that?"

Neji could hear the offended tone in her voice and scrambled to recover. "Well, I um, you haven't trained in a long time. You could hurt yourself and no one would be around to help you or even know where to look for you."

Beki considered this for a moment then sighed, throwing up her hands in resignation. "Fine. Can you take this in the house and get the kanabo for me already?"

Neji looked down at the sandals on her feet. "Do you want me to grab your shoes, too?"

"I burned through my last pair," Beki explained as she handed him her bag. "I'll just go barefoot."

"Now Beki-" Neji immediately went into lecture mode but Beki clapped her hand over his mouth.

"Can you just do this for me? Please?"

Neji sighed and nodded. Beki removed the hand from his mouth and he walked toward the gate. She buried her face in her hands and let out a frustrated groan. Never in her life had she felt so mistreated. Everyone was behaving like she was a fragile minded child. Beki was going through a lot right now but that didn't mean she was incapable of making rational decisions. Once again, all Beki wanted was for things to back as close to normal as possible. The sooner she got back into her training the better. Neji had a point that it was dangerous but he should trust her to know her body and make the call on when to quit on her own.

Beki walked further into the shade of the tree to wait for Neji. As the minutes dragged on, Beki heard footsteps approaching from the opposite direction. Out of curiosity, Beki leaned around to see who it was. The figure was familiar but out of place enough to draw Beki from under the tree.

"Ishida," Beki said as she approached him. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I thought it high time I came to see you." Ishida looked her over and cringed at the sight of her current state. Beki had always been so vivacious, her energy permeating everything around her like a strong smell. The girl that stood before him was a sad reproduction of the original. The form and figure were dead on but she was flat and lifeless by comparison. He kept his tone measured and made his best attempt not to let on anything was amiss. "How have you been?"

Beki heaved a sigh. "I'm managing. How about you?"

"You know how it is in court, Haruka. No matter how great our personal tragedies, the show must go on." Ishida squinted in the bright light and gestured towards the tree. "I think you had the right idea earlier. Mind if I join you?"

Beki shook her head as she walked back under the canopy of leaves. "I'm waiting for someone but I think he'll be a while."

From that vantage point, Ishida could get a good look at the compound Beki had been living in. To call the place expansive would be an understatement. It was half fortress, half estate. By appearances alone, his charge was living under their roof to a standard that suited her position. Ishida sighed and shook his head. Once again, Seiichiro proved he knew what he was doing by leaving his daughter there. "The Hyuga have some lovely property."

Beki nodded. "They've taken good care of me. I live with the heiress and I'm treated as a member of the family. The patriarch reminds me of my father in many ways." Beki gave a sad smile. "I don't get away with anything in that house."

Ishida shuffled at the mention of their mutual loss. "I suppose you've been wondering what's going to happen regarding your position?"

Beki shrugged. "It's crossed my mind but I've had more pressing issues to deal with lately."

"I understand," Ishida followed her lead and proceeded cautiously. "Traditionally, I would take your father's position and you would return to Getsugakure to serve at court."

Beki nodded and watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye. She respectfully remained silent but she chewed at the inside of her cheek.

"Court is the last place I'll be sending you." There was a hint of anger in Ishida's voice, a righteous determination Beki had never heard from him before. The surprise left her speechless as he continued. "I've already submitted all the necessary paperwork and argued the case. I had to call in nearly all the favors I've accumulated over the years but you will directly succeed your father as senior ambassador."

"What?" Beki found her voice at last. "But how?"

Ishida shrugged. "Enough gold in the right pockets and the laws don't matter." Beki looked at him, appalled. "This is exactly why you have no business in that place. It's a den of vipers." He tipped his head to the side, allowing the light to catch the nearly imperceptible rope scar around his neck. "I learned the hard way. I hadn't even angered anyone important and I almost paid with my life."

Beki looked up at the compound hoping to see Neji there. He still hadn't appeared through the gates so she had no escape from the conversation. "I don't know what to say, Ishida."

"You don't have to say anything." He glanced over at her again and still saw that disappointed look on her face. "Please don't be surprised. Part of you has always known this is how the system works. Don't feel sorry for me, either. I may not get the opportunity to live the morally upright way your position has allowed you to be. That doesn't mean I don't have my own code or get to enjoy the satisfaction of beating these monsters at their own game."

"You're right," Beki shook her head and let out a cynical laugh. "I don't know what I was thinking. I was almost murdered for a job I hadn't been officially given yet."

"Now your head's on straight." Ishida sighed. "I know this is not the best time to be discussing all this and you have a lot on your plate already. I can't do this alone, Haruka. I need you to step up to the plate and take your father's place. Those who arranged his assassination are still at large and you and I are the next targets on their list."

Beki nodded. It felt reminded her of the feeling she got the first time her squad was assigned a mission. There was a sacred solemnity, a silent acceptance that their lives were on the line but they were willingly throwing themselves into the gauntlet. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"For your capture of Yasahiro's surviving accomplice and the defeat of his cadre, you'll be promoted to jounin. The promotion to senior ambassador should follow that announcement shortly. I will carry out the ceremony along with some witnesses from Getsu to keep things official. From there you will resume your father's negotiations with Konoha and Suna. You will also assume his duties regarding assets in this part of the world."

"As in shinobi assets?" Beki raised an eyebrow. "Like routing squads and such?"

"Your duties will usually consist of existing as a point of contact. If a squad is being rerouted or we have an update regarding the details of their mission, that information will pass through you. It will also be your responsibility to report any suspicious activity in this part of the world." Ishida explained.

"That will be a conflict of interest," Beki shook her head. "I've been in Konoha too long for me to be a reliable source."

"I'm not talking about Konoha," Ishida looked around. "You've already had run ins with Akatsuki, from what I've heard."

Beki's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak. Ishida held up a hand. "I will bring your father's notes for you. This is not something to be discussed out in the open. You must understand going into this that there has been a lot of activity that your father kept you out of the loop. It was necessary due to its dangerous and top secret nature." He explained.

Beki nodded and took a deep breath. It sounded overwhelming but at the same time she knew that this is what she needed. While her father was missing, throwing herself into her work had been a good distraction. This time around, taking up the position would give her a sense of purpose. "I understand. So, what's the plan for finding out who was behind everything at court?"

"I do have to warn you that a lot of what you will be doing is drawing attention away from me," Ishida looked at the girl who it seemed so recently had only come up to his knees. "Up until now, you've been asked to be the ambassador's quiet, well behaved daughter. From here on in you'll need to become an ambassador in your own right. You need to turn heads. I'll be conducting my investigation from Getsu, and the more eyes you can draw away from me, the better."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Beki's face was drawn with grim determination. Ishida couldn't help but notice the steely shine to her eyes and the set of her jaw were just like Seiichiro's. He smiled to himself. He'd seen that expression many times before and it always forewarned that the gates of hell would open son. "While I was covering for dad I held those meetings with the Hokage and the Kazekage. I have a fair idea of what's in store for me as ambassador when it comes to working with them. It's nothing I can't handle."

"I'll keep in constant contact," Ishida said as he considered the girl for the first time as an adult. For a decade, she had been this bumbling, chattering whirlwind of dirt and noise darting around Seiichiro's knees. She had climbed furniture, tried to tackle dignitaries, and wandered around the office without pants for far too many years. Even when she became a shinobi, Haruka had been an awkward eyesore. He remembered attending the graduation ceremony with Seiichiro and noticing how much taller and more muscular she was than all the girls and most of the boys. He had never really taken the time to have conversations with her. Countless discussions with Seiichiro had been curtailed by her bursting into the room with some convoluted question. Actually talking to her now, listening to the way she thought, Ishida felt he had done the girl an injustice. Somehow, she had grown up to be just like her father. That alone demanded some respect. He held out a hand to her. Beki took his hand firmly and they shook.

"We have work to do, Ishida," Beki said as she released his hand.

"On that note, what have you been wearing to these meetings?" Ishida eyed her attire skeptically. "I hope you've been making a respectable attempt at representing our village appropriately."

"I've been wearing a dress," Beki folded her arms. "But from here on in I'll be wearing my father's armor."

Ishida shook his head. "I know you worshipped him Haruka but you will look a fool-"

"The stories were true," Beki said as she watched Neji finally coming out of the gates, struggling under the weight of the kanabo. "After he died, the armor came to me. It attached itself to my body and changed shape until it fit my form."

"As incredible as that sounds and I am sure that will be a great story to tell at parties, I begged your father for almost ten years to please put on a damned suit and act like a diplomat-" Ishida began, falling right back into lecture mode.

"I'm a Tsukimori. We're stubborn to the bone," Beki flashed a smile at him that had a chilling resemblance to her mother's. "You won't have any more luck with me than you did with dad."

"Fair enough," Ishida folded his arms. "By the way, there's something I should probably tell you. It's about your mother. She's alive, Haruka."

"So, it's true then," Beki sighed. "I ran into her earlier. I still can't believe it, Ishida."

"I know," Ishida repeated her sigh. "How much do you remember about her? Did that woman look the same as in your memory?"

Beki screwed up her face as she tried to recall the face from her childhood. "I mean, the woman looked like the one in our pictures. She didn't act right. I don't remember my mother being that way. She was so...not like I remembered."

"You aren't going to want to hear this but it really is Yukihana. What you'll hate even more is you should spend some time with her. Your mother was almost head priestess of that shrine and she received specialized training that could benefit you." Ishida explained.

"What could she possibly teach me?" Beki leered ahead. "I don't need anything from her."

"That's where you're wrong, Haruka," Ishida said as he gave Neji a nod in greeting. "Your mother knows how to train Maidens."

Neji was flushed from the effort of hauling the kanabo along. He had it poised across his shoulders as Beki customarily carried it. The distribution of the weight was unnatural and threw off Neji's balance. It also made Neji a hazard as he walked along, nearly decking Hanabi when he turned a corner. Beki was deep in conversation with a man he'd never seen before but the two appeared to be familiar.

"Ishida, this is one of the Hyuga I've been staying with, Neji. Neji, this is my father's junior ambassador, Ishida Toshio." Beki introduced them.

Neji gave a polite bow, nearly falling over in the process. "Here," Beki stepped forward and hoisted the weight off his shoulders with as much effort as taking a child's backpack. Neji would have felt embarrassed if it weren't for the disturbed look Ishida were giving Beki.

"You can carry that thing?" Ishida's voice was full of disbelief.

Beki blinked innocently. "Of course. Dad was training me to use it."

"But that's twice your size!" Ishida shook his head. "You're an ogre, just like your father. I'm going to start calling you Onihime."

Beki shrugged. "This is the shinobi world, Ishida. I'd rather walk into meetings with the kage as the Mini Reaper than another stooge in a suit."

Ishida's knee jerk reaction was to lecture her about respecting her elders. The smile she shot him reminded him he had essentially just told her they were equals, however. He sighed and gave the two a polite bow as he excused himself. It would take a lot of work shaping Seiichiro's daughter into an ambassador of his caliber but she was already showing potential. The work she had done during Seiichiro's absence had been comprehensive for someone of her experience. She had caused no major incidents and had already formed bonds with both kage. If Ishida kept her safe from the capital and was diligent about his investigation, there was a good chance the pair would see their way out of this situation alive.

…

Beki and Neji walked along to a spot in the woods that was informally used for training. Beki had taken off her sandals and tied them to her belt. They bounced along with each step, which constantly drew Neji's attention to her bare feet.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" Neji eyed the detritus covered ground, waiting for an errant rock to pierce her flesh.

Beki stretched, both arms slung over the top of the kanabo she had across her shoulders. "I'm fine. Hey, what took you so long, anyway? Was the kanabo really that heavy?"

Neji flushed. "Sure."

Beki narrowed her eyes. "Okay, now I'm really curious. What happened?"

Neji flashed her an angry look. "When I walked in the house I ran right into Hinata and the bag fell out of my hands. There were bras everywhere, Beki. Hinata gave me this confused look so I tried to explain that they weren't mine, they were yours. That only made things worse. Lady Hinata then accused me of stealing them from your room. I told her that I didn't steal them from you and that you had given them to me."

"So that cleared it all up?" Beki laughed.

"No," Neji looked away, his face red with embarrassment. "Lady Hinata gasped in horror and asked if that meant we were 'that intimate'. I told her that we weren't and tried to scoop them up quickly so I could run them up to your room. Lady Hinata said that was completely inappropriate, me handling your underthings, and tried to take them out of my hands. Then Naruto walks in and sees Hinata and I grappling over a bra- "

Beki had stopped walking altogether. She had put the kanabo down and was leaning against it for support, her knees weak as she collapsed in laughter.

"How is this funny?!" Neji cried. "I have been shamed!"

Neji's cries fell on deaf ears as Beki began to roll on the floor, hysterical to the point of snorting.


	79. Mother Daughter Date

**Hi everyone, here's another chapter I was able to squeeze through my deadlines. Hope you enjoy it! Keep the feedback coming. I'll still try to to get back to you if you review or PM.**

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Yukihana hadn't slept well. Her worst nightmares had come true in such a short amount of time that she was left unsure how to pick up the pieces. A few months ago, Yuki had woken up alone inside an ice floe and had to fight her way out of a base crawling with Orochimaru's men. Her ice powers hadn't worked at the time and she was in nothing but her soiled nightgown. When Orochimaru came for her family so many years before, Yuki and Seiichiro barely had enough time to run out of the apartment, let alone to grab weapons or put on shoes. After Yuki had clawed her way through them, she had to loot the clothing and cash off the Sound dead. It had taken her a week to get back to Getsu. During that time, Yuki had barely slept or ate, her body functioning off adrenaline alone

When she got to Getsu and found out Seiichiro was dead, it was a blow but it didn't take Yuki down. There was a clear course of action for Yukihana: find out who did it and make them pay. When she learned her daughter's life was on the line it was the same. Yuki pressed on relentlessly until the danger had passed. Now that it was all done, Yuki was left alone with no purpose in sight. She had accepted there was going to be backlash.

Yuki had been orphaned at three. If her mother risen from the dead when she was a teenager, Yuki would have had some issue with it as well. It didn't make the utter rejection she felt from Beki any easier to bear, however. Her daughter had been hurt and confused, so she had lashed out. It hurt in a way Yuki didn't know how to handle. She knew what to do about physical pain, how to deal with exposure to the elements or will her way through an injury. When her spirit was troubled, Yuki had coping mechanisms in place to rejuvenate her soul and get herself back in balance. Dealing with Beki left Yukihana completely vulnerable, however. Beki had grown inside Yuki and was a part of her body for nine months. When she came into the world, Beki had been the physical embodiment of all her parent's hopes and dreams. She was the chance the pair had at having an honest-to-God family, and the night before that child had told Yuki to stay away from her.

Logically, Yuki understood Beki needed time to process everything. The girl would ask around and come to realize that Yuki really was her mother. With any luck, she would come by on her own to talk things out. All the other parts of Yuki wanted to grab ahold of the girl, bear hug her, cover her face in kisses, and pester her about every detail of her life up until that moment. Yuki had already read the news coverage on the previous year's chunin exams. She was dying to hear all about it from Beki's perspective. If Beki was uncomfortable with all that sharing, Yuki would try to gently remind her that she had brought Beki into this world and was entitled to have a part in her life. The idea of being around her daughter again made Yuki so excited it was hard to keep herself under control.

The apartment was starting to feel closed in. Yuki grabbed her keys and walked out the door hoping fresh air would do her some good. The streets were filled with the usual amount of traffic and Yuki was happy to lose herself in it. She wandered towards the market and window shopped as she walked. Her nerves were finally beginning to lose their edge when she heard her name called. Yuki perked up and turned.

"Hey Kakashi," she grinned. "What's up?"

"Beki was looking for you earlier," Kakashi stood there casually with his hands in his pockets.

"Why didn't you send her my way?" Yuki groaned, running her hands through her hair in agitation.

Kakashi threw up his hands and took a step back, ready to duck out. "I don't know where you live, Yukihana."

Yuki rolled her eyes. "You can't tell me that a hardcore shinobi like you wouldn't know where every potential threat in this village lives. I sure as hell know where you live."

Kakashi maintained a blank stare. As the seconds dragged on and he made no attempt to refute the claim, Yuki shook her head. "I knew it. You forget I'm a ninja, too. I would be disappointed if you didn't keep tabs on me. So, where did Beki go?"

"I told her about the diner you always eat at. She headed in that direction." Kakashi sighed as he spoke, half expecting to be dragged along.

"Thanks," Yuki called over her shoulder as she darted through the crowd. Kakashi watched her go and shrugged. At least he dodged the bullet on this awkward mother-daughter encounter.

…

Beki peered in the window of the diner. It wasn't a place she had eaten at before but she had heard good things about it. The smell of the rich food cooking inside was tempting. A man near the window was having a bowl of some of the thickest udon noodles Beki had ever seen. Her stomach growled but she steeled herself. She needed to find her mother. Beki scanned the crowd for the silky black hair and listened for a voice like a ringing bell. Her concentration was broken by a swift slap on her bottom. She turned around, incensed, her skin already warming to threatening temperatures. Instead of some immature teenage boy, Beki saw her mother grinning like an idiot.

"I heard you were looking for me?"

Beki took a deep breath and centered herself. "Yes. I talked to Ishida and he told me you're the real deal."

Yuki perked up and looked around. "Let's not stand out here like a couple of weirdos. I'm hungry. Let's eat."

Yuki took ahold of Beki's arm and dragged her inside. She gave the owner a quick wave and took a spot towards the back. It was unsettling to Beki how at ease Yuki was about all this. She led her daughter to the booth and plopped down in the seat across from her as nonchalantly as if they did this all the time. There was no hint of hesitation in her movements or uncertainty in her eyes. Yuki beamed at Beki with a warmth and familiarity Beki couldn't match. This woman, as familiar as she looked, was a stranger.

The menus were on a rack to the side of the table. Yuki grabbed them and tossed one at Beki.

"I usually get the somen but I think I'm in the mood for some meat," Yuki said half to herself. "Do you still like udon? Its pretty good here."

"Yeah," Beki looked over the menu for a moment and closed it.

"So," Yuki put her menu away and rhythmically rapped her knuckles on table. "We have a lot of ground to cover. I have so many questions for you but you should go first. What do you want to know about your mother?"

"Uh," Beki's mind went blank. In her lifetime, Beki had thought up so many questions she wished she could ask her mother. Some of it was about her past and much of it was about becoming a woman. There were things she wanted to ask that were abstract, like how Yuki knew she was in love with Seiichiro, but they would seem awkward and out of place in this situation. "I don't know. Since you already know what you want to say, you should go first."

"Okay!" Yuki slapped the table. "Did you make any friends at the academy?"

"I'm friends with my teammates. Reika's sister Ren is on my team, and then there's Daiske. Ren's an archer and Daiske's an earth jutsu specialist. I haven't seen them since the chunin exams, and then not for months before that."

"Because you've been here helping your dad," Yuki interjected. She was at the edge of her seat, an electric look in her eye and another question pursed on her lips. "Next up, who is that beautiful girl you are always running around with?"

Beki blinked in surprise at the quick shift in the subject. "Oh, you mean Hinata?"

"She has got to be one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen! I would kill for my hair to look like that," Yuki leaned back in her booth and draped her arms over the top. It was interesting that she felt that way, Beki thought, because Yuki's hair was plenty black and lustrous as it was. "She's so tall, too. Great figure other than the fact that she's flat as a pancake."

Beki paused and her eyebrows slowly furrowed. "Wait. You aren't talking about Hinata. Her rack is as big as yours." Her eyes grew wide with realization. "You're talking about Neji."

"Always wears black and white?" Yuki cocked her head.

"Yeah," Beki shook her head. "I've got bad news for you, Neji's a boy."

"Whoa whoa whoa. How can those hips be a man's?" Yuki shook her head. "I saw Neji and it threatened my womanhood. I won't accept that he's a boy."

"Trust me," Beki looked off to the side. "He's definitely a boy."

Yuki's lips pulled into a smirk. "Wait, so are you saying you two hooked up?"

"No, it isn't like that,," Beki balked. "Neji's just my friend."

"Friends that have seen each other naked, apparently," Yuki grinned. "Have you guys ever gone out, though?"

"No," Beki shook her head. "Neji's like a brother to me."

"Okay, I won't tell you that's a crap decision. Who's he seeing, then?" Yuki asked.

Beki thought for a moment. As far as she could tell, Neji was single. He never talked about anyone he liked or even seemed interested in people that way. Beki had never seen him throw sidelong glances at anyone or comment on whether or not he found a person attractive. "He isn't with anyone."

Yuki looked up and bit at a nail. "Maybe he's gay."

Beki shook her head. "I don't think so. He just isn't into anyone that way."

"But he's so good looking! If I was your age I'd be all over that," Yuki shook her head and Beki gagged at the thought of her mother with Neji. The idea nauseated her more when she thought about what a disgustingly good looking pair they would make. "So he's not dating anyone, he isn't gay, and looks like that? Something's amiss here."

Beki avoided eye contact and Yuki picked up that she wanted to change the subject. "Who's Hinata?"

"Neji's cousin. I live with her and her fiance, Naruto, within the Hyuga compound," Beki explained. "I've been there for about two years now."

The waitress came by and took their orders. A few moments later she brought the pair a pot of tea and some cups. Beki reached out to serve her mother in an attempt to be polite. Yukihana beat her to the pot, however, and was absently filling their cups as she continued: "So how close are you with Hinata? Is she your best friend, or…?"

Beki nodded. "Yeah, we're pretty close."

"How close?" Yuki slid Beki her cup of tea and Beki shot her a strange look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not judging, just curious," Yuki shrugged. "If she's as good looking as Neji _and_ has a fantastic rack, she would be pretty irresistible."

"Nothing weird has ever happened between me and Hinata-" Beki began to say but paused, remembering some of their escapades while Naruto was away. "Nothing super weird, anyway."

Yuki gave her a knowing look. "You guys've kissed, haven't you?"

Beki's first instinct was to lie but then she remembered this woman was her mother. She sighed and decided that it was in her best interest to trust Yuki. "There were circumstances that made it necessary. Besides, I kiss everyone. _I_ don't think it's weird to kiss people but I guess someone else might take it the wrong way."

"I don't think it is, either," Yuki grinned. "You get that from me. Don't take any of this the wrong way, pumpkin. I'm trying to get to know everything about you and I don't want to miss anything important. The only place I have to start is with my own life experiences, you know?"

Beki nodded. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"Beki, I was raised on a shrine in a remote part of the mountain pass. We were a bunch of teenage girls with nothing to do but fool around." Yuki opened her mouth to expand but the waitress arrived with their food. The moment the she set the food down the savory scent of the broth hit Beki. She picked up her chopsticks and went right for the thick gummy noodles without hesitation. Yuki watched her for a moment, smiled and shook her head. She followed her daughter's lead and dug into her tonkatsu. The two ate in silence for a time. Beki was grateful for a chance to process everything. The situation was so alien yet so familiar. Once again, she hardly knew anything about Yukihana but she acted the same way her father had always treated her. This was the most natural thing in the world to Yuki, to sit across from Beki and share a meal with her.

"Want a bite?" Yuki slid her bowl across the table and Beki eyed it tentatively. "I'm your mother. You can eat of my plate."

Beki took a small bite of the pork and Yuki retracted her bowl. "Its good."

"I've tried most of the stuff on the menu. I haven't been disappointed." Yuki smiled as she savored the rich flavor of the pork.

"How often do you eat here?" Beki asked between bites of udon.

Yuki shrugged. "I come here for lunch or dinner about four times a week."

"You eat out a lot," Beki said half to herself, thinking of how many meals she cooked with Naruto and Hinata during the week.

Yuki shrugged. "I can't cook." Beki gave her an incredulous look so she explained: "I grew up on the shrine as a candidate for head priestess. Cooking wasn't a skill they taught me because that was the other priestess' jobs."

"What about after you met dad?" Beki thought of all the meals her father had thrown together. They weren't anything amazing but he could at least throw together a decent pot of curry.

"When I was pregnant he started to learn because I was godawful at it. Did he ever get good at it?" Yuki asked.

Beki shrugged. "It was fine to me."

Yuki tapped her fingers on her teacup. "What was your dad like while you were growing up?"

"He was a bear," Beki sighed. She had anticipated that this would come up. Before she came to the diner, Beki had thrown together a basic idea of what she would say. "Overprotective to the extreme. He worked a lot but when he was with me I had his full attention. He tried his best to be involved with me. He took me out to movies and to dinner, he bought me trinkets when he had to go out of town. I was hardheaded and stubborn but he was patient with me about it. I guess he was like that, too."

"And defiant as hell," Yuki smiled.

"I didn't have to be defiant with him," Beki shook her head. "He was always pretty reasonable about things. If he told me "no" to something there was always a good reason. Otherwise I got to be fairly independent."

Yuki listened patiently, her eyes fixed on the table and a sad smile on her face. "But what was he like? Was he funny? Did he ever dance with you?"

Beki thought those questions were strange but humored the woman. "He didn't crack a lot of jokes. He was sarcastic, though. He danced with me when I was younger, when we would go to festivals. Dad didn't seem to like dancing very much."

Yuki took a sip of her tea to cover for the tears welling in her eyes. "Did he ever talk about me?"

"Dad had nothing but good things to say about you. He told me you were talented, smart, and beautiful constantly. If he was giving me a compliment it was usually how much I was like you." Beki paused to read the mood. Her food was really tasty and she hated to let it go cold. If her mother started crying, however, she thought it would look ruthless to carry on eating her noodles.

"That could be why you're so unprepared to meet me," Yuki sighed as she prepped her next bite of pork. "Sounds like Seiichiro's memories were skewed."

They both took a few bites of their food. Beki noticed that her mother's chipper mood had sombered. Instead of bright eyed looks Beki's way, Yuki kept her eyes on the table. "He didn't date anyone, you know?" Beki offered. "There were lots of interested women, I'll tell you that. Dad always talked his way out of it. He used me as an excuse most of the time but I think the real reason was because he was still in love with you."

Yuki's grew so full of tears they sparkled. She demurely put a hand over them and sniffled. Beki sat there quietly as Yuki silently pulled herself together. She blinked and a tear fell perfectly on each cheek. Beki couldn't help but feel a little irritated by how beautiful her mother looked even when she cried. The tears brought a soft pink flush to her freckled cheeks and her dewey lashes sparkled. Beki assumed that she must take after her father, then. When Beki cried she looked like a snotty swollen tomato.

"Sorry," Yuki shook her head. "He was alive for me such a short time ago. It was only a few months ago for me that you were five and he was twenty-four. Seiichiro was such a badass: gruff, handsome, and strong enough to hold off the gates of hell by himself. Every morning I would wake up and fall back in love with him. He…" Yuki trailed off and sighed. "I guess it's time we started talking about me, huh?"

Beki nodded. Knowing what her father was like when he was young from someone who had been there would be a comfort. Beki missed him desperately and was trying to hold on to every memory of him that she could. "Go ahead."

"So I'm sure your dad told you about the shrine, but we're going back a little before that. Let's talk about the Asou," Yuki said as she waved the waitress over. The waitress took their empty bowls and brought out more tea. Yuki poured Beki another cup as she talked. "As the laws go, there should always be one of each type of Maiden at the shrine at all times. That was the case for a hundred years or so until Getsugakure was formed. To try to keep our providence relevant, they began sending the occasional Maiden to train at the academy and become shinobi. Of the three, the Asou were the most favored. Our kekke genkai manifested young, was simple to train, and highly effective in the field. Over the generations, more and more Asou were asked to become shinobi. For the sake of the village they took up the job time and time again. The problem was we were getting killed off faster than we were reproducing."

This wasn't news to Beki but she didn't interrupt. Reika had explained a lot of this to Beki when she was young. The Head Priestess had been the closest thing Beki had to a mother figure and the fact that Reika had been her mother's best friend helped. She told her about Yukihana as well, but just like her father it seemed Reika had glossed over a lot of Yuki's lesser qualities.

"My parents were the last of the Asou. They were like, third cousins or something," Yuki gave a dismissive wave. "Do you think that's gross?"

Beki shrugged. _That explains a lot,_ Beki thought.

Yuki nodded and continued. "They called my parents out on a mission and they were killed. One of the older women in the village had been taking care of my sister and I. When she went into town and heard the news was right when a bad snowstorm hit. It was one of the worst we had on record. I think fifteen people died. People were stranded in their homes for days. When the snow finally let up they sent some people over to see if my sister and I were alright. The furnace had gone out. Yukihina didn't make it but I was just fine. With nowhere else to go and the fear that the clan would be completely wiped out, I was taken to the shrine."

"I didn't know you had a sister," Beki shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"She was my twin," Yuki swirled the tea in her cup. "I don't really remember her. We were so young. There's a picture of us somewhere in that old house. Someday when we go back I'll show you."

"Why didn't we live in your family's house?" Beki asked and Yuki held up a hand.

"We'll get to that. My ice powers had manifested and the Head Priestess took it as a sign that I was destined to be her successor. Around that time Reika was dropped off at the shrine. Her mother had died and her father wanted nothing to do with her. To be fair, as we were both technically eligible to be Head Priestess, we were trained in tandem. The main purpose of being Head Priestess is to train Maidens. Did your dad ever talk to you about the Kishin style?"

"Yeah," Beki nodded. "Daichiro's son used it on me at the chunin exams."

Yuki made an empathetic clicking sound. "Sorry. I know that shit hurts."

Beki shrugged. "I dealt with it. It was good in that it made me think about not relying on one style too much."

"Good," Yuki settled into her seat. "Being a Maiden is a gift but it shouldn't be a crutch."

"You were saying? About the Kishin style?" Beki wanted to keep the conversation on track.

"Right. So the Head Priestess is supposed to train Maidens. It was understood that from time to time we would be orphaned or what not, so if a girl from the three lines had nowhere to go, she would be sent to the shrine. The Head Priestess would teach her how to use and control her powers. That way, the shrine and the culture could be protected." Yuki searched Beki's face. "I'm drawing this out too much. Long and short of it is, we came under attack. I was in the lead for head priestess so I felt it was my responsibility to protect the shrine. I killed the raiders down to the last man. The Head Priestess and the elders came together and decided that I was too dangerous to lead. The last vote was Reika." Yuki bit at her nail and looked out the window. "She was my best friend but she smelled blood in the water. Voted me out to secure the position of Head Priestess for herself."

Beki narrowed her eyes. Reika had never told her that. Come to think of it, Beki had never asked about why her mother had left the shrine. As a child, she had assumed it was because Yuki became a shinobi or because she met Seiichiro.

"They had sent some shinobi up from the capital to take on the raiders and your father was one of them. He figured out I had taken them all down on my own and invited me to become a shinobi. The rest...I'd rather not go into." Yuki stretched. "Any questions?"

"Actually, yeah," Beki leaned forward in her seat. "Why were you so brutal? They told me that you juggled people's heads."

"I had a lot to prove, Beki." Yuki explained. "I didn't go to an academy, I had no formal training. I became a shinobi at sixteen. In those exams I had a target on my back and the best thing I could do was overdo it. I was so over the top it pissed everyone off and they got sloppy. From what I read, you used less than...traditional methods to pass the exam yourself."

"Having your top ripped open and not going 'le gasp' and fighting through it is different than decapitating people and juggling their heads in front of their loved ones." Beki shot her a dirty look.

Yuki shrugged. "Potato potato."

"So what does all this mean for me?" Beki asked. "You've told me all this but I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"You've become the Burned Maiden. There is no way you've received any training in how to control it." Yuki leaned forward. "According to your dad's notes, he's hired you a tutor down here. There is no way that some two bit Leafling could teach you anything about how to keep yourself from spontaneously combusting."

"So you're going to train me," Beki lit up. _No more training with Ebisu!_

"That's right," Yuki rested her chin on her hand. "You've got a lot to process. Why don't you run on home and rest. We can start training tomorrow morning. I'll come pick you up."

"Sounds good," Beki stood up and reached for her wallet.

"What, are you crazy?" Yuki shook her head. "Put your milk money away."

"But you haven't been working-" Beki began but Yuki held up a hand.

"My family died out faster than they could spend their money. I'm sitting on a fortune here." Yuki explained.

"Oh," Beki blinked. "Okay then. Thanks."

"See you later pumpkin." Yuki said as she took out her wallet.

"Bye Yuki," Beki said as she walked away, not seeing Yuki cringe.

 _I guess it was too much to expect for her to start calling me Mom again,_ Yuki thought as she paid for their food. Yuki was beginning to feel at peace now that she had finally talked to Beki. Maybe there was hope that they could be a normal family again.


	80. Maiden Form

**Hi everyone. Things are still busy for me (summer courses and such) but I managed to crank this out over the last couple of weeks. Thank you for your patience with the delayed update schedule. I've really appreciated hearing from you guys during the break. Your thoughts and feedback are still an important part of the process for me. If you have an questions or comments about the story, feel free to review or PM me. Even though it's taking me longer to write these chapters I'll still try to respond to you within 24 hours. With that in mind, please enjoy!**

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"Where are you off to so early in the morning?" Hinata poked her head through Beki's door.

"My mother wants me to train with her," Beki said as she shuffled into her pants. "I guess she knows how to train Maidens. I'm hoping she can help me so I stop burning up all my clothes."

"Getting self-conscious about being naked in public all the time?" Hinata gave her a small smile.

Beki shrugged. "I don't particularly care but I imagine it isn't proper for an ambassador to be starkers."

Hinata yawned. "Well, just know that no one in my family gets upset about that. When you have a byakugan, you get used to accidentally seeing people naked."

Beki paused and gave her a strange look. Rather than elaborating, Hinata gave her a small wave and ducked back into the hallway. Beki heard her open her bedroom door and Naruto grumbled something before it closed behind her. That morning Beki had struggled deciding what to wear to train. She had no idea how intense her mother was going to be and she didn't want to show up over prepared. Instead of her good gear, Beki chose the old Tsukimori uniform her father had bought her. It was comfortably worn in so if Beki needed to move quickly, she could, but if it got torn up or dirty Beki could patch it easily.

As she walked out of the room, a box under her bed drew her eye. Beki stepped back inside, leaned down, and pulled the box out. Inside the box, Yukihana's gauntlets gleamed in the morning light. Beki had religiously polished and cleaned them so that even after two months of neglect they were still in pristine shape. The gauntlets had always been a comfort to Beki, a memento of her mother's that she could take into a fight. There had been times when Beki was deflecting a blow that she swore she could feel her mother with her. Now that she had her mother in person, it seemed wise to return them to their owner.

Beki walked downstairs and set the box on the kitchen table. She made herself some eggs and toast and washed it down with a small cup of coffee. While she was washing her dishes, there was a small knock at the door. Beki crossed the kitchen and opened.

"Hey Neji," Beki stepped aside for him to come in.

"Your mother is waiting for you outside the gates," Neji gave her a confused look. "I thought your mother was dead?"

"Apparently she isn't," Beki started to put on her shoes. "And as thrown as I am by the whole situation, she can train me how to control the Burned Maiden."

Neji looked over his shoulder towards the gates. "Can we trust her? Is it really your mother?"

Beki nodded. "Ishida told me it was true. He was miffed about it, too. Him and my mom never got along, I guess."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Neji asked with a friendly voice but did a poor job hiding his concern.

"It's fine, Neji." Beki grabbed the box on the table and walked out the door. "I'm sure you have better stuff to do, anyway."

Neji closed the door and followed Beki down the path. "I haven't seen you wear that in a long time." He gestured at the uniform.

"She didn't tell me what we were going to be doing. I'm comfortable in this, so I figure it'll live up to whatever she expects me to do. Besides, I'm so attached to this stupid thing maybe it'll keep me from blowing up." Beki sighed. "I tell you what, I miss the Drowned Maiden. My clothes would get soggy but soggy dries."

When they reached the gates and stepped outside, Yuki was standing there waiting for them. For a moment, Beki was tempted to turn around and go check her closet. Yukihana was wearing almost an identical copy of the outfit Yasahiro had bought for Beki during the chunin exams. The whole set was a brilliant white and made Yuki glow in the morning sun. The sleeveless leotard was made from a fine wetsuit like material and the pants were a soft linen. Beki couldn't help but notice they looked a lot like what the priestesses wore on the shrine back home.

"There you are," Yuki smiled. Beki realized with some annoyance her mother's teeth were almost as white as her outfit. Her eyes drifted over to Beki's side. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Neji, this is my mother, Asou Yukihana," Beki gave her an odd look. "Wait, would you be Asou?"

Yuki shrugged. "If we're getting technical, I was born an Asou, so it would never be incorrect to call me that name."

Beki gave her a noncommittal nod and continued. "Yuki, this is my friend, Hyuga Neji."

"She's told me so much about you," Yuki surveyed Neji the way a cat observes a mouse.

Neji gave her a polite bow. "It's nice to meet you-"

Yuki took ahold of his face and raised him out of the bow. "I see now. Up close you're definitely a boy."

A slight flush came into Neji's face. "Can you let go of me, please?"

Yuki flashed a vulpine smile and held fast. "Look at how handsome you are! I could just eat you all up!"

"YUKI!" Beki cringed at the sight of how her mother squished Neji's face. "Let him go!"

"Well you don't like him, and he isn't interested in anyone in town," Yuki gave his cheeks a squeeze. "Maybe I'll keep him for myself."

Beki walked over and swatted Yuki away. "I don't care that you're only technically three years older than him, this is creepy!"

"Why's that?" The smile never slipped from Yuki's face, which set Beki's skin aflame.

"You can't just have casual intimate relationships with my friends!" Beki put her hands on her hips and stood at her full height. Yuki cocked her head and seemed to look past Beki. That was when she noticed Neji had disappeared. When Beki peeked over her shoulder, she saw him hovering behind her so that Beki obscured him from view.

"Your mother is terrifying," Neji said under his breath. "Help!"

"Weren't we supposed to go train?" Beki seethed.

"Fine, you spoil-sport," Yuki sighed. "Let's get going." She turned and began to walk down the road towards the forest. Beki followed suit. Once she had fallen in stride beside her, Yuki turned and looked over her shoulder. "See you later, cutie!"

Beki turned to look at Neji but he was already well on his way home. She shook her head and heaved a sigh as she turned her attention back to Yuki. There she was, beaming like an idiot at her daughter.

"What's so funny?" Beki snarled.

"Nothing," Yuki grinned. "Just enjoying your company."

Beki felt a pang of guilt at being so suspicious of Yukihana and remembered the gauntlets. "Hey, I have something for you."

She held out the box to her mother, who reached out and took it with a look of mild surprise. "What do we have here?" Her expression changed as she opened the box and caught sight of the relics of her past. "You've had these all this time?"

Beki shook her head. "Dad gave them to me when he brought me to Konoha."

Yuki nodded and surveyed them. "You've taken good care of Frostbite."

Beki raised an eyebrow. "Frostbite?"

Yuki looked at her with a gleam of mischief in her eyes. She slid on the two gauntlets. On contact with her skin they began to smoke. A layer of crystalline ice encased the metal in a thin layer as Yuki extended the blades. The ice grew out along the catlike curve of the metal claws until they resembled tekko kagi. Beki stared at the sharp pairs of ice knives in shock.

"Your dad must have had work done on them to build up the claws," Yuki surveyed the metallic centers of her claws. "They weren't strong enough to use in a fight on their own."

Beki shrugged. "I didn't know that's how those were supposed to be used."

Yuki shrugged. "If nothing else, you took great care of them." She shook her head. "I wish I'd woken up with these. It would have made cleaving my way out of that base a cakewalk." Yuki retracted the metal blades inside the gauntlet and the ice blades shattered, sending ice chips flying in all directions. Beki sputtered as a few caught her on the face and melted on contact with her skin.

"So, what's the plan today?" Beki shuffled uncomfortably. "For the training, I mean."

Yuki stretched languidly. "Today is baseline day. We're going to find a clearing and you're going to come at me with everything you've got."

Beki recalled the smoldering ruins of the shack after she unleashed the Burned Maiden. "Everything?"

Yuki grinned. "I would be disappointed if you held back."

...

The clearing had seen plenty of sparring matches. The grass had long since worn away, forming a natural battle ring of chalky dirt. The trees were all far enough away that they wouldn't catch fire during the fight. Beki took a deep breath and centered herself as Yuki positioned herself on the far side of the ring. Her mother bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet, stretching her arms and neck.

"Okay girlie, show me what you've got." Yuki dropped low and her entire aura changed in a flash. Yuki's playful demeanor had completely disappeared, her eyes full of the menace of a predator.

Beki suddenly wished she had brought along the kanabo. She knew Yuki was her mother and this was just an easy day but she couldn't help but respond defensively. Beki felt in as much danger as she did on away missions. Her father had always said her mother had been fast but there was a chance that her time in the ice had dulled her skills. Beki charged Yuki at full speed, ready to throw an elbow. When it came time for her blow to strike, Yuki was gone. Before Beki could register what had happened, a hand wrapped around her ankle and bodily flipped Beki through the air and painfully onto her face. She looked up and saw Yuki dropped impossibly low.

"Stop screwing around," Yuki's voice was forceful, the sudden shock of which sent a jolt through Beki. It was as if her mother had become a completely different person. Beki felt compelled to follow her command and forced herself up onto her feet.

"I'm a Maiden with twenty years of experience," Yuki spat. "Nothing less than the Burned Maiden could stand a chance against me."

Yuki's hair hadn't changed color and she was asking Beki to transform. It almost seemed like a trick. Beki recalled Shinichi's suppressive electric attacks and wondered if her mother had something similarly devious in store. Considering she hadn't been able to track her mother's movement, however, Beki didn't have many other options. Beki closed her eyes and searched for the Burned Maiden. She sifted around in the corners of her mind, groping in the darkness, but felt nothing. Beki opened her mouth to speak but was knocked down before she could say anything.

"What the hell?!" Beki spat, rising to her feet immediately. "You told me to transform!"

"It shouldn't take that long," Yuki grabbed Beki by the collar. "You need to be able to shift into your full Maiden form at will."

"I could with the Drowned Maiden," Beki shook her head. "This is different. I can't talk to her."

Yuki narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Beki shook her head. "The Drowned Maiden was always there, like my subconscious. It talked to me sometimes. Ever since the Burned Maiden awakened, I haven't heard the Drowned Maiden. I can't reach the Burned Maiden either. When I try to find it inside myself, all I hear is silence." Beki looked up at Yukihana, searching her face for recognition. All she found was an expression Beki could only guess was disdain. "You can't talk to the Yuki-onna?"

"I am the Yuki-onna," Yuki cocked her head. "Although I suppose what you're describing is entirely possible. I awakened my powers to their full capacity as a young child. I can understand how you might assign a later awakened power as a separate identity for yourself."

"So, this isn't normal?" Beki scoffed. "I am crazy, then."

Yuki shook her head. "Not necessarily. It could just be a tool to help you visualize your powers and jumpstart the transformation. I suppose it may also be a coping strategy to deal with the transformation itself."

"What do you mean?" Beki rubbed her back. Yuki's last attack and planted Beki square on a rock the size of a grapefruit. It was going to bruise for sure.

"You have a perception of yourself and what you're supposed to look like. This usually coincides with an idea of what we stand for and the kind of person we typically tend to be. Having the Maiden portion of yourself be separate from your perception of yourself is a way to help your brain deal with the discrepancies between the two." Yuki explained. "So, either you need to come up with your Burned Maiden persona or you need to abandon that strategy altogether."

Beki shook her head. "I don't know how to do that. The Drowned Maiden was always just…there. How do I make another one?"

Yuki shrugged. "Like I said, if it's too hard, find another way to tap into the power."

"What do you suggest?" Beki asked and Yuki cold clocked her across the face. "What the hell was that for?"

"Get pissed off," Yuki reached out to grab ahold of her and Beki swatted her hands away. Yuki threw up her hands and turned to walk away. As Beki opened her mouth to speak, Yuki turned and delivered a roundhouse kick right to Beki's face. Beki was once again knocked to the ground.

The pain was intense, radiating from her cheek and nose. Somehow Yuki had managed to hit the exact same spot she had punched Beki on a moment before but this time with the force of a meat cleaver. Beki tasted blood. As she lay there, too injured and humiliated to move, a dull heat began to grow inside her body. Beki could hear Yuki's purposeful footsteps approaching. All she could do to defend herself was to curl up in a ball with her knees against her chest. Yuki kicked Beki's shins. What started as a gentle tap turned into full out blows.

Beki remembered her father's training. She had thought he was a ballbuster, sending her home with cuts and bruises all over. By that standard, Yuki was downright abusive. The agony in Beki's face had ebbed enough that she was feeling the damage to her shins. Beki could either roll onto her shins, exposing her ribs to protect them from further harm, or sacrifice her arms to protect her legs.

"You're pathetic," Beki heard a cruel voice. It took a moment for her to realize that it wasn't coming from inside her. "No wonder your father had to die for you." Yuki scoffed. "What a colossal disappointment you've turned out to be. If I hadn't seen you come out of my body, I would have to call into question whether you were actually my child."

"Go to hell," Beki growled from between her knees. "Who do you think you are?" The heat spread through her body, the warmth soothing her wounds and easing the pain in her legs. "You call me useless when you were trapped in your own damn jutsu for twelve years. Kicking me around is supposed to impress me?!" Beki pushed herself up onto her knees only to take a boot to the face. This time she held her ground, rolling with the blow only enough to keep it from knocking her down completely. "And how dare you bring up my father. You talk like you know him. After you disappeared he had to work nonstop as both the ambassador and as a parent." Beki looked up at Yuki, pure animosity in her eyes. "My father wouldn't have had anything to do with you if he'd lived. You wouldn't have deserved him."

Yukihana's expression was unfazed. She gave Beki a small shrug and folded her arms. "Funny how if you were so important to him he left you in a foreign village for two years. Maybe he couldn't stand watching what a failure you were anymore. Having you out of the picture must have made his life so much more enjoyable."

Beki saw her opening and lunged for Yuki, clawing for her face. Yuki caught her wrists and held her off with the effort it would have taken Beki to restrain a preschooler. Beki wanted to hurt her, wanted to make Yuki bleed for the lies coming out of her whore mouth. There was a soft sizzling sound and Beki felt something drip down her arm. Beki looked down at her arms, now softly aglow and radiating enough heat to distort the air around them. Yuki's hands were coated in a thick layer of ice, which was melting as quickly as she could generate another layer. Beki's eyes found her mother's and Beki was disgusted by the self-satisfied gleam she found there.

"Was that so hard, pumpkin?" Yuki grinned.

Beki's stomach turned and she backed off. She had played right into her mother's plan. How could she have foreseen the lengths Yuki would go to trigger Beki's awakening?

"So, there you go," Yuki shook the lukewarm water from her hands. "Getting angry triggers the transformation. No soul-searching necessary." She looked up at her daughter and gave her a bright smile. "I think that's a good start. It's clear we need to work on streamlining your shift to Maiden form. From there, we'll work on building your endurance and your speed."

Yuki's words rolled right over Beki. As she settled back to normal, Beki's stomach was in knots. Her shins ached and she was sure her face was swollen. The way Yuki had spoken to her was with so much resentment Beki had been forced to respond in kind. All that hatred had come spewing out, leaving a feeling of shame and emptiness in its wake. This encounter solidified Beki's observations about the staggering differences between her parents. At the moment, that translated to just how much of the shaft Beki got in being left with Yuki and not Seiichiro. A firm pat on the back knocked Beki back to her senses.

"Good work," Yuki said as she walked back towards town. "Let's go get some lunch. I'm thinking another tonkatsu bowl."

Beki stared at her in disbelief. "How can you be like this?"

"What do you mean?" Yuki blinked innocently.

"Two minutes ago, you were beating the crap out of me and saying some of the cruelest trash I've heard in my life," Beki shook her head. "And now you're telling me 'good work' and taking me out for lunch? Are you a sociopath?"

Yuki sighed. "Look, sugarplum, let's get something straight right now: when we are training, my job is to prepare you to be the baddest bitch on the battlefield. Look at yourself; you're seventeen years old. They murdered your old man and the only reason you got away was on a fluke. They weren't expecting you to go Burned Maiden on their asses. You won't get that lucky again." Yuki put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side, considering her daughter. "We don't have time for me to ease you into this. I'm not going to hold back. I must be the toughest opponent you ever face. At the end of this, if you manage to defeat me, I don't think there are many shinobi out there you'll need to worry about."

Beki shook her head and heaved a sigh. "This is a lot to deal with."

"I know," Yuki reached into her pocket and pulled out a glove. She filled the glove with ice and tied off the end, offering the impromptu ice pack to her daughter. "You'll get through it."

Beki took the glove and held it to her throbbing cheek. The sensation was so soothing, a soft groan escaped her lips. Yuki chuckled and Beki tossed her a scathing look.

Yuki shrugged. "If it makes you feel better, you're going to look back on today and laugh."

Beki sighed. "If you say so."

…

Beki knew her face was messed up based on how hard everyone was working to avoid staring. Yuki was completely oblivious to the attention and ordered for them both with a charming smile. Beki held out the thawed glove for Yuki to refill. It crackled to life as the fingers filled with ice. Beki's face throbbed. She knew she should leave the ice off for ten minutes but she figured with her Maiden form so recently activated, she didn't have to worry about nerve damage.

Yuki tapped the table absently. "So, I've been meaning to ask you about the redhead."

Beki's eyes remained closed as she let the ice pack do its work. "Are you talking about Gaara?"

"I don't know the kids name," Yuki shook her head. "The one I saw you chewing out the other day."

Beki groaned. "That's right. You saw that."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Yuki rested her chin on her hand. "He looked awful rough."

A bitter laugh escaped Beki's lips. "That's funny coming from you."

Yuki shrugged. "The kid's got a face tattoo. What am I supposed to think?"

"It's a scar," Beki said. "Before you ask, it's a long story. One we don't have time for."

Yuki leaned back in her chair and shook her head. "Did he like, run into some decorative fencing or something? A tragic scrapbooking accident?"

"What are you getting at here?" Beki opened her eyes just enough to scowl.

"Tell me about him. How long have you guys been together, what his kill count is, that sort of thing," Yuki sipped at her tea.

"His kill count?" Beki shook her head. "Aren't shinobi not supposed to brag about that?"

"Why are you answering my questions with questions?" Yuki cocked her head. "Afraid I won't approve?"

"For your information," Beki pointed at Yuki. "Gaara is the Kazekage. He's brilliant, gifted, and considerate."

"And garishly red," Yuki said half under her breath but Beki ignored her.

"I've been dating him for two years." Beki talked over Yuki's comments. "Anything else you'd like to know?"

"What were you guys fighting about?" Yuki asked. "It looked like it ended nasty."

Beki buried her face in her hands and took a deep breath. She didn't want to talk about the fight, especially with Yukihana, but there wasn't a clear way out. The best she could do was to gloss the situation over to make it sound less horrible.

"He wants me to move in with him," Beki explained. "Because of the whole Yasahiro situation. Gaara thinks he can do a better job protecting me. I don't want to do that because I'd have to give up my job or get rid of the underlying problem."

"Do you guys always fight like that?" Yuki swirled the tea in her cup and watched the leaves pirouette in liquid.

"No. Right now he's stressed out because he's worried about me and I'm stressed out for obvious reasons. We normally communicate well."

It was at this point Yuki began to look uncomfortable as if she smelled something foul. Beki gave her a questioning look. Yuki put her cup down and checked to make sure no one would be walking by. "So, I have to ask. You know, for mom reasons. Have you slept with him yet?"

"Excuse me?!" Beki spat.

"I don't need details, just have you guys done it yet?" Yuki kept her voice low and kept scanning the restaurant self-consciously.

"Yes, okay?" Beki hissed. "That's all you're getting out of me."

"Thank God," Yuki leaned back and sighed. "I didn't want to have that talk with you right out of the ice. Glad your dad took the bullet on that one."

"He didn't," Beki closed her eyes and returned the ice pack to her cheek. "Dad didn't find out we were dating for over a year."

Yuki laughed. "So, how'd that go for Red when your father found out?"

"He almost strangled him." Beki shook her head at the memory. "And that was _after_ Dad threw his kanabo like a javelin and took him out of the sky like a damned bird."

"I would have paid good money to see that," Yuki grinned. "The kid's lucky. If that happened when your father was younger Red would have been an unrecognizable mess they'd find after the winter thaw."

"I just can't picture dad being that way," Beki shook her head. "He was always rational and responsible."

"Good thing for you," Yuki's smile had taken on a hint of sadness. "We had our fun but looking back it wouldn't have stayed that way. We would have had to grow up. It sounds like your dad did a good job of it but I might have been resentful, being forced to be an ambassador's proper wife."

"I should have been a proper ambassador's daughter," Beki offered. "I failed miserably at that."

"Doesn't sound like it," Yuki gave her a warm look. "You did land a Kage after all. That means you must have absorbed at least some of your father's advice about diplomacy." Yuki's eyes dropped to Beki's chest. "That or your mother's endowments benefited you big time."

"You're such a creep." Beki growled.

Yuki smiled wickedly. "All the best people are, pumpkin."


	81. Soaked

**Hi everyone! I know its been a while. Tallman and I were out of town for a bit and I've been working on some summer courses. Thank you to everyone who has been PMing and reviewing in the meantime. Like I said, even when I'm between chapters I try to respond to you guys within 24 hours. This next part of the story is going to be pretty heavy on the Maidens lore. I know many of you are curious about the Maidens and have sent questions about them. If there is anything you are curious about, feel free to ask and I will be sure to include the answers in the next few chapters. This isn't necessarily an arc, per se, but I've got some fun stuff in store as we lead up to the next bit. All that being said, please enjoy this next chapter! I look forward to hearing what you think.**

* * *

Hinata held Beki's chin in her hand as she surveyed the damage to her face. Beki in turn watched the way Hinata's brow furrowed and her lips pulled back in a frown of concern.

"Before you ask, yes, it looks as bad as it feels." Beki gave her an unconvincing half smile.

Hinata shook her head and let go of Beki's face. "It looks like your mother went a little rough on your first day."

Beki shrugged. "I've had worse. At least she's doing this to help me. Usually when I'm beaten like this, it's by someone who wants me dead."

Hinata turned and put the kettle on the stove. As the water heated, she reached into the medicine cabinet and took out the Hyuga herbal ointment. Beki eyed it with a look of disgust. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Beki," Hinata put her hands on her hips. "Are you really going to make me chase you down or will you put this on yourself?"

"I think that would make an interesting scene for your fiancé to walk in on," Beki grinned at the look of horror on Hinata's face as she imagined Naruto walking in on them wrestling. A soft knock on the door drew both their attention and a small gasp of pain from Beki.

"What's wrong?" Hinata cast her another concerned expression as she crossed over to the door.

"Tried to turn my head," Beki panted as the pain radiated up her neck and into the darkest recesses of her brain. It seared all the way through to the inside of her eyeballs, enveloping her whole world in white hot pain for a few seconds. "Very bad idea."

"Hello," Neji called through the door and Hinata opened it for him. "Beki, Gai sensei wanted to know if you would like to join us for…" His voice trailed off. Beki was face down on the table, whimpering softly with her hand on her neck. "What happened to her?"

"Beki went to train with her mother today," Hinata explained as she walked over to Beki. "You can see the results yourself." She reached under the pool of Beki's hair and lifted her face by the chin, turning it towards Neji.

"Did she come at you with a meat cleaver?" Neji gasped at the sight of her swollen face.

"I took a boot to the head." Beki grumbled through her forcibly clenched jaw. "Yukihana is fast. I couldn't even react fast enough to protect my face."

Neji walked over and gingerly ran his thumb against the strained muscles of her neck. "There might be internal damage." Hinata nodded and they activated their Byakugans simultaneously.

"What did she do to you?" Hinata winced. "Beki, the flow of your tenketsu is barely flowing at several points."

"A normal person wouldn't be able to walk home with this much damage," Neji sighed and shook his head.

Hinata surveyed the damage. "This is more threatening than your external wounds. We'll have to get your tenketsu flowing."

"Will that make the room stop spinning?" Beki's voice was weak.

Neji and Hinata shared a worried look. "Probably," They said in unison.

Hinata took Beki's head in her hands and twisted it to the left. Beki's neck let out four pops and she cried out in a mixture of surprise and pain.

"Your legs are a mess," Neji cringed at the sight of Beki's black and blue shins. "You've got every shade of the rainbow here but no broken bones."

"Yuki is gifted like that," Beki sighed. "Maximum pain, minimum damage."

"I wouldn't call that minimum," Hinata said as she kneaded Beki's shoulders.

"Do your feet hurt?" Neji asked and Beki nodded. She rotated in the barstool and extended her legs towards him. He took ahold of her feet and began to massage them and the parts of her shins and calves that weren't bruised.

"Thanks you guys," Beki smiled. "I'm starting to feel better already."

"Hey Hinata?" Naruto called down from upstairs. "Can you come up here for a while?"

"Coming!" Hinata let go of Beki's shoulders and bolted up the stairs. Suddenly, Beki and Neji were alone. Neji became acutely aware of the intimacy of the situation they were left in. The warmth of Beki's legs in Neji's hands, the scent of her skin, and the soft moans she was letting out as he kneaded her began to stir a physical reaction. He gulped and concentrated on his breathing to repress the reaction. Neji knew he shouldn't be enjoying the situation as much as he was. Beki was in pain and he was supposed to be helping her but he loved having an excuse to touch her.

The sensation of touching her skin combined with the soft moans of pleasure from Beki slowly got the better of Neji and his thoughts quickly traveled south. His hands worked their way up to her thighs and he felt a bead of sweat drip down his neck. He dared not travel further, but the firm tension in her legs made his imagination soar. He applied more pressure trying to focus on his hands, but the soft meowing moans from Beki's lips made it impossible. He felt his pants grow tighter and tighter until his mind was consumed of thoughts of Beki's bare flesh. To try to regain some control, Neji let go of her legs and stepped around to the other side of the island. With his back to her, Neji put the kettle on the stove.

"I'm going to make some tea. That should help bring down the swelling," He said as casually as possible.

"For who, you or me?" Beki snapped back.

A chill crept down Neji's spine but he didn't dare turn around.

"Did you think I wasn't going to notice?" Beki laughed. "You look like you're smuggling produce!"

"Beki," Neji began but she kept going.

"Attention security, we have a cucumber thief in aisle 4," Beki laughed again then winced.

"Keep it down," Neji shot a concerned towards the stairs. "They might hear us."

Beki scoffed. "Those two? They won't be around for a couple of hours."

"Hours?" Neji shook his head. "It just sounded like he needed her help with something."

"I forget you don't live here," Beki rolled her shoulders tentatively. "Innocuous stuff like that is code for 'don't wait up for us'."

Neji kept his attention on the tea kettle, his embarrassment slowly replacing his arousal.

"Hey, I'm teasing you. Don't worry about it." Beki leaned on the counter. "I was raised by a single dad, remember? I know that happens all the time for no reason."

"Let's just put this whole conversation behind us," Neji sighed as he ran the hot water over the tea leaves.

"That helped a lot," Beki flexed her legs. "I didn't even realize how messed up I was."

"I was happy to help," Neji said as he handed her a teacup. Every fiber of his man-being screamed at him to throw her down and make her start moaning again. The sounds he had heard escape her mouth would keep him up for hours that night. Even more so because her scent had permeated his hands. Beki smiled at him and tucked some stray hair behind her ear before she took a sip of her tea. _Maybe in the next life,_ Neji consoled himself.

….

Yuki sat on the hill overlooking the village. The sky was a sea of endless blue without a cloud in sight and the crispness in the wind made a sweater necessary. The long grass twisted and swayed in the soft breeze but Yuki took no notice. She was deep in meditation, reestablishing her connection to both nature and its spirits. As keenly as Yuki had taken to being a shinobi, she had been a priestess first. So much of her life was spent spiritually training that Yuki had never truly fallen out of her habits. In her quiet time, she would practice her calligraphy, study the classics, recite prayers, and dance. Not the trampy seductive routines she flounced at the strip club, but the old dances. They were ritualistic and deep rooted in the mythos of the Maidens.

In her youth, Yukihana had felt connected to her ancestry and had almost obsessively memorized the family histories of the three lines. There was a whole notebook shoved in the hollow of a tree in the woods near the shrine fully of Yuki's notes about her predecessors and commentaries regarding the other lines. At the moment, Yuki was struggling to parcel all of this out to her daughter. Having tested Beki's abilities in combat and found them lacking, Yuki was certain the girl would be spiritually deprived as well. Her philosophy for the future was that first the girl would have to be able to survive physically then she could start her instruction in the old ways.

A small smile pulled at the corner of Yuki's mouth. _Speak of the devil and he shall appear._

"Hey," Beki panted as she jogged up the hill. "I've been looking for you."

"I'm not usually that hard to find," Yuki looked up at her daughter, a gleam of mischief in her eyes. "There's typically a trail of bodies leading right to me."

"Ha ha," Beki put her hands on her hips. "You can stop with the 'I'm a hardened badass act' right now."

Yuki shrugged. "I am what I am." She surveyed her daughter's face. "You're healing well."

"The Hyuga have some special traditional medicine they like to force on me. It's as effective as it is foul." Beki explained.

"That's good," Yuki bit at her knuckle pensively. "Have they taught you how to make it?"

Beki shook her head. "No. I've lived with them but I'm not one of them. I don't want to overstep."

Yuki patted the grass beside her and Beki sat down cross legged. "I see you wore your armor today."

"Ishida just sent word he's on his way. When he gets here there will be a small ceremony to formally promote me." Beki tipped her head back, the breeze cooling the sweat on her brow.

"So, what you're saying is I can't mess up the pretty for a while." Yuki cocked her head.

"The what?" Beki shot her a confused look.

Yuki held her hand in front of her face and made a circular gesture. "Your face. You don't want me to mess up your face."

"I would appreciate it if we didn't." Beki nodded. "Or massive repetitive injuries to any place. My shins look like I was in a train wreck."

Yuki scoffed. "You can walk. I didn't break any bones." Out of the corner of her eye, Yuki observed how the armor. It looked so small now. Seiichiro had been a looming oni in it, nearly twice the size of other men in terms of height and width. Now it looked like the once massive torso would barely fit Seiichiro's leg. Its sudden reduction in size reduced the sheer intimidation power of the ancestral armor. It looked almost decorative on Beki.

The sweat on Beki's brow was also of concern. Seiichiro had moved in the armor as if he had been born in it, as quietly and gracefully as a cat. Beki had come lumbering up the hill like a cart was strapped to her back. The weight of her entire suit was barely what Seiichiro's breastplate would have been. Yuki bit at her cuticles. How could she effectively use the next week for training without doing damage to Beki physically?

Beki collapsed back on the grass and Yuki smiled, the answer coming to her at last. "We're going to work on improving your reaction time."

"How?" Beki asked at the same moment a snowball hit her square in the face. "What the hell?!"

Yuki stood with such ease and grace Beki felt even more like an uncoordinated toddler. "You're just going to go about your day like it's any other. I'm going to attack you. There will be no rhyme or reason for when and where I strike. You just have to be ready."

Beki furrowed her brow. "Okay?"

"Okay," Yuki smiled and clapped her hands excitedly. "I'll be seeing you."

"Yeah, same to you," Beki called out as Yuki skipped down the hill.

"No, you won't!" Yuki sang.

 _What have I gotten into?_ Beki shook her head and pulled herself back up into a sitting position. At least they were getting along now. Getting pegged with a snowball was also a lot less painful than taking a kick to the face.

…

Beki walked back into town wondering what she could do with herself. She had anticipated Yukihana putting her though the kind of intensive training she had before. She considered going for a run or doing some plyometrics to make up for the lack of physical activity she was going to have.

"Beki nee san!" Beki felt Konohamaru's arms lock around her before he spoke.

"Hey, what's up?" Beki ruffled his hair.

"I just got finished training. What are you up to right now?" He looked up at her hopefully.

"I'm open right now. Do you want to do something?" Beki grinned.

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could-" Konohamaru began but a flurry of snowballs rained down on Beki. They seemed to come from everywhere at once. She threw up her hands trying to deflect them but they were too fast.

"Ow!" Beki cried, holding the side of her head. She rubbed the tender spot and glared out into the nothingness. "There was a rock in that one!"

Konohamaru blinked in confusion. "Beki…what just happened?"

Beki shook her head. "This is my mom's way of helping me develop faster reaction time."

Konohamaru gave her a concerned look. "That was pretty bad."

Beki looked at the genin and lowered her face in embarrassment, a light flush coming into her face. "Yeah, you're right. That was pretty lame."

"Maybe you should keep training then," Konohamaru sensed that she was flustered and looked away. "We can hang out later."

"Yeah, see you around buddy." Beki watched in shame as Konohamaru ran off. One thing Beki had learned over the years was that children were brutally honest. If Konohamaru told her she needed more practice, Beki's performance must have been pathetic.

She took a deep breath and centered herself. She called out to her mother, wherever she was. "Okay, that was the first one. I know what we're doing now. This is when I get serious!"

There was no answer but Beki felt that there was a quiet understanding between them.

…

Yuki fell on her side, her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter. Beki had flailed as uselessly as a squid out of water at the onslaught of snowballs. The armor and her hair were caked with powder and her hair was sopping wet. The embarrassment and shock on Beki's face had been priceless. This probably wasn't the most effective way to improve Beki's reaction time, but by God it was the most entertaining. Yuki couldn't wait to see the next moment she could ruin for her daughter.

…

Beki had walked around town for twenty minutes but her mother hadn't struck again. _Did she forget or get distracted?_ Beki wondered. _Or is it all a mind game?_ She rested against the railing of the river bridge and sighed. This was the worst training she had ever had. With her father, Beki expected grueling tests of strength and willpower. Ebisu had focused on endurance and back home with Kobiyashi sensei, their focus had been on teamwork. So far, Yuki had beaten her senseless and now she was attacking her with snowballs. Not only was this "nontraditional" in methodology but at times Beki was forced to wonder if this really was training. Perhaps her mother just wanted to play with her and was too socially stunted from being in ice to know how to express it productively.

"Hey Beki," Naruto walked up to her with a bag of groceries in each arm. "Weren't you supposed to be training with your mom?"

"Yeah, I thought so," Beki rubbed the back of her head. "We're supposed to be working on my reaction time but I haven't seen her in a while."

"So Hinata and I were thinking a hot pot tonight, does that sound okay?" Naruto asked.

Beki grinned. "I haven't had hot pot in forever. That sounds awesome!"

Naruto looked down at his bags. "I got most of the stuff for it. Hinata's going to start working on the meat when I get home. When do you think you'll be finished with training?"

"Like I said, if mom doesn't turn up soon I'm going to- "

A snowball hit her square in the mouth at the speed of a major league baseball pitch. Beki sputtered violently and looked up only to see a hailstorm of snowballs heading for her at high speed. She threw up her hands and tried to deflect them but there were too many. Her vision blurred in the flurry of white. In her desperate attempt to defend herself, Beki lost her balance and fell over the railing of the bridge and into the river with a mighty splash.

Naruto looked over the bridge to see if she had surfaced. Beki burst from the water's surface, gasping for breath.

"We'll talk later," Naruto waved and walked away.

Beki began her awkward dog paddle to shore, the armor weighing her down in the water. "This is getting old," Beki grumbled as she dragged herself up on the bank. The mud coated her armor and squished into her boots. Beki grumbled as she thought about the hour she had ahead of her to properly clean her armor. She surveyed her surroundings and sensed nothing. The area around her was perfectly peaceful, not a leaf out of place. Beki sighed and started her trudge back to the Hyuga compound. She would hose it down in the yard, treat it, then shower. Maybe the hot water would refresh Beki's senses and save her from her mother's wrath.

…

Yuki had left Beki in peace as she cleaned and treated the armor. Beki wondered if Yukihana was unable to reach her within the walls of the Hyuga compound. "I guess I'm technically cheating right now," Beki shrugged as she oiled the metal. She left the armor on the covered patio to dry and walked inside the house. Naruto and Hinata were busily prepping for dinner but it wouldn't be ready for at least an hour. Beki ran upstairs, stripped off her soggy clothes, and hopped in the hot shower. The warm water brought her body back up to a normal temperature as Beki worked all the debris out of her hair. The looser pieces around her face had been the worst affected. When Beki got out, she braided her hair while it was soaking wet. When it dried, her hair would be as tightly woven as rope. She would have horrible crimps afterwards but if Yuki kept up her antics at least Beki wouldn't be stuck picking leaf bits out of her hair all night.

Beki threw on a t-shirt and some leggings and plodded down the stairs. She was comfortable now that she was out of the armor and more importantly she was warm.

"Hey Beki," Hinata called up to her. "Neji wants to join us for dinner tonight. He said he was going to bring up some more ingredients from the main house. Do you think you could go down there and help him?"

"Yeah, of course." Beki pulled on some shoes and walked out the door. She could see Neji walking towards them from the main house and headed out to meet him. As she got closer, Beki noticed he only had one bag in hand. "Hinata made it sound like you were going to have a lot."

Neji shook his head. "I was able to find a big enough bag to fit everything. I appreciate the company, though."

Beki laughed. "Sure, let me escort you the 27 meters to the house."

"So how was the training with your mother today?" Neji asked as he looked her over.

Beki waved dismissively. "We made a deal. No face shots or ugly bruises until after my promotion. They might take pictures and I don't want to look like I've been getting slapped around."

"Fair enough." Neji nodded. "What are you doing in the meantime, then?"

"Well, funny you should ask," Beki laughed uncomfortably. "So, we've been working on my reaction time- "

Beki heard a soft whoosh and threw up her hands to defend herself immediately. "I've got it this time!" Beki began to shout but before she could finish there was a snap. Instead of snowballs, Beki felt a bucketful of water dump over her as a giant water balloon broke over her head. She was left standing there on the lawn, soaked to the bone and stiff with shock. "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SNOWBALLS?!" Beki cried at the sky.

"I got bored!" Yuki's voice sounded far away, so far in fact Beki was left wondering how she had managed to snipe her with a water balloon that size. True to form, the water inside the balloon was as cold as a frozen river.

"This…this is how you've been training?" Neji's was striving to keep his gaze somewhere decent. Beki's shirt was completely drenched and clinging to every curve of her body. The water must have been incredibly cold judging by the way Beki's chest was responding. Neji could see every slope and peak of her breasts. The more he looked, the harder it was to avert his gaze.

"I know," Beki grumbled, folding her arms over her chest. "The one time I wear a cotton bralette. Are you done for the day?!"

"Fine!" Yuki called out. "We'll start again tomorrow."

"Can you maybe not, you know, do this to me again?!" Beki gestured to her clothes. "This is the second time I've had to change today."

"Get good!" Yuki was getting further away. Beki shook her head.

"Can you believe this?!" She gestured at her sodden body. "Have you ever heard of training like this before?!"

Neji shook his head, his eyes still glued to her chest. "Can't say I have."

"Well hot pot sounds darn good right now," Beki grumbled as she stormed up towards the house. "You can tell them what happened while I change."

Neji let her walk off ahead of him. He had a theory that the shirt would cling just as tightly behind as it had in the front. He smirked guiltily as his suspicions were confirmed and he followed her inside.

…

While Beki had been cleaning her armor, Yukihana had gone to the store and bought the colossal water balloon. She had knocked on the door of the Hyuga gate and her schemes had almost been thwarted. The gatekeeper had been concerned by the strange woman asking to come inside but a young Hyuga had wandered by at that moment.

"Who are you?" the girl had asked.

"I'm Beki's mother, Yukihana," She explained.

"What's that in your hand?" The girl eyed Yuki's hands suspiciously.

"I wanted to throw this giant water balloon at her," Yuki held up the empty vessel.

The girl's eyes flashed wickedly. "Is that so? Let her in!"

The girl had led Yuki over to the garden hose and had helped her fill it up.

"How are you going to hit her with this without getting close?" The girl sized Yuki up as she spoke. "You don't look strong enough to throw it that far."

"You hammer throw it," Yuki grinned. "Believe me, I used to do stuff like this all the time. It's not so hard as long as your aim is true and you don't stress the balloon too much."

"Why are you going to hit her with this, anyway?" The girl crinkled her nose.

Yuki shrugged. "For funzies?"

"Can I watch?" She asked.

Yuki nodded. "What fun would it be if no one saw her get humiliated?"

The Hyuga girl activated her freaky eye jutsu and stared off towards Hinata's house. "She's coming. Get ready."

"Where's my target?" Yuki asked as she began to spin.

"She'll be at your eleven o'clock in three…two…one…fire!" The girl cried.

Yuki released the balloon at the peak of its momentum. It soared through the air in a beautiful arc, landing directly on its target with a satisfying crack.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SNOWBALLS?!" Beki cried out, looking around for Yuki.

"I got bored!" Yuki said as she ducked further behind a shed. She looked at the Hyuga girl, who was still staring at the pair. "Is Neji laughing at her at least?"

The girl shook her head. "No. Ogling her boobs."

Yuki let out a gasp of realization. "So, its Beki he likes!"

"Duh," The girl rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows Neji likes Beki."

"Isn't he like, your brother…or you clone?" Yuki looked closely at the girl. It was hard to tell the Hyuga apart from one another, let alone how they all related.

"He's my cousin," The girl scoffed. "I'm Hiashi's daughter."

"Oh," Yuki nodded as she sized the girl up. "So, you're Hinata's _little_ sister."

"My name is Hanabi," she said, narrowing her eyes at Yuki. "And I don't like how you said that."

"Don't worry," Yuki patted Hanabi on the shoulder. "If you believe, I'm sure they'll come in someday."

Hanabi scowled at her and opened her mouth to speak but Yuki held up a hand.

"Are you done for the day?!" Beki's voice was full of frustration. Yuki could practically taste the girl's embarrassment and couldn't help but smile.

"Fine!" Yuki called out. "We'll start again tomorrow."

"Can you maybe not, you know, do this to me again?!" Beki gestured to her clothes. "This is the second time I've had to change today."

"Get good!" Yuki had begun to walk towards the gate. She gave Hanabi a wink. "I'll let you know if I plan on pranking her again."

"Maybe I'll help you. Maybe I won't." Hanabi folded her arms.

"Good enough for me." Yuki smiled.


	82. The Game Begins

**Hi everyone, its been a bit. I'm really excited to hear everyone's thoughts on this next chapter. That being said, thank you to everyone who has PM'd and reviewed recently. Youda best. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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Ishida walked through the gates to Konoha a little after six in the morning. The two shinobi he had brought along as witnesses for the promotional ceremony had been talking incessantly for most of the journey. They bickered like children, unable to agree on the simplest of subjects. For example, they spent the better part of an hour arguing if a flower they had passed was blue or purple. At many points on their journey Ishida had been tempted to silence them. What had held him back was that he had invited the pair along for the proceedings, so although they were younger than him they were technically his guests.

One would think that after a week of listening to the pair argue nonstop he would know something of them. Unfortunately, the topics they chose never seemed to be anything of substance. Ishida was left knowing nothing more of them than he started. The girl was from a landed clan and the boy was of some average peasant stock from the capital. Somehow the boy had managed to win the chunin exams and the girl was training at the shrine. Other than that they were complete nonentities in the political world and garnered no further notice.

"Why don't you two go on and check in at the hotel," Ishida offered. His face was pleasant but his tone was strained. "You should get some rest."

"As if," The girl scoffed. She was tiny, almost childlike. The ferociousness she faced the world seemed more intense because of her size, as if it were concentrated in such a small form. "I've never been out this way. I have to get the lay of the land before I rest."

"Come on Ren," The boy was lukewarm at best. He faced Ren with a false bravado, a weak person who was trying to be strong. The act might work on a stranger, but Ren had known him so long that she completely ignored his attempts to be in charge.

"Daiske, listen to me," Ren poked him on the tip of his nose. "You can go and crawl into bed like a worn-out plow horse. This village is one of the big five. I'm not going to lay my head down somewhere I haven't sized up yet. We're small fries out here."

Daiske gave a weak sigh and shook his head. "Enjoy yourself. I'm getting some sleep." He turned and headed towards the inn, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion.

Ishida glanced at Ren. "Try not to get arrested while you're running around."

Ren held up her hand solemnly. "Priestess's honor."

Ishida cast her a dismissive wave and Ren took off at full speed. He considered calling out to her, his diplomat's tendency to worry kicking in. Ren was nearly an adult so any harm that befell her was her own fault. Free of his charges for the day, Ishida headed to his hotel. He checked in, headed up to his room, and unpacked his suitcase. When they had traveled together, Seiichiro had hassled him about "moving in". Seiichiro preferred the ability to leave at a moment's notice; Ishida had to remind him that Seiichiro was no longer a shinobi and that it was incredibly inconvenient to live out of a suitcase.

Once settled, Ishida took a hot shower and changed into a fresh suit. All cleaned up and free from teenagers, Ishida felt like himself again. He prepared his briefcase and set out to see the Hokage.

…

Insomnia had been troubling Neji for days. At first, he had done his best to lay still and hope that sleep claimed him. That strategy hadn't worked. It was incredibly boring and he ended up fixating on his thoughts even more.

Beki had been on his mind. She was always on his mind but now it was interfering with his ability to sleep. What he found most troubling was how physical his ruminations were; he kept catching himself fixating on her part by part. He had so many memories of her now that could be dissected and rearranged to suit his fancies. He knew the scent and warmth of her skin, the softness of her lips, and the taste of her kiss. Neji had also seen her naked so many times he had memorized every curve of her form. His favorite was the way the valley of her waist led into the mountain of her hip. He had spent hours the night before fixated on it, picturing himself tracing that curve with his fingers, craving the feel of her flesh. At about five a.m. he gave up and got out of bed. There was no point in letting a beautiful morning go to waste.

As Neji went for his stroll, the chilly autumn air helped him feel more alert. As he reached the outskirts of the village proper Neji paused. He could either return to the Hyuga compound and make himself some breakfast or he could start his day's errands early. He looked up at the sky and guessed it was not yet seven, so not even the market would be open yet. Neji gave a shrug and began to turn back towards the compound, thinking of what he could throw together for breakfast. Then he thought he heard someone call his name.

Neji turned and looked back towards the village. A young girl was fast approaching him, smiling and waving emphatically. "No," Neji shook his head. "It isn't a kid."

"Hey Neji!" Ren skidded to a stop in front of him, stopping just shy of barreling him over. She gave his arm a playful sock. "How have you been?!"

"Hi Ren," Neji smiled down at her, his confusion plain. "What are you doing in Konoha?"

"Beki's promotion is going to be today," Ren explained. "Daiske and I are here as witnesses. We've been worried sick about her, everything that happened with her dad and all. How is she doing?"

Neji sighed. "Beki is doing better. She's been focusing on her work and training to distract herself but she has a dark moment from time to time."

Ren reached out and pinched his cheek affectionately. Neji balked and swatted her hand away. "What was that for?"

"You're just the biggest sweetie pie ever, aren't you?" Ren beamed and shook her head. "I should've known not to worry with you around. You've been spoiling her rotten and giving her all the cuddles she needs, right?"

Neji blinked. "I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Comforting her through all this!" Ren laughed. "It's obvious you've been taking care of her. I'm so glad the two of you finally hooked up."

"Ren, no, we haven't," Neji sighed and shook his head. "Beki and I are still just friends."

The mischievous grin slid off Ren's face and almost audibly hit the floor. "What?"

Neji felt anxiousness rising inside him. There was something unsettling about Ren when she was angry. She reminded Neji of little girls in horror movies, full of vengeful wrath and ire. She reached out and took ahold of his collar, pulling him close until their noses were touching.

"Why aren't you two together yet?!"

Neji reached up and tried to pry her fingers apart but Ren's grip from all the years working with the bow were hooked in like talons. "She's still with Gaara, Ren. I'm not a homewrecker."

"You should be!" Ren cried as she twisted his collar more. Neji shirt had twisted to the point where it was pressing against his Adam's apple.

"Ren…you're choking me." Neji sputtered.

Ren's dark expression softened, as though she had come back into herself. She relaxed her grip and Neji freed himself. "The two of them are good together. We've had this conversation, Ren. An ambassador and a kage, it just makes sense."

"The hell it does," Ren folded her arms and pouted. "He's never going to take care of her the way you do. I bet he doesn't even know how much Beki hates nattou! Not to mention he's stuck up and would probably get super upset if he knew that she ran around naked all the time!"

Neji paused for a moment at that. It had never occurred to him how desensitized everyone was to Beki's nudist tendencies. He was curious how Gaara would react if he found out Beki had walked through town more than once in nothing more than a borrowed shirt.

"Have you even told her you like her yet?" Ren socked his arm again and Neji rubbed the spot. The girl hit like a brick.

"No," Neji shook his head. "With everything that's been going on…there's never been a good time."

Ren stomped her foot with pure rage and Neji took a step back. "Are you kidding me?! That's the perfect time to tell a girl you love her! Are you stupid?!"

Neji stood there in silence. By the incensed expression on Ren's face, there was nothing he could say to defend himself.

Ren shook her head and buried her face in her hands. "You people are absolutely hopeless." She took a deep breath and pulled her hands down her face, temporarily contorting it ghoulishly as she tugged at her eyelids and lips. "Here's the plan. I'm going to find out if she thinks you're cute."

"Excuse me?" Neji shook his head. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"If I find out Beki thinks you're about as cute as a horse's ass, then you'll have no choice but to move on," Ren explained. "But if Beki thinks you're a hot slab of meat…Now that's a foundation we can build on."

The devilish smile that crept into Ren's face as she sized Neji up sent a chill down his spine. It gave him the most sinister sensation, like he was looking into the face of fate itself. "How are you going to do that?"

Ren chuckled, tapping her fingers wickedly. "With jealousy and manipulation."

"Now hold on a moment," Neji stared her down. "Beki is not in the most stable state right now. You had better not be planning anything that's going to hurt her."

Ren sighed. "Look at you, ya worry wart. No. I'm not going to humiliate or otherwise harm her psyche. Based on what she's told me in her letters, it sounds like you're as much her best friend as Hinata. She's used to having your undivided attention and constant support. If you were say, spending a lot of time with me, she'd start to miss all your attention. Hell, she might even come to you seeking some of your comfort."

Neji opened his mouth to protests but Ren's words began to sink in. Beki chasing after him? That might be enough to give him the courage to tell her how he felt. Not to mention make up for the constant frustration he put up with. As he imagined all the possibilities his expression softened. When he at last came back to the present, he found Ren smirking at him. She raised her eyebrows coquettishly, as if she knew exactly where his mind had wandered.

"I know, right?"

Neji shuffled uncomfortably. "Why are you helping me? Isn't Beki your friend?"

"That's exactly it, hot stuff. Beki is my best damned friend. That means she deserves a stone-cold hunk that's going to treat her like she's made of solid gold." Ren poked his chest. "You sir, fit that bill exactly. So, I am going to use every arcane power invested in this adorable body to make that happen."

It seemed pointless to argue with her so Neji nodded. "So, when do we start?"

"At the ceremony today. Beki's used to me hassling her about her sex life. Me asking her who the cutest boy in Konoha is won't seem so out of the ordinary."

Neji sighed and shook his head. "Alright, Ren. We can give this a try."

"I'll let you know what I find out today," Ren said as she turned but then paused. She turned, smiled at him, and pinched his cheek. "You two are going to have the cutest babies."

Neji watched as Ren skipped away wondering what he had signed himself up for. Ren knew Beki much longer than he had, so there was a fair chance her plan would work and maybe he could make some headway with her. In his heart, Neji knew his feelings for Beki weren't right. She was happily in a relationship with Gaara and if Neji really loved Beki he should let her be. At the idea that there might be a chance Beki could be his, though, he selfishly needed to give it a chance. Even if that meant seeing it burn up in flames, Neji needed resolution.

…

Beki had spent the last ten minutes binding up her breasts. It was a pain but Beki had burned through five bras and tank tops since she had gone Burned Maiden. Not wearing a shirt made the armor uncomfortable, too. She figured the ceremony would be short and was unlikely to be attacked so Beki figured she could put up with the discomfort. She was trying to build up her tolerance for if she really had to wear it into a fight. In that event, Beki would burn through her bindings and her underwear instantly and have to go commando for the rest of the duration. It was less expensive to rebind than it was to carry around extra bras everywhere.

After it had finished drying the day before, Beki had brought her armor upstairs to her bedroom. Normally she would have just thrown it on the living room floor and pulled it on but Naruto was home. Hinata always got this look on her face when Beki was less than decent and would yell at her about putting "real" pants on. Beki tried to be mindful of her feelings, even though it was clear neither Beki or Naruto really cared. Naruto acted like Beki was another guy in the house. Unless she or Hinata were crying, then he got uncomfortable and kind of threw them at each other.

Once she was bound up, Beki powdered between her legs and under her arms to help with sweat and chafing. Beki caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and chuckled. She looked like a corpse warmed over. If she had more time, Beki would go find Neji and sneak up on him. The poor guy had a horrible fear of ghosts and the undead that she frequently exploited for her own amusement. At last she began the tedious process of putting on the armor. It took her fifteen minutes to strap and tie herself into everything but the gauntlets.

Beki brushed out her hair and braided it tightly so the strands wouldn't get caught in any of the brackets or between the plates. Then she finished putting on the gauntlets and headed downstairs.

"Do you want to eat anything before you go?" Hinata asked.

"No," Beki shook her head as she pulled on her boots. "The ceremony won't be that long. Ren and Daiske are going to be there. I'm guessing they're going to want to go out for food and catch up after."

"When do you think you'll be home?" Hinata looked at the clock. "If you won't be home for dinner, Naruto-kun and I might go for ramen."

"Don't wait up for me," Beki smiled. "If I know Ren and Daiske they're going to keep me out late."

"Okay sweetie, have fun," Hinata gave her a soft smile back. "Today is a big day for you. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks, Hina chan." Beki headed for the door. "Just wish my dad was here to see it."

Hinata gave her a comforting pat on the back. "He's with you in spirit if what you told me about the armor is true."

"You're right," Beki shook her head. "I shouldn't be letting myself get so down. Can I get a kiss for luck?"

Hinata sighed and rolled her eyes. She leaned in and gave Beki a quick peck on the cheek. "Go get em."

"Have fun on your date tonight." Beki gave her a mischievous wink. "And whatever happens afterwards."

"Beki!" Hinata began but Beki was already out the door. Once she was gone, Hinata sighed and threw up her hands. "At least she's getting her sass back."

…

Ishida had arranged to use the conference room at his hotel for the ceremony. It was sterile and plain looking but it would accommodate the group comfortably. Hallowed ground was usually used for such occasions, such as at a shrine, or at a historic site. Unfortunately, no such site was available. The hotel owner said a wedding had been held in the room a week before. Ishida figured that the priest's blessings still lingered enough to count.

The ceremony was slated to begin in fifteen minutes yet there was no sign of Beki. Daiske and Ren were waiting patiently outside the door so Ishida could finish setting up. At first, Beki's absence irked Ishida. He had to take a deep breath and remind himself that although to him it was poor manners, fifteen minutes early was not technically on time. Finally he heard footsteps heading towards them and the pair outside began talking excitedly.

"Come on in," Ishida called out, relieved they could begin on schedule. The head that came through the door was not blond but the darkest of blacks, so deep and rich it seemed to steal the light from the room. Ishida's mouth dropped into a frown. "Lady Asou."

"Didn't think I was going to miss my daughter's promotion, did you?" Yukihana crossed the room and languidly took a seat against the wall. Ishida wracked his brain for some excuse to throw her out. He soured as he came up with nothing. He would be forced to tolerate her presence.

"You two might as well join us," Ishida sighed. "Perhaps Miss Tsukimori will decide to grace us with her presence soon."

"Chill out, Ishida," Yuki cocked her head. "She's still ten minutes ahead of schedule."

"How did you find out where and when we were meeting, anyway?" Ishida spat.

Yuki tapped her nose and grinned, maintaining a mysterious silence. Ishida hated her for all her pomp and self-satisfaction. The woman probably eavesdropped and yet she acted like it had been some great feat.

Daiske and Ren cautiously walked in the door. "So um," Daiske rubbed the back of his head. "You said you're related to Beki?"

"Eyes like blue lightning, hair as black as ebony, and alabaster skin with freckles," Ren's eyes widened. "You're an Asou!"

"Bingo," Yuki pointed at Ren. "You've studied your bloodlines."

"Beki's half Asou and half Tsukimori," Ishida scoffed. "She had a fifty-fifty shot."

Yuki ignored him and smiled at Ren. "Black hair, amber eyes, and olive skin. You're a Tsukiyama."

Ren clapped excitedly. "I've never met an Asou before! I thought Yukihana was the last of the line."

"That's correct." Yuki folded her hands and waited.

"You're saying you're Yukihana?" Daiske blinked in confusion.

"She's been dead for twelve years," Ren looked at Ishida for an explanation.

"Asou Yukihana trapped herself in her own jutsu for twelve years," It took all Ishida had not to snap. After so many years of peace, Yukihana had been thrust back into Ishida's life and was stealing the spotlight from everything else.

"Ouch," Daiske shook his head. "I knocked myself out with my own jutsu once."

"Once?" Ren shot him the side eye and Daiske mumbled something.

Heavy footfalls sounded down the hallway and Ishida let out a sigh of relief. Beki let herself in without announcing herself and looked around the room. "Hey guys. Been here long?"

Ren shook her head. "No, you're still five minutes early."

Beki looked at Ishida, who opened his mouth, but she interrupted him. "I know, five minutes early is ten minutes late." Everyone's eyes were watching her expectantly, although Ren had inched so close to Yuki they were almost touching. Ren's eyes were wide and she was shaking with excitement. "Keep it together, Ren. You can interrogate my mom in a minute."

"SHE'S A LEGEND, BEKI!" Ren danced. "There are so many things I need to know!"

"Okay, Ishida," Beki shook her head. "How are we doing this?"

Ishida sighed. Seiichiro hated the pomp and ceremony of office and his daughter had clearly inherited his disdain. "We'll make this quick, then." Ishida unrolled the scroll he had so carefully transported from Getsugakure. "Receive his Majesty's royal decree."

Beki, Yukihana, Ren, and Daiske all kneeled and bowed their heads.

"By order of the King, Tsukimori Haruka is now promoted to the rank of jounin in honor of her disposal of enemies of the crown. With this promotion, she is also appointed as her father's successor to the position of regional senior ambassador."

"I receive his Majesty's decree with gratitude," Beki kept her head low as she held up her hands and accepted the scroll.

Ishida also placed a heavy metal object in her hands. "This is your seal. Guard it with your life. It is the only definitive proof that you are who you say you are when acting as ambassador on the king's behalf."

"Thank you, Ishida." Beki looked up at him. "I know this has put a lot of extra work on your table."

"It isn't anything I wasn't expecting, Miss Tsukimori." Ishida folded his hands. "Do your best not to start any wars while you're out here."

"Will do," Beki bowed. "Thank you, Ishida."

"I'll take my leave then," Ishida looked around the room. "You all seem to have important matters to discuss."

Beki tugged at his sleeve as he passed. "I'll check in with you at the hotel later so we can discuss our game plan."

"Take your time." Ishida gave her a polite bow and walked out the door.

"So how long has your mom been undead?" Daiske asked, his confusion plain on his face.

"She's only been around for about a month," Beki explained. "I haven't written you guys about it because we're trying to keep it secret."

"Why? Your mom is one of the most notable Getsu shinobi in the last hundred years!" Ren threw up her hands. "Wouldn't everyone think she's more of a badass if she raised herself from the dead? Talk about unstoppable."

Yuki shook her head. "There have been a lot of attempts on Beki's life since I got back. If no one knows I'm here, no one will be expecting me to protect her." She sized Daiske up and pinched his cheek. "You're cute. You're not from a Maiden line, so who are you?"

Daiske swatted away her hand with no luck. "I'm not from a landed clan or anything."

"That doesn't matter, sugarplum. Who are you?" Yuki pat his now red cheek.

"Daiske," He said as he rubbed the offended cheek.

"Hey, while your mom is interrogating Daidai," Ren hip bumped Beki. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot," Beki let Ren lean against her.

"So, who's the cutest guy in town?" Ren looked up at her. "I think I've scared off the last of the boys in Getsu."

Beki looked down at her suspiciously. "Just so we're clear, anything you do here reflects on me."

Ren rolled her eyes. "I promise I won't make them cry. Too much."

"The cutest guy…" Beki started counting off on her fingers. "Neji is definitely by far the best-looking boy our age. He's so pretty he makes me insecure about myself as a woman. Naruto is handsome but he's taken, so I would advise against that because I wouldn't put it past Hinata to murder any competition. Then, um…" Beki narrowed her eyes. "Should I count them if they hate me?"

"If they hate you, then they'll probably hate me." Ren shook her head. "Leave em out."

"So then I guess it would be Shino and Lee-" Beki stopped abruptly and threw up her hands just in time to deflect a snowball.

"Good," Yuki laughed. "You're finally getting it."

Beki let out a frustrated sigh. "So, do you guys want to get lunch together?"

"Yeah," Daiske stood a cautious distance away from Yuki, putting Ren between them.

"You think they'd like my diner?" Yuki cocked her head.

"You can bring them down there," Beki nodded. "I'm going to go and see Ishida for a minute."

…

"So this is the place," Yuki turned and faced the pair. "Should we go in and wait or do you like hovering awkwardly outside?"

"Actually, I have something to take care of," Ren backed away. "I'll be right back."

"Ren," Daiske's eyes darted to Yuki and then to Ren. "You're just going to leave me-"

"BYE!" Ren darted off down the street.

"Wow," Yuki elbowed Daiske. "Talk about lucky. She's a good wingman."

"What do you mean?" Daiske cast a cautious look at her. Her eyes gleamed like a feral cat on the hunt. Daiske felt his stomach plummet and it was all he had to keep his knees from knocking together.

Yuki slung an arm around the boy's shoulders, reveling in the way his skin crawled. "Your friend knows I'm an attractive young widow and just left the two of us alone."

Daiske's eyes widened and his knees locked up. "You're my friend's mom…"

"Aw come on Dai-dai! That's what makes it so much fun! Or… are you not interested in older women?" She leaned over,

3263 stopping millimeters from his lips and took a menacing sniff at his neck. Yuki paused suddenly and pull away from Daiske. "Are you crying?"

Daiske turned away buried his face in his hands. "No!" He said through sniffles.

Yuki sighed. She liked making young men cry, but only from pent up sexual frustration. These cries were soft and broken. "Look kid, I'm sorry I've been picking on you," Yuki looked around nervously. "I guess in a mostly girl squad you probably catch a lot of crap, huh?"

Daiske nodded. He lowered his hands but tears still gleamed at the corners of his eyes. Yuki put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Would touching some boob make things better?"

Daiske viscerally retracted.

"Okay, okay, sorry," Yuki threw up her hands in a gesture of submission. "No touching. I get it."

"Tsk tsk,"

Yuki glanced up at the source of the sound and her face pulled into a sneer. "Go on. There's nothing to see here."

Kakashi gestured at Daiske. "You're bullying children, Yukihana."

"I wasn't bullying him, I was teasing him and I took it a little too far," Yuki looked at Daiske. "Tell him buddy."

"I, uh," Daiske looked between her and Kakashi who were both staring at him expectantly. His nerves were already in tatters and he could feel a sob catching in his throat.

Kakashi shook his head and Yuki turned to offer Daiske another apology. Before she could speak, Kakashi beat her to it. "Now you're intimidating the poor boy!"

"My parents are going through a divorce right now and my mom might be leaving our village and she…" Daiske gestured towards Yuki. "She looks like my mom…"

Yuki scoffed, quite insulted to be compared to someone's mother.

Kakashi shook his head. "Control yourself, Yuki. This is unbecoming, even for you."

"Hurry up Beki…Ren…" Yuki whispered. "What's taking you so long?"

…

"There you are," Ren skated to a stop a little too late, skidding right into Neji. He threw up his hands to keep her from falling.

"Ren," Neji looked around. "Is Beki with you?"

"No," Ren shook her head. "I have good news."

Neji felt his heart begin to race. Did Beki find him cute, or better yet had Ren taken things too far and told Beki that Neji liked her and she secretly had a crush on him? He did his best to keep his composure as he spoke. "What about?"

"She thinks you're cute," Ren explained. "Beki says you're so good looking you make her insecure about herself."

Neji's heart sank somewhat. "That…sounds like a backhanded compliment."

"She was being a hundred percent honest, girl to girl," Ren threw up her hands. "I'm not sugarcoating anything." At the sight of Neji's crestfallen face, Ren gave him an affectionate pat on the cheek. "Chin up, soldier. This is good news! We can move on to phase two!"

"What's phase two?" Neji furrowed his brow suspiciously.

Ren looked up the street, standing on tiptoe. "We've got to make her a little jealous."

Neji folded his arms. "Ren-"

"Trust me, okay?" Ren returned her attention to Neji. "Has Beki kissed you yet?"

Neji's face flushed scarlet and he stammered nervously for a moment before answering: "Why would you ask that?"

Ren rolled her eyes. "Beki likes kissing. I know her well enough to know she's probably kissed all her friends here. So, has she kissed you?"

"Y-yes," Neji sighed and averted his eyes. His face was still as red as a beet as he spoke: "You have to understand, it was an emergency situation and-"

Ren stood on her tiptoes and grabbed the collar of Neji's shirt, pulling him down into a full mouth kiss. The suddenness of it stunned him momentarily. The force of her kiss surprised Neji. She was pulling him against her with an almost carnal desire. It both scared him and made his heart race. Her tongue poked at his lips, but before he could pull away, Ren had already released him and turned around to face the street.

"Hey Beki," Ren grinned, licking her lips.

"Ummm…. Hey guys." Beki looked back and forth between them. "Am I interrupting something?" Her matter of fact tone made it obvious that she had seen everything.

Neji was horrified. He searched Beki's face for anger or any familiar emotion. Her expression revealed nothing. He opened his mouth to explain, but Ren subtly elbowed him and Neji snapped his mouth shut.

"No," Ren shook her head. "How'd your meeting with Ishida go?"

"Fine," Beki turned slightly towards Ren, but kept her gaze on Neji. "Are we still getting lunch or do you two have other plans?"

Ren shook her head. "No plans! Let's do lunch." She reached over and looped her arm around Neji's with a poignant grin.

Beki blinked, but recovered her composure almost instantly. "You're welcome to join us if you want, Neji." Beki said. "Plenty of room."

"Thanks, Beki." As soon as her back was turned, Neji activated his Byakugan. He watched for any sign she was in distress; an elevated heartrate, sweating, or abnormal breathing. Neji found nothing. Beki was fine. "What were you thinking?" He turned on Ren. "How is this supposed to help me?"

Ren shook her head. "Remember? If you are spending time with me, Beki will realize how much she likes spending time with you."

"You didn't even ask if you could kiss me," Neji shook his head. "I didn't know this is what you had in mind."

"It's not like I took your first kiss," Ren rolled her eyes. "Pony up. Come on, let's go to lunch."

"Do you seriously think I could sit at the table with her after that!?" Neji buried his face in his hands. Ren had been right about one thing, this would force him to get over her. If she kept up at this rate, Neji would be so shamed and humiliated around Beki he could never look at her again, let alone ask her out.

Ren grabbed ahold of his sleeve and dragged him along. "It all gets better from here."


	83. Priestess Schemes

**Hi everyone! I've been grateful for all the feedback I've been receiving on these last few chapters. I've heard your requests/concerns and I feel like what I have in store is right on target. I hope you all enjoy this next installment and I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts!**

* * *

Silence hung over the table, almost sentient in its ability to drown out their meager attempts to strike up conversation. Beki was aware of the awkwardness between herself, Neji, and Ren, but Yukihana's sudden aloofness seemed out of place. The only person that seemed unaware of the taboo was Ren, who was looking around at everyone with a sly smile on her face.

"So, I guess official congratulations are in order," Ren raised her teacup. "Hail Tsukimori Haruka, ambassador extraordinaire!"

Her toast received lukewarm mumbles of agreement but their lackluster involvement didn't faze her. "So, Beki. Where are you going from here?"

Beki tapped her fingers on the side of her cup. "From here I finish the projects my father was working on and continue my training." The expectant look on Ren's face cued Beki that her response had not been sufficient. "I would say more but based on what Ishida has been hinting at, there's a lot of catching up I need to do. This dinner is probably going to be the last time I get to go out and be social for a while."

"Then we need to party it up, right Daidai?" Ren elbowed Daiske. He hadn't been paying attention and was almost knocked from his chair.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Daiske glanced up at Beki. "If that's what you want to do, I mean. We shouldn't push her around, Ren."

Ren rolled her eyes. "Look, when a person is down that is exactly the time you should push them! If you let them wallow in their misery, they'll never get over it!"

Beki sighed. "What do you have in mind, Ren?"

Ren casually draped an arm around Neji. "Well if we were back home, I'd say let's go explore the caves or the graveyard. What's fun here, Nejibear?"

Neji visibly winced. "It sounds like you have a different idea of fun than we do."

Beki's eyes dropped down to the contents of her cup, her brow furrowed and her expression dark. Neji hated that he was on the opposite end of the table from her. If only he were closer, he could lean in and explain everything. He was hurting Beki and she was stewing on it. Although the logic had been sound, Neji was beginning to believe Ren's plan was not having the desired effect.

Yukihana noticed the tension and spoke for the first time during the meal. "How about karaoke?" She looked around at the rest of the group. "I know of a couple places downtown. They're kind of seedy but that what makes it fun!"

Beki shot her mother a knowing look. "How seedy are we talking?"

Yuki shrugged. "Maybe only one or two bloodstains on the floor."

Daiske paled and his eyes darted between Beki and her mother. "You're kidding, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Yuki grinned. "I wouldn't steer you kids into danger. What kind of parent would that make me?"

…

The building Yukihana led the group to looked like it could have been a front for a drug running operation. The neon sign flickered and blinked, a few sections of its name completely dark. The paint was peeling away from the walls revealing graffitied cinderblock beneath. A few men hovered outside, smoking cheap cigarettes and talking in low voices. They sized the group up as they approached, wicked grins pulling at their lips. As soon as their eyes laid upon Yukihana, however, their faces fell and they dropped their cigarettes on the pavement. They didn't even bother stamping them out as they beat a path down the road in the opposite direction. Beki cast her mother a questioning glace. Yuki's face pulled into a vulpine grin.

"My reputation precedes me."

"Uh, guys," Daiske looked around. "It's still daylight out now but by the time we leave it'll be dark. Is this the kind of neighborhood we should be in after night falls?"

Yuki pointed down a nearby alley. "I killed a man down that ally only a few months ago."

Daiske's jaw dropped in a mixture of horror and awe. Ren elbowed him. "We don't have to fear wolves when we're traveling with a bear."

Neji agreed with Daiske. Under normal circumstances he would voice his agreement and lead Beki to more savory parts of town. Seeing her in full armor with eyes like steel, however, Neji felt he had no leg to stand on trying to protect her. She was a jounin now and was carrying herself as such. Beki brushed past him gruffly as she followed her mother inside, her braid bouncing along behind her. For a moment, Neji was reminded of how Beki used to bounce like that, happily following her friends wherever they led. There was nothing carefree in her manner now and that sent a pang of sadness through him. He realized he had been standing still for some time when he realized Ren was right beside him. Neji glanced at her and was prepared to apologize. Ren's face was pulled in an unfamiliar expression. Her brows were furrowed and there was a slight frown at the corners of her mouth. She looked up at Neji and then her eyes trailed back to Beki's back. _She's worried, too._

The room Yukihana had set up for them was dingy but it at least seemed clean. Everyone took up a seat on the u-shaped couch and grabbed at the song listing menu.

"So, who wants to go first?" Yuki waved the microphone accusingly at the group.

"ME!" Ren threw her hands in the air. "I wanna go first!"

"No surprise there," Yuki handed her the mic. "Try not to pierce anyone's ears, okay?"

Daiske scoffed and Ren threw him a dirty look. "What's that for?"

"You confuse volume with range." Daiske spat and she swatted at him.

"Just for that you're next," Ren said as she punched in her choice. "Alright! Here we go!"

Beki's eyes were glued to the screen. The voices all bled into the background until it was just noise behind the music. Her muscles were tense, the way they got right before she started a fight. She clenched her fists and released them repeatedly to alleviate the pressure. The trick didn't work and only made Beki feel more agitated. Her jaw was clamped so tightly shut that her teeth were beginning to hurt. Sweat trickled down her back and bile rose in her throat. Beki swallowed hard. She began to focus on her breathing and adjusted how she was sitting.

Beki scanned the room to pull herself back into her surroundings. Ren had finished sitting and had passed the microphone to Daiske. As she settled back into the couch, Ren threw her legs over Neji's lap and poked his nose affectionately. Neji glanced at Ren and whispered something. She giggled a reply and swatted at his sleeve. Beki ignored their interactions at first but as time passed, it was all Beki could see and hear.

It was Yuki's turn to sing. She opened the song with her beautiful deep voice and the rest of the group became enrapt. Beki watched them all, their eyes wide and their lips gently parted in surprise. Ren looped an arm through Neji's as they listened, her head dropping against his shoulder. Neji paid her no mind, his eyes still transfixed on Yukihana. No one noticed as Beki slipped out of the room until after Yuki's turn was over.

Neji was the first to notice. "Where did Beki go?"

Yuki surveyed the spot her daughter had occupied and looked towards the door. "Probably had to use the restroom."

"I'll go check on her," Ren stood and Yuki stopped her.

"Take him with you," Yuki pointed at Neji. "You shouldn't walk through here alone. They could stuff you in a cart and we'd never see you again."

"How come you aren't worried about Beki getting abducted?" Ren's face puffed as she headed for the door.

"Because she's got a hundred pounds on you and a tendency to burn things that scare her," Yuki chuckled as the door closed behind them.

Neji and Ren looked around. The doors to the other rooms were closed and music blared from within them each, the muffled sounds of off-key singing drifting through the cracks. Beki wasn't in the lobby either. Ren elbowed Neji. "Do that freaky eye thing and find her."

Neji leered down at her. "It isn't a freaky eye thing." He activated the Byakugan and looked again. Beki's form was pressed against the front wall of the karaoke bar, her arms folded and her head bowed. "She's outside."

Ren followed him out the door. Beki was transfixed on some far-off point, her expression stony. Ren sighed and put on a coy smile. She took a breath and opened her mouth to speak at the same moment Beki's eyes snapped to Ren. The coldness of her glare knocked the words from Ren's lips.

"Inseparable as usual, it seems." Beki's tone held thinly veiled contempt.

Ren's eyes widened and she suppressed the smirk forming at her lips. _Predictable as usual, Beki._ "What, are you upset about something?"

At times like this, Beki's temper always flared. Truth be told, she was really hurt but hated seeming vulnerable, so she blended her tears with harsh words. Ren mentally prepared herself for the loud ugly onslaught, her own cool, logical comebacks at the ready.

"I thought you were my friend," Beki's voice was barely above a whisper but carried as much weight as a smack across the face.

Ren was not prepared for that. Her composure slipped for a moment. "What do you mean by that?"

Beki shook her head and averted her gaze back off to the distance. "I haven't seen you in months, and with everything that's happened to me, this is how you've chosen to prioritize your time?" She shook her head. "No, you know what? If I've learned anything, it's that life is short. So, if you two make each other happy, I'm happy for you. Just give me my space so I'm not reminded how alone I am in the world."

Ren smirked. Beki had shown her the weak spots she needed to exploit. "It sounds to me like you have a problem with me and Neji. Weren't you just telling me earlier that you think he's the most attractive boy in the village?"

Beki threw her a disgusted look. "So, you two start chatting it up where you left off at the chunin exams and go, 'hey I really like you, we should go out,' and you don't think you should say anything to me about it first? I'm your friend! Both of you!" Beki turned some of her sour face at Neji.

His first instinct was to apologize and explain this was all a misunderstanding but Ren looked up and shook her head at him. He closed his mouth and watched Ren work her magic.

"Sorry, I didn't think it was normal for people to ask their friends for permission to date. This almost sounds territorial, like you thought Neji was yours to order around."

"I just expected some forewarning, I guess." Beki stared at her feet. "I would tell you if Daiske and I started going out."

"I wouldn't give a rat's ass," Ren laughed. "I love you guys but I really don't care. Now, if I secretly wanted to be with you myself, maybe I would have a problem with you seeing Daiske."

Neji's eyes widened in surprise. As loud and brash as she was, Ren had a gift for finding the root of an issue as surely as her arrows found their targets. Beki was left standing there, shaking her head in confusion.

"No," Beki protested but much less confidently than before. "You're misunderstanding me."

"I shared the crib with you, Beki," Ren pointed at her. "I know your brain better than you do, but I don't buy into the nonsense you convince yourself of to cover up reality." Ren put her hands on her hips and leaned in. "So why don't you cut the crap and tell me how you _really_ feel."

Beki threw up her hands and stepped away from the wall. "I'm done."

Ren rolled her eyes. "Oh, here we go. Watch her avoid the issue like an incoming kunai. Why don't you be a grown up and talk this out instead of running away?"

Beki shook her head and started to walk off down the street. "I can't deal with this right now."

Neji stepped forward to follow her but Ren grabbed ahold of his arm and shook her head. "Let her think this out on her own. We've planted the seeds."

"It isn't safe for her to be by herself," Neji pulled his arm away. "I'll walk her home."

Ren kicked him in the shin. "You're as thick headed as she is! I get that you like her but she spontaneously catches fire and melts people who try to hurt her. She'll be fine walking through these backwater streets on her own."

Neji and Ren were interrupted by the door opening and Yukihana walking out. "Where is she?"

Ren pointed off down the street. "She's going home."

Yuki looked off after her daughter and then turned her piercing blue eyes on the pair before her. "I've been meaning to ask why the two of you have been so cozy?" The full force of her stare fell upon Neji. "I was under the impression you liked Beki."

"That's exactly why we've been doing this," Ren folded her arms. "Beki hasn't had to come to terms with the fact that she likes Neji. Bringing in some competition made her realize that she wants him all to herself. She'll probably throw herself at him first thing tomorrow morning."

Ren had a self-satisfied grin on her face that lit her up like a halo.

"Are you two careless or are you really this foolish?" Yuki's tone cut through Ren's pride like a hacksaw.

"This plan was flawless!" Ren stomped her feet. "I already called Beki out for being so territorial. She has to admit her feelings for Neji now."

Yuki took a deep breath. "Let me pull you out of your 'I know everything' teenage brain for a second here. Who are Beki's best friends?"

"That's easy," Ren counted them off on her fingers. "Me, Hinata, and Neji."

"And now all of you are in serious relationships. Some of you with each other," Yuki cocked her head. "So where does that leave Beki?"

Neji's heart sank. "It makes her a fifth wheel."

"So where is she going to go for comfort now that you're all wrapped up in each other?" Yuki raised her hands and watched them both for a reaction.

Ren stewed for some time but the answer came almost immediately to Neji. "To Gaara."

Yuki clapped. "Bingo! You two just sent her on an impromptu trip to the Sand. Good job."

Ren shook her head. "She can't just up and leave-"

"Ambassadors have clearance to come and go as they please." Yuki interrupted her.

As the two bickered, Neji stared off down the street after Beki. This had been his last shot, a final desperate attempt at winning Beki over, and he had failed gloriously. Not only had he hurt her, Neji had probably set forth a chain of events that would only solidify her bonds with Gaara. The more he thought about it the greater his feeling of loss became. A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed hard. Beki would certainly avoid him now. Neji's mind wandered to how different his life would be without her in it, how vast the silences would be, how depressing the night would become without her shining in the darkness.

Yuki's loud sigh pulled him out of his thoughts. "Lucky for you, I might still be able to do something about this."

"What do you mean," Neji was numb and the words that came from his mouth sounded like they were from someone else.

"You aren't exactly the best catch in the world but you're preferable to a damned jinchuriiki," Yuki stared Neji down.

"What are you-" Neji shook his head, his confusion only growing. "He isn't even a jinchuriiki anymore-"

Ren kicked him. "You're really bad at accepting help."

Neji held his tongue, afraid of further violence against him.

"I understand this isn't the popular opinion nowadays, but jinchuriiki are bad news. The last person Beki should be with is someone with that kind of unstable power and emotional issues." Yuki explained. "I'll follow her to Suna and do the best I can: poignantly point out his every mistake, insinuate he has a substandard set of equipment, sleep with his brother. Mom stuff."

Neji couldn't keep his dismay at bay. "That certainly isn't what I would call traditional motherly behavior."

Yuki shrugged. "I do the best I can with what I have available."

Ren's eyes sparkled. "It's genius!" She fell on her knees. "Teach me, sensei!"

Yuki gave her a dismissive wave, a pseudo sigh of exasperation slipping through her lips. "I suppose since you're training to be the next head priestess, it would only be appropriate I pass on my knowledge."

Neji watched the two trading information detachedly. He was no longer invested in the conversation. As far as he was concerned, it was all over. He would spend the next few days licking his wounds and convincing himself that he had a future.

…

The night was black and oppressive, like a wet blanket draped over the world. There was no moon, either. As Beki walked back to the Hyuga compound, past the comforting glow of the streetlights of the city proper, her uneasiness increased. She tugged feverishly at her braid, unraveling it, and reworking it over and over as she walked. Ren and Neji had been behaving so strangely and their behavior had set Beki off. It was like a switch had been flipped and it was now impossible for Beki to calm down.

"What is wrong with me?" Beki asked the night. The pinpricks of starlight gave no response save their spiteful winking.

Beki took deep breaths and hopped a few times, hoping that would work out the jitters. She tried hugging herself and massaging her shoulders but nothing worked. What Beki really wanted was to be comforted in this strange time in her life, someone to reassure her as she figured out what was wrong with her. The compound was quiet as she approached. The night gatekeeper yawned as he let her in. Ceremony didn't stand this late at night. Beki ambled past the well-kept gardens and listened to the crackling of the dried-out leaves as they swayed in the gentle breeze. When she reached Hinata's house, Beki carefully mounted the stairs carefully, walking on the sides to keep them from creaking. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly, pausing a moment to listen. The house was silent, its other occupants long since asleep. Beki repeated her silent ascent on the inside stairs and stepped into her room. She fished out her duffel bag and packed a few days' worth of clothes and toiletries. She descended back into the kitchen and began to pack provisions for the trip to Suna. About halfway through, she heard the door upstairs creek.

Beki cringed. She had tried so hard to conceal her movement but Hinata's ears were like a dog's. Or a parent waiting for their child to come home after they missed curfew. Beki said a silent prayer for herself as Hinata softly descended the stairs.

"Hey," Hinata rubbed at her eyes. Her hair was disheveled and her nightgown wrinkled. She had clearly been sleeping for some time.

"Hey," Beki stared down at her pack, the guilt plain on her face.

"Where are you headed?" Hinata pulled herself up on a barstool and sized Beki up. Based on appearances alone, her friend seemed out of sorts. There was a disquiet aura about her that seemed to seep out into the room around her. Her face was troubled, the thick brows furrowed and mouth pulled into a frown at one side. Something had happened and Hinata needed to ease it out of Beki.

"I'm going to Suna," Beki stuffed her canteen in the bag. "Now that I'm officially ambassador, I need to get to work."

Hinata shook her head. "That isn't all. What happened when you went out tonight?"

Beki sighed. "I guess if I had to put it in words, I'm having a hard time dealing with all the changes in my life."

Hinata rested her chin on her hand, her eyes ever vigilant for subtle changes in Beki's expression. "Does this have something to do with your mother?"

Beki shook her head. "I mean, that's a change that's happened recently but that wasn't the trigger tonight." Beki stopped packing her bag and tapped her hands on the table. "Ren and Neji are dating. That's weird for me."

Hinata dropped her hand to the table, her jaw following suit. "What?"

"I know," Beki's face contorted into mild disgust. "I would have never thought that they would be a thing."

Hinata said nothing in response. She was still trying to wrap her head around Neji and Ren. Beki interpreted her friend's silence as an invitation to continue. "I'm happy for them if they make each other happy. That's the problem, though. Everyone's so happy. They make it look so easy: you and Naruto, Ren and Neji." Beki ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "Whereas Gaara and I seem to be constantly struggling. Before Naruto got home, I thought that our troubles were normal. Then I thought that maybe you and Naruto just had a unique bond, a one true love situation. Now Ren and Neji…" Beki sputtered. "I have to go fight for my relationship. I want that happiness that you and Naruto have and I'm not going to get it sitting around being pissy."

"Good for you," Hinata patted her arm. She was doing her best to sound supportive but her mind was reeling. Something about all this wasn't adding up about Neji's behavior. If Beki was out of the picture in the Sand, there was a chance Hinata could get the truth out of Neji. "Do you want to wait till morning to head out?"

"No," Beki zipped up her bag. "I'm so damned antsy I couldn't sleep if I wanted to. I might as well make use of this energy while I have it."

"Stay safe, sweetie," Hinata yawned. "When should I expect you home?"

Beki tapped her fingers on the counter. "Well, its three days out and back. I'll need to be there at least a few days to get business taken care of. We'll say a week and a half to two weeks?"

"Alright," Hinata lethargically rose from the stool. "Send word if your plans change." She raised her arms sleepily and Beki stepped into Hinata's embrace. She breathed the milky sleep smell of Hinata's skin and it calmed her slightly. Beki let Hinata go quickly so as not to become tired herself. She grabbed her duffle bag and quietly set out for the Sand.

…

About two hours into her trip, Beki heard heavy footfalls racing up the path towards her. She turned around and braced herself, ready for a fight. Instead of bandits she saw her mother.

"Yuki?" Beki rested her kanabo on her shoulder. "What are you doing out here?"

"You think I'm going to let you run off to the Sand by yourself?" Yuki shook her head. "Uh uh. Where you go, I go."

"Don't you think that's a little clingy?" Beki wrinkled her nose. "I'm a jounin now."

"Just because they gave you the title doesn't mean you have the experience. It just means you have the potential." Yuki stretched. "So, until the day comes that you can kick my ass, I'm tailing yours."

Beki turned and continued down the path. "Suit yourself."

"On your way to visit Red?" Yuki asked.

"His name is Gaara," Beki scanned the woods. "You'll call him Kazekage sama."

"He's dating my daughter. I can call him whatever I want." Yuki folded her arms. "Is this just a booty call?"

"No," Beki rolled her eyes. "I've got business to conduct. He was mid negotiation with Dad before…you know."

Yuki nodded. "How are the inns in Suna?"

Beki winced. It was a loaded question. "They're about as good as anywhere else. Not terrible, not luxurious."

Yuki observed Beki carefully as she spoke. When her daughter finished, Yuki's eyes sparkled wickedly. "You're lying through your teeth. You've never been to an inn in Suna."

"I haven't stayed there long when I've visited," Beki adjusted the kanabo's weight on her shoulders. "Day trip sort of things."

Yuki clapped. "More bull! This is a glorified sleepover!"

Beki stomped her foot. "So, what if it is? I never get to see him!"

"Haha, my daughter the vixen." Yuki shook her head. "What do his parents say?"

"His parents died a long time ago. He lives with his older brother and sister." Beki explained.

"So it's a party house?" Yuki raised her eyebrows. "No wonder you sleep over!"

Beki sighed with exasperation. "It isn't like that."

"If Reika and I had the shrine to ourselves as teens, it would have been a kegger all the time," Yuki smiled nostalgically. "Chugged the ceremonial wine and eaten ourselves sick on wild blackberries."

"Did you and dad party all the time?" Beki gave her a questioning look. "He never really mentioned you guys being wild like that."

"We were plenty disorderly," Yuki explained. "It was different with us, though. We had a good time if we were together. Don't get me wrong, we did partake in the occasional inebriating beverage. Seii and I had more fun sober, making fun of people and engaging in battles of our wits. But, there was one particular drunken chess match that may or may not have led to your conception-"

"EW!" Beki threw up her free hand. "Too much. Do not want."

As odd as it was having Yukihana around, Beki had to admit it was nice having someone to talk to as she made her way to Suna. Usually this trip was stressful and time pressed. This time around, it was casual and relaxing. Her mother told her stories from her youth and peppered Beki with questions about pointless details of her life growing up. Before long, the sun was rising and Beki's knees were buckling.

"We should call it here, kiddo." Yuki looked around. She led Beki off the path and nestled against the trunk of a tree. Yuki held out her hands and opened and closed her fingers. "Come here."

Beki gave her a strange look. "What's this?"

"Come cuddle!" Yuki said in a baby voice.

Beki looked around. "Someone has to keep watch."

Yuki laughed. "If anyone can get close enough to kill us without me detecting them, they deserve the hit."

"You're not building my confidence here," Beki said as she cautiously lowered her kanabo to the ground.

"Besides, I forgot a blanket." Yuki explained but Beki laughed in her face.

"You always run cold! Aren't you impervious to it?"

Yuki thought about it. "Not completely impervious. I have a higher tolerance, maybe?"

"Whatever." Beki sat down between her mother's knees and rested against her. Yuki wrapped Beki in her arms and gently rocked her, humming a tune that was familiar and comforting. Within moments Beki had drifted off into a deep restful sleep. Yuki closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of her daughter's hair. As sleep claimed her, Yuki could almost fool herself into believing that the girl in her arms was still a five years old.


	84. The Cost of Things

**Hi everyone, its been a while. Sorry for the long break between updates. I feel like this is a drive by posting, because as soon as I'm back I'm going to be gone again (or at least as infrequent as I have been). I've been really grateful to those of you who have dropped me a line or a review over the last couple of weeks. It makes me happy to hear your thoughts and comments on the events that go on. I especially like the questions. Y'all are a very clever bunch of peeps and force me to keep on my toes as a writer. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I really look forward to hearing your thoughts! XO-Ponchoninjax3**

* * *

Yuki was at the shrine again. It was late; all the lanterns were out and a deathly stillness lingered in the air. The wind howled outside, rattling the doors against their frames. Reika breathed deeply beside her, mumbling something in her sleep. Yuki crawled off the futon that they shared and crept out into the hallway. A nagging sensation was tugging at her senses, luring her out of the safety and security of her bed. The feeling was vaguely familiar but Yuki couldn't put a name to it.

The floor creaked under the old, dried out tatami mats. Yuki paused from time to time to listen for any stirring priestesses. She moved surely in the darkness although she was unsure of her destination. Her feet carried her toward the back exit of the shrine, towards the deck on the lake. Yuki slid open the door and was faced with a nightmarish sight. It was bright as day outside, the lake reflecting the world engulfed in flames. There was a figure hovering in the air a great distance away. Yuki couldn't make out the features but it was possibly a woman. The howling she had taken as the wind turned out to be the strange figure's cries. Yuki calmly surveyed the shrine and found that it was untouched by the tongues of fire. There was a soft sound ahead that drew Yuki's attention. A cat was poised at the edge of the deck, its yowling keeping the blaze at bay. Yuki could sense the woman(?) was powerful beyond anything she had ever faced before, but this simple cat was an older thing and unwove the jutsu the way she had unraveled old sweaters.

Yuki stepped forward on the deck and stood beside the handsome cat to watch the world burn. It was peaceful in its way. Death was a part of life, so the end of all things meant everything could begin anew. Yuki smiled at the thought of the ashes as the rains soaked them, how they would be warmed and cooled by the changing of the seasons until at last in the spring flower buds would peek their way out of the snow. Saplings would claw their way to the surface, knocking over their scorched predecessors. She bored of the smoke-filled sky and turned her attention to the water. Yuki surveyed her own reflection only to see it degrade into a horrible, corpselike copy. She leaned in closer to get a better look when a rope looped itself around her neck. Yuki was dragged forcefully away from the water and she stumbled. She slid along the deck, flailing helplessly against the noose around her neck. Just as she began to settle down to begin considering her plan of action, something set the rope on fire.

When she opened her eyes, Yuki was greeted with the uncaring blinking of the stars. For a moment she stiffened, feeling lost and wondering where she was. Yuki glanced over at her daughter's sleeping form. Beki slept sitting up in her armor, something she learned from her father. The sight was familiar and comforting after such an unsettling dream.

Yuki settled herself into a meditation position. A normal person would just dismiss a dream like that as a nightmare but Yuki knew better. Whenever she had a dream like that, it was prophetic in some way. Right before Orochimaru came for Beki, Yuki had dreamed about a snake coming in through the window and swallowing the babe whole. It hadn't been hard to put two and two together on what that dream had been telling her. This time, though, Yuki was at a loss. The pair had no intention of returning to the shrine and she had no idea who that floating woman had been. Then there had been the Maidens; Yuki was sure it had been them. Were they trying to warn her about something?

"What's up?" Beki said, the sleep still heavy in her voice.

"Nothing, pumpkin." Yuki shrugged. "Just a bad dream."

Beki stood and stretched. "You ready to get moving?"

Yuki stood up and gestured towards the path. "Lead the way."

…

The pair were only a few hours out from Suna. As the climate had shifted from mild to severe, Yuki and Beki had switched to traveling early in the morning and at sunset to avoid the worst heat of the day. They had set out in the early morning but by the time they arrived in Suna, the heat would be oppressive. Already sweat trickled from Beki's hairline down into her eyes. It burned but she was helpless against it. Decked out in full armor, there was no available sleeve for her to wipe her forehead. Yuki spotted her daughter's futile blinking and pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket.

"That's old fashioned," Beki laughed as her mother handed it over to her.

"You laugh but you seem pretty glad to have it," Yuki scoffed. Beki wiped her forehead and her eyes, then offered the handkerchief back. "Ew, I don't want your sweaty rag." Yuki stuck out her tongue. "Hang on to it."

Beki shrugged and tucked it between her shirt and her bra. Normally she wouldn't be wearing this many layers. Knowing that she was technically visiting Suna as a diplomat, however, forced her to reconsider her comfort and opt for propriety. She cast a glance at her mother, who was fishing a lighter and a pack of cigarettes out of the same pouch she kept the hankie in. Beki shook her head. At times, her mother seemed prudishly old fashioned, with her hankies and her snooty antiquated coffee brewing. A minute later, Yuki would turn around and be smoking a cigarette, swearing profusely. Compared to her father, the woman was a complete enigma. Beki wasn't sure how much of Yuki's behavior had always been there versus how much of it was the woman's desperate race to adjust and conform to a decade in the future.

Yuki caught Beki staring at her and narrowed her eyes. "What's up?"

"Isn't smoking bad for you?" Beki cocked her head. "I don't remember you smoking when I was a kid."

"I picked the habit up from your father," Yuki exhaled the smoke in a steady stream. Beki hated to admit how badass it made Yuki look, even if it was going to give her cancer.

"Dad didn't smoke," Beki furrowed her brows. "I think he had like, one cigar a year on his birthday."

"That you knew of," Yuki's lips stretched in a vulpine grin. She tipped her chin up as she considered her daughter, a habit that made it seem like Yuki was always looking down on people. "Do you think your father told you everything? Sounds to me like he only ever let you see the best version of himself, hoping that you would only emulate his good. That way his bad would never get a chance to stick." Yuki laughed and shook her head. "That would have been fine if you didn't have to inherit his job. Seems to me you're a tad naïve of how people truly are, pumpkin."

"I think you make a lot of assumptions for someone who was trapped in their own ninjutsu for twelve years." Beki could feel the anger rising violently inside her. It surprised and startled her how little it took. Her whole life she had been slow to anger yet these days it felt like the smallest comment could set her off. That, and there were no stages to her anger anymore. Beki recalled being frustrated and hurt, then she got angry, then she became furious to the point of losing control. Now, she lost it immediately. The experience was terrifying to Beki It felt like she was losing herself, becoming a different person so subtly it had escaped her notice so far.

It hadn't escaped Yuki's notice. She felt the surge of chakra as it welled up inside Beki and nearly exploded right beside her. Yuki knew she tended to prod at people's weak spots. It was a subconscious habit that kept her on the advantage by making her the calmest person in the room. Yuki did nothing to respond to her daughter's dilemma. She was no physical threat; despite the raw damage potential of the Burned Maiden, Beki hardly posed a threat. The girl's lack of training meant that she had no ability to sustain the form for a long period of time or the mental capacity to make use of that window. Instead, Yuki watched Beki's face as she worked through the reaction. Her skin began to glow when the Maiden nearly triggered but then Beki's expression changed to a mixture of fear and surprise. She looked away from her mother and bit her lip. Yuki watched Beki's mouth as she quietly counted to ten while breathing deeply. Beki kept her face averted long after her skin had stopped glowing, too ashamed to look at her mother.

"That's going to become a problem," Yuki tapped the end of her cigarette to banish the spent ash. "If you can't get a handle on it."

Beki swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."

"I don't give a shit if you get angry at me," Yuki explained. "Losing control like that is going to get you killed. You're going to end up starting fights you aren't ready for, or you'll kill somebody you don't mean to."

"Ever since the Burned Maiden awakened inside me," Beki spoke slowly so her voice wouldn't crack. "I've noticed I get angry more often. I also tend to get angrier about things than I should."

"Like how you apparently can't accept constructive criticism?" Yuki watched her passively. "I've noticed that."

"I've never been an angry person, Yuki." Beki shook her head, missing her mother wince at the use of her first name. "It frightens me. It feels like I'm not in control."

"Someone else takes ahold of the wheel." Yuki looked off in the distance for a moment. Beki followed her gaze to the far-off entrance of the Sand. She wondered if her mother had ever been this far west before. She opened her mouth to ask when Yuki finally spoke. "In answer to your earlier question, yes. This is going to kill me. The cigarettes make me smell."

Beki blinked. "I meant cancer."

Yuki shook her head, laughing darkly. "I'm not going to live long enough to die of cancer, Beki. I'm going to die in battle, hopefully taking the bastard with me. This-" She pointed at the cigarette. "Is probably going to contribute to my downfall. It's not just the smoke, or the light at the end that will get me spotted. This shit gets in my pores, soaks into my clothes. I can contain it with the ice coat I put around myself but then I'm using chakra, which will also get me detected."

"Then why don't you quit?" Beki asked, her confusion plain on her face.

Yuki shrugged. "It reminds me of your father. That man picked me up and took me in when the whole world had rejected me. He gave me a place to live, a job, a future. He admitted to me later he did it because I was betrothed to his older brother and he hated him. That still meant he had no ulterior motives for me. We were riding into town on the back of a cart and the wheel came off. He handed his cigarette to me as he helped the driver fix it."

"So, you…?" Beki was having trouble following the narrative.

"I shrugged and took a puff. It burned the shit out of my lungs and I started hacking. Seiichiro didn't even see but he burst out laughing under that cart. My eyes were burning but I stuck the damn thing back in my mouth and kept puffing." Yuki's smile softened at the memory.

"Sorry, I just don't get it." Beki shook her head.

"The taste reminds me of him. At the time, I didn't understand it but…" She looked at her daughter and shook her head.

"What?" Beki cast her a frustrated look. "You can't just stop there!"

"I guess you'd get it. You've got a serious boyfriend," Yuki sighed. "That first cigarette tasted like him. When he gave me my next one it was different. I was having trouble lighting it so he started it for me. That's when it clicked. Until your dad and I started seriously dating and I could kiss him whenever I wanted, I feigned inability to use a lighter so he would start them for me."

Beki shook her head. "That's pathetic."

"Oh, like you've never played the damsel." Yuki rolled her eyes. "It's all part of the game leading up to courtship."

Beki thought about it. "There was that time Gaara carried the groceries home for me. I didn't ask him to, but…"

Yuki shook her head. "You're really your father's daughter. The two of you are so damned oblivious of how people feel about you, aren't you?"

Beki narrowed her eyes. "Those cigarettes are going to stain your teeth."

Yuki cast her daughter a dirty look. "Appealing to my vanity, are you?"

Beki watched as her mother chucked the butt and put it out with her heel. "It's working, isn't it?"

…

The guardsman stiffened at their approach. Beki assumed it was the armor; she had always seen it have a similar effect when her father wore it. As they drew closer, Beki pulled down the oni mask and smiled. It took a moment for their guard to lower.

"Lady Tsukimori," The taller one spoke. "We weren't expecting you."

"Sorry about that," Beki gave an apologetic sigh. "I was recently appointed ambassador. I wanted to formally greet the Kazekage."

"We can send word ahead that you're here," The other guard said.

"If you wouldn't mind," Beki bowed appreciatively.

"Who is this?" The guards gestured at Yuki, who smiled coyly in reply.

"This is my personal bodyguard," Beki didn't skip a beat. "Her papers are all in order. Since the assassination attempt, it was decided I should no longer travel alone."

They reviewed the papers Ishida had doctored. They were official; however, the information was all for an invented person. Ishida and Beki alone knew of these papers, so if an inquiry were ever struck up there would be a prison cell for them both. The guards reviewed the papers and waved them in.

Yuki chuckled but said nothing. Beki observed the casual way her mother entered a strange village, catching more attention than she gave. She was a head turner, glowing radiantly in all white in the bright Suna sun. Then there was Beki. She noticed she caught less attention in the armor, eyes downcast or averted to the side as they passed her. A small smile pulled at the corner of Beki's mouth. Her father would be proud that she wore the family armor with pride.

Beki checked them in that the inn before they went to the Kazekage's mansion. It was an adobe building with low ceilings and narrow halls. The midday heat was dangerous but it beat whacking their heads on doorframes and Beki scraping against the walls.

"So, we're going to go see Red?" Yuki elbowed Beki. "You excited?"

"Of course I am." Beki shrugged her off. "I hardly ever get to see him."

"Even if that means you have to introduce him to your mother?" Yuki cocked her head.

Beki stared her down. "You behave yourself. Not only is he my boyfriend but he's the Kazekage. You act up and I could lose this job. Which I desperately need."

Yuki gave her a raspberry. "You're no fun." Her eyes lit up and she smiled evilly.

"He isn't a hugger, so if you're thinking about smashing him in your boobs to embarrass him, forget it." Beki spat.

Yuki's smile faded and she mumbled something venomous.

…

"You know, if you keep at it like this you'll be blind by thirty," Kankuro folded his arms and kicked his brother's chair.

Gaara ignored him. The document he was reviewing had been put together by someone incredibly clever and equally as devious. If he wasn't careful, they might sneak something by him he would never want to agree to.

"Then, you know, in addition to having no eyebrows and being a ginger, you'll be blind." Kankuro prodded.

"That would be a blessing," Gaara sighed. "It would probably improve our work relationship if I wasn't constantly distracted by all the makeup you use to camouflage that you were born unbearably ugly."

Kankuro bristled. "It's getting a little too easy for you to shoot back. I remember, it used to take you a minute to come up with something. You don't even sound offended anymore."

"Are you bothering me because you're lonely or because you need to go out?" Gaara looked up at him.

"Are you implying I'm like a dog?" Kankuro narrowed his eyes.

"One of those little yippy ones women like to carry in their purses that pee on everything," Gaara repressed a smile as Kankuro's faded. "Kankuro is too tough a name for you; we'll call you Squeakers from now on."

There was a soft knock at the door and Kankuro walked over. The guardsman outside whispered a few words to him and departed. Kankuro turned with a sigh, knowing already what was in store.

"Gaara?"

"Yes, Squeakers?" Gaara said without looking up.

"Ambassador Tsukimori is here." Kankuro folded his arms and watched as Gaara jumped out of his seat so fast he took the chair with him, knocking it over and almost losing his balance in the process.

"Here, here? Like outside the door, or in town?!" Gaara looked around his office. He'd had at least seven meetings already today and the place looked more than lived in. There wouldn't be a free space to set a tea tray on even the arm of the sofa.

"Yes, Gaara. She's right behind me." Kankuro kept his best poker face.

Gaara had already scooped up a few large stacks of papers off the couch and was trying to sort them into a filing cabinet. "Can you hold her off for a few minutes?"

"Oh, yeah, I'll nip at her ankles and run off with her left shoe." Kankuro rolled his eyes as he stepped outside. Before he closed the door, he paused. "You do remember your one o'clock appointment is nearly here, right?"

He heard Gaara let out a string of what would have once been spine tingling curses as the door closed. Kankuro chuckled to himself. Beki was still ten minutes away. That meant he could sit there and enjoy the sound of Gaara tripping over coffee tables and slamming drawers like a crooked accountant facing an audit.

When at last Tsukimori arrived, Kankuro was impressed at the sight of her armor. Subconsciously he narrowed his eyes. The pattern and shape looked strangely familiar but he couldn't quite place it. Beki caught the look on his face and tapped the mask.

"It was dad's set." She explained.

Kankuro blinked and shook his head. After a moment, he chuckled. "Oh, you had a set made to look like his."

"No, it shrank to my size." Beki sighed. "I know it's hard to believe. I can…I can catch fire now? I put on the armor while I was burning and it shrank to my size."

"Okay Tsukimori," Kankuro put his fingers to his temples. "I have heard a lot of crazy shit in my time. It's not that I don't believe you but you need to do a better job of explaining."

Beki shrugged. "It's exactly what it sounds like. When they killed my dad, I lost it and burst into flames. When I get really pissed off I just spontaneously combust."

"You can understand how that would make you an obvious threat to my brother, right?" Kankuro put his hands on his hips.

Yuki raised her hand. "I'll put her out."

Kankuro's attention shifted to the woman beside her. He instantly hated himself for not noticing this woman earlier. She was quite possibly the hottest woman he had ever seen. The sight of her nearly derailed his line of questioning. "Wh-who are you?"

Yuki held out her hand and jerked her head towards Beki. "The ambassador's protective detail. You can call me Yuki."

Kankuro took her hand and kissed it. Beki snorted and looked away. The poor guy was clearly smitten. Maybe if her mother had another plaything she would leave Gaara be. Normally Beki would try to warn her mother's potential victim but Kankuro was a big boy. That and it might not hurt him to be the butt of a joke occasionally. "So, can I go in?"

"Yeah," Kankuro shook his head and blinked. "I mean, don't burn his office down."

"Got it," Beki socked his shoulder as she walked by. "Good luck, ace."

Kankuro didn't bother replying. Beki knocked on the door.

"Shit, Kankuro, can you do any better than that? I need at least five more minutes!"

Beki chuckled and let herself in.

Gaara was over by his desk, his jacket caught on one of his larger cactuses. He had one arm full of smaller potted cacti and was using the sand and his free hand to try to pry his jacket free. He glanced up at Beki and his face fell.

…

Was it Seiichiro? Gaara blinked at the armored figure silhouetted against the midday sun. They closed the door. As his eyes adjusted, the figure shrank until it was obviously Beki. She smiled up at him warmly. "Need a hand?"

Gaara remembered his predicament and set the smaller cacti on the desk. After a few seconds of tugging his coat was free.

"Aw, don't be embarrassed. You're nearly as red as your hair." Beki crossed the room to him. Gaara attempted to scoop her up in his arms but the armor made it awkward.

"Sorry," She looked down self-consciously. "I know this is different from how you're used to seeing me."

Gaara shook his head. "No, I'm glad you're being safe." He ran his hand over the chest piece, then knocked on it. "You could stop a spear with this."

"Hopefully no one tries to spear me," Beki laughed nervously. "I haven't field tested it for high speed projectiles."

It was so nice to see her smiling. The separation made it easy to forget what a powerful effect being near Beki had on him. Gaara could feel his heart pounding with excitement and his anxieties melting away. Beki was here and nothing else seemed important. He was overwhelmed with emotion to the point that a lump was forming in his throat. Beki looked up at him with concern so he pulled her into a tight embrace to hide his emotional state. She settled into his arms with her face in his neck. Gaara breathed in the scent of Beki's hair and kissed the crown of her head. As he looked up, he caught a glance of the clock. It was five to one. Gaara squeezed her one last time and released Beki, sliding his hands along her arms until their fingers intertwined.

"I'm sorry to kick you out," Gaara pressed his forehead against hers. "I have to finish my workday."

Beki gave him an eskimo kiss. "Its fine. When are you off?"

Gaara glanced back at his desk calendar. "It might be incredibly rude of me but if I keep my meetings brief, I could be off by six."

"I'll head back to the inn and get cleaned up in the meantime." Beki smiled. "I've got sand in places."

"I know," Gaara said a little too casually.

Beki burst out laughing as she walked to the door. "Hold it together a little longer."

She took ahold of the doorknob and was embraced from behind. Gaara gave her one last tight hug. "Sorry. I just needed one more."

Beki tipped back her head so he could kiss her. Gaara gave her a soft kiss on the lips, not daring to let it last longer than a few seconds. Kissing between them had a tendency of eating through insane amounts of time. He opened the door for her. Beki walked out and he was tempted to grab ahold of her wrist and pull her back in his office. As she made her way across the bridge he saw his one o'clock incoming. Gaara gave a soft sigh and steeled himself. He would need to be a little less accommodating today. The Kazekage had a date tonight.

…

Beki looked around for Yuki. Her mother was nowhere to be seen which would have normally frightened her. Yuki was different than any companion Beki had ever had, however. She shrugged and continued making her way towards the inn. The heat was still intense but Beki hardly felt it. Seeing Gaara had made her feel at peace with things.

After a few minutes Yuki popped up beside her. "Sup?"

"Sup? Where were you?" Beki looked around.

Yuki shrugged. "The Kazekage's brother was showing me around."

"He bailed on his post?" Beki blinked. "That doesn't sound like Kankuro."

"Kankuro…" Yuki shook her head. "That was it."

"Poor kid," Beki scoffed. "You didn't even bother to learn his name."

Yuki shrugged. "I usually don't bother with names. The only time I do is when its someone worth knowing. Or killing."

"He's like, nineteen Yuki." Beki elbowed her. "I know you've got this whole cougar thing going, but come on."

Yuki threw up her hands. "There's only six years between us, Beki. Hate to tell you."

"There's only three years between me and Konohamaru. You don't see me robbing the cradle," Beki spat.

"That's because he's still not consenting age," Yuki poked her nose. "That would make you a criminal."

Beki rolled her eyes. "You're a creep."

"So, how'd it go with Red?" Yuki asked.

Beki smiled. "It went well."

Yuki surveyed their surroundings. "This place really is a dump, huh?"

Beki shrugged. "It's not my thing."

"That sucks since you're dating their leader." Yuki laughed. "Doesn't that mean you'll have to live here."

Beki shrank away. "Well, I mean, technically yes. I'm putting it off as long as I can."

"This is absolutely godawful." Yuki fanned herself. "This place is so arid I can't stand it."

"It could have a cataclysmic geological phenomenon that would make the weather more pleasant," Beki offered.

Yuki threw her a dirty look. "What are you thinking of?"

"I don't know," Beki elbowed her. "Someone could put this whole place on an ice cap."

Yuki raised her hand and tried to form ice in her palm. It fizzled and popped. All she managed was a teaspoon of cold water in her palm. "Ick," Yuki smacked her lips. "My mouth is dry now." She wiped her hands on her pants.

"Can't you summon water from somewhere else for your ninjutsu?" Beki asked as they walked in the inn.

"I mean, I _can._ " Yuki shrugged. "It's an incredibly inefficient use of chakra, Beks. I could only sustain that for 15-30 minutes tops."

Beki blinked. "How many engagements have you been in that take longer than that?"

Yuki laughed. "Sweetheart, I've participated in raids that take days to finish. The longer I can run around in full Yuki-onna, the harder I am to kill. I can drop the temperature around myself in a three-meter diameter so low people start to develop hypothermia. It isn't difficult but if I had to summon the water and maintain the form no one would be dead by the time I was maxed out."

Beki opened the door to the room. "Dibs on the shower."

"Are you kidding?!" Yuki cried in disbelief. "You handle the heat better than I do!"

"I have a date!" Beki grinned. "Sorry."

Yuki hovered close by as Beki undressed and climbed in the shower. "Its extra claustrophobic in here," Beki laughed nervously. "I've been in lockers that were more accommodating."

"So Beks, how many kids does this guy want to have?" Yuki scratched her chin.

Beki sighed. She was cornered in that tiny shower. Her mother was going to take the chance to grill her with no chance of interruption. "Three or four. He likes kids."

"So, you're going to have to stay at home and raise them by yourself," Yuki rapped her knuckles on the wall.

"Why do you say that?" Beki furrowed her brow.

"Well, he's a kage, sweetheart. He'll be gone early and get home late. He might not even come home some nights. That doesn't even count visits to other nations that could take weeks at a time," Yuki counted them off on her fingers.

Beki stayed quiet. Based on her mother's tone there would be nothing she could say to win this argument. Yuki took the silence as an invitation to monologue.

"Your father could have been an ambassador while we were married but decided against it. It would have put too much pressure on you and me. We would have both had to be on our best behavior, always well dressed, and constantly subjected to baseless rumors. It takes a certain kind of person to live that kind of life," Yuki folded her arms. "It's one thing when _you_ are the ambassador or kage or whatever, and you feel validated by your work and whatnot. You get the benefits of the job and all the excitement that goes with it. When you're the stay at home wife or the kids, though, that's the worst. People will be pointing out every wrinkle on your face, every time you leave your house in sweats even if it's just to take out the trash, and will be constantly insinuating that either you or your spouse are having an affair. The kids get the worst end of it. They get to see their moms get treated like objects by the public, they feel neglected by their fathers, and they're ostracized by their peers for having it so 'easy'. Not to mention how they'll constantly be held up to their parents' as a standard. When did Gaara become a kage?"

Beki saw where this was going. "Fifteen." She said quietly.

"So, guess what people are going to say to your kids? 'Do you know what your dad was doing at fifteen?'" Yuki spat. "'He was a kage at your age!'"

"Things will have changed by then," Beki interrupted. "I'm sure my life is really different from yours, so theirs will be different from ours- "

"In a bad way." Yuki returned the favor by cutting Beki off mid-sentence. "I was a fully trained priestess by fifteen. I entered the shinobi world at sixteen and I was in the Bingo Book by seventeen for half a million ryo. How many high-ranking assassination jobs have you done, Beks? What have you earned with your own back and not by what's been handed to you?"

Beki was silent. She was starting to feel like this was a personal attack. "Now listen here-"

"That is exactly what I mean. See how you're feeling right now? That would be your kids. Every. Damn. Day." Yuki fell silent, her point made.

Beki climbed out of the shower and dried off gruffly. "Thanks for harshing my mellow, Yuki."

"Reality is a bitter pill to swallow, Beki, but it tastes a hell of a lot better than regret." Yuki caught the towel Beki threw at her and hung it up on the rack. "You can still enjoy his company but always remember your end goal."

Beki pulled on a sundress and braided her hair with precision. She threw on a little bit of makeup and grabbed her bag. "Come on, let's go find something to eat. I'm too hungry to wait until six."

"Sounds good to me," Yuki hopped along beside her, completely unfazed by their unpleasant conversation.


	85. Hit and Run

**Hi everyone, here's the next chapter! Hope you like it.**

* * *

As they approached the unassuming looking restaurant, Yuki stopped Beki with an outstretched arm. "No...this isn't it," Yuki sniffed the air. "Let's go that way."

Beki let out an exasperated sigh and followed her mother further down the road. It was much more comfortable, running around in a sundress than in full armor. It was true that if she were attacked, Beki would helpless, but she was putting her trust in her mother to protect her. The diner Yuki led her to was on the seedier end of the approachable spectrum.

"Get that look off your face," Yuki stuck out her tongue. "The food smells awesome and you're up to date on your shots."

Beki rolled her eyes and followed Yuki inside. She was right. The food did smell incredible. They sat at a table and looked at the single beaten up menu taped to the wall.

"I'm going with the curry," Yuki grinned. "That has to be what that smell is."

"As much as I'd like to, I do have a date tonight," Beki cocked her head. "If I eat that he'll be able to smell me coming a mile away."

Yuki laughed. "I guess being single does have its benefits."

Beki grimaced. Even if she didn't mean it, Yuki seemed to constantly be attacking Beki's relationship. Yuki was her mother and Beki was aware she should respect her opinion. At the same time, Yuki hardly knew Beki. It didn't seem fair for her to walk into Beki's life and start shaming her about her choices. "You really don't seem to like my boyfriend."

Yuki rapped her knuckles on the table. "How I feel about your boyfriend isn't important. As your mother I feel it's my responsibility to prepare you for the life you're setting up for yourself by being married to a kage."

"Gaara loves me," Beki said and instantly hated herself for sounding like such a love struck teenager. But it was fact, and Beki felt it meant more than any argument her mother had presented. "We've been through a lot together and I think we'll keep on working through our problems as we get older."

"Once again," Yuki was having a hard time containing her frustration. Of course Seiichiro would let Beki run wild in regards to her love life and leave Yuki to be the bad guy. "Whether you guys are in love doesn't matter."

"Then what does matter, _Mom?_ " Beki said the word with a bit of venom, her temper starting to flair.

Yuki kept a straight face. That was the first time Beki had called her "mom" since they'd been reunited. It should have been a happy occasion. Instead, Beki's attitude had taken all the joy out of it. "Priorities. What matters is people's priorities."

Beki remained expectantly silent, so Yuki continued:

"Gaara became a kage at 15. Suffice to say that position is important to him, he had to work hard to earn it. Tell me, Beki, does his job come between you often?"

Beki nodded. "My job gets in the way too-"

"You will have to give up your job to marry him. You will have to give up your birthright as heiress to both the Tsukimori and Asou clans, your status as a shinobi, and your citizenship to Getsugakure. Will his job still get between you two?" Yuki stared her down, watching Beki's guard waver.

"I can't say for sure. We aren't there yet," Beki looked away.

Yuki's lip twitched as she suppressed a self satisfied grin. "Your dad and I always put our family first. I liked being a shinobi, Beki. I got a lot of validation from throwing myself in dangerous and impossible situations and emerging the victor. When I found out I was pregnant, I quit. Your father had every advantage to rising through the political ladder: he came from the right family, he had an impressive service record, he was physically intimidating, wickedly clever, and an eloquent speaker. When I got pregnant, he got a desk job as a clerk. He didn't want you to grow up without a father. That's the same reason he turned down the job of ambassador at first-"

"But he became one anyway," Beki shook her head. "Where are you going with this?"

Yuki raised a finger for Beki to wait. "Why did he become an ambassador? His priority was always his family. He was a single parent and the reason was because a dangerous shinobi had come after you. Becoming an ambassador gave him the ability to cart you around with him so you didn't stay in the same place long, gaining him powerful friends and information in the process. He did it for you, not for himself. Your father would have murdered the king with his own hands if you had ever been threatened. Tell me: would Gaara start a war for you?"

Beki blinked. "No. It wouldn't come to that."

Yuki rested her chin on her hand. "I know your father and I were a bit...extreme in terms of our love and protection of our family. It was something we both always wanted and never really had."

"No offense, but I'm not going to base my life over your experiences with your only relationship. That was a different time, a different place, and different circumstances." Beki folded her hands on the table, using her diplomat voice. "You two had a perfect little fairy tale. You were the abandoned damsel in distress and dad rode in like a knight in shining armor. He swept you up and showed you a whole new world of murder and mayhem-"

"I was abandoned because I was naive. I was abandoned, Beki, because I thought love was enough," Yuki scanned the restaurant out of habit. No one was close enough to make out their conversation. She sighed. This was not something she liked talking about. It dragged up painful memories and reopened all her old wounds. She was already depressed about Seiichiro. Revisiting old ghosts was the last thing Yuki needed to do, but it was clear Beki wasn't going to get the point if she didn't sacrifice her own selfish sense of security. "You know how Reika and I grew up on the shrine together."

Beki furrowed her brow in confusion but nodded. She had heard these stories a hundred times. What more could her mother add to the narrative?

Yuki sat up and stretched, keeping her eyes on the table. "We did everything together from when we were three years old on. We knew all each other's secrets, knew all each other's dreams, and because we were both at the shrine we thought we would be spending the rest of our lives together."

"The thing was, we were in competition to become head priestess. I always joked about it with her that I was the clear favorite. My views were more traditional and hell, I had insane ice powers. Reika would laugh and go back to braiding my hair. I didn't realize how much that job meant to her. When those raiders came and I went out into the pass and killed them all, they held that trial. I never told you this, but the vote to oust me was split. The tie breaker was Reika." Yuki looked up at Beki. She could see the realization slowly taking hold. "Reika knew if I stayed, I would be named head priestess. She had the chance to keep me with her. It would have made sense, everyone knew I was her best friend and that we had grown up together. People expected her to say yes, even more so had they known we were lovers. But her priority wasn't _us_. It was that job, that position, the prestige of being head priestess."

Yuki could feel that old burn. The embarrassed flush in her face, the heartbreak she had felt all those years ago. It was duller now. That was nice. The loss of her first love wasn't as unbearable as the loss of her true love, apparently. That was a comfort in a lifetime of believing she wasn't capable of truly being human. Encouraged by her own response, Yuki continued: "When they asked her what she thought, Reika said 'She is guilty of great sin and unworthy of remaining in these hallowed halls.' Sounds almost rehearsed, right? Like she had been ready for an opportunity to stab me in the back for a long time. Over a job."

Yuki looked up at Beki, their eyes meeting for the first time since she started the story. "So understand this: I'm not coming at you from the perspective of a fairy tale, I had to learn this the hard way. Lucky for me I found your father, someone who actually gave a shit about _me_ and made _me_ his number one priority. No one knew about Reika and I. It was easy for me to sweep that shit under the rug as I remade myself into what I am today. You wouldn't be so fortunate if you were brushed aside by a Kage."

Her mother had tried so hard to be delicate, Beki realized. For two days, Yuki had carefully articulated how being with Gaara might not be such a good idea, asking Beki to consider what her future _might_ be like if she stayed the path. Now here it was, the truth spelled out plainly over a banged up table in a dive. "I appreciate you telling me this-"

"But you're going to be like every other young adult stepping out into the world, believing your situation is different and you know better." Yuki shook her head and laughed bitterly. "Why do you think grown ups always have the same stories to tell? The entire human race has the collective intelligence of a hamster in a cage with electrified corn. We get shocked and go back, thinking maybe this time the corn won't electrocute us."

Beki sighed. "I was going to say I finally understand what you've been trying to tell me. I'll talk to Gaara about it and see what we can do."

"What do you mean?" Yuki asked.

"I'll see if I can get him to prove what his priorities are," Beki adjusted her skirt self consciously.

"That's a smart step," Yuki rested her chin on her hand again. "Just remember, talk is cheap. If you ask him, the answer will always be what you want to hear. He's a politician, after all. He got elected to that seat."

"I'll ask him to set aside some time for me," Beki looked up at her mother. "I'll make sure he understands that I'm not just going to be a trophy wife."

"Have you guys talked about getting married?" Yuki furrowed her brow.

Beki flushed slightly and averted her eyes. "He may have proposed a couple of times."

"Come on," Yuki spat. "You're kidding me! This kid has no chill."

"He really wants to start a family." Beki tugged at her braid.

"At seventeen?" Yuki waved her hand dismissively. "That's crazy talk. Your hormones haven't even leveled out yet and your brain isn't done developing."

"I know," Beki sighed, tired of this conversation. "That's why I've told him I want to wait."

"At least your father taught you the good sense to do that," Yuki scratched at some dried sauce on the table. "A lot of girls would jump at the opportunity to marry a celebrity on the spot."

"I mean, I've jumped on him, not on the marriage," Beki said under breath but Yuki overheard enough to chuckle.

"No need to prove you're my daughter, I guess," Yuki laughed. "I never was very good at doing things in the order I was supposed to."

…

"Do you think I was too short with him?" Gaara watched his last appointment walk across the bridge with a frown.

Kankuro shrugged. "Some people will be offended no matter what you do. Don't feel guilty, Gaara. Everyone has a personal life. We all have things we would rather be doing than working. People just aren't used to that from you. Usually when you're out, you would rather be here."

Gaara looked guiltily at the pile of papers on his desk but shook his head. "It really is good to see her."

"And it's good for you to get out. You're a teenage boy. You have time to be a slumped over business man later." Kankuro folded his arms. "Or is that not what you're worried about?"

The Kazekage rubbed the back of his neck and looked around at his office. "This is somewhere I'm safe, Kankuro. I'm always good at what I do here."

Kankuro shook his head. "You adapt well to change, Gaara. You were a good active duty shinobi. Then you were elected kage, and you've become a great kage."

"But I've been her boyfriend for two years and I still am not confident about what I'm doing." Gaara explained. "The last time I saw her we had a bad fight."

"I remember. You cooped yourself up in here for three days, working without eating or sleeping. Temari was so worried she wore a hole through the rug with all the pacing she did at home." Kankuro said.

"Sometimes I feel like she needs something from me that I can't give her." Gaara leaned against his desk and folded his arms. "I do everything I think I'm supposed to but it feels like there's something _else._ "

"Ask her about it," Kankuro chuckled. "Don't be surprised if the answer is 'I don't know what I want, but I want it now!'"

Gaara blinked. "Did you talk to her about this while she was waiting outside?"

Kankuro shook his head. "No, Gaara. It is the plight of all straight men. We're fixers. If there's a problem, we want to fix it, right?"

Gaara considered his own attitude towards problems and nodded.

"Well sometimes with girls there's a problem but it can't be fixed. Think about Temari. You know how she'll come home and fume about something and we're just supposed to nod?" Kankuro explained.

Gaara nodded out of habit and then shook his head. "Do you think this is something like that?"

Kankuro shrugged. "I don't know, probably. Ask her if she's upset about something. When she's done telling you about it, ask her if there's a way you can fix it. If you can't fix it, ask her if there's something you can do to make her feel better. If she says no, let it go. Beki'll get through whatever it is herself. It sucks because you'll have to do deal with the moodiness in the meantime but that's just the tradeoff in a relationship."

"That seems straightforward enough," Gaara tapped his fingers on the desk. "I can do that."

"Everyone 'can' do it, Gaara," Kankuro laughed. "It isn't as easy to deal with as it sounds. You're in a great position because you're in a long-distance relationship. You have plenty of time to theorycraft and plan out each encounter. Just wait till she's screaming at you because you forgot to put the milk back in the fridge and it's gone bad or she can't stop crying because of an animal shelter commercial."

Gaara considered his brother carefully. "And you've experienced this firsthand with your slew of girlfriends?"

Kankuro shook his head and chuckled. "Nah, bro. I remember mom doing that kind of stuff to dad. It didn't matter that he was the Kazekage once she started storming. Where do you think Temari got that temper?"

Gaara rubbed the back of his neck. "I still really want her to move here. Even if we have been fighting, when we're getting along I've never been happier."

"And I'm happy for you. I think you found a good match," Kankuro adjusted his hat. "Beki really cares about you and tries to help you grow as a person. With your position, there are a lot of girls that would just pretend to like you and put up with your eccentricities to trap you. Do I think she's the hottest or the most well-mannered girl in the world, no. There's stuff you can help her with, too."

Gaara stepped away from the desk. "Do I look all right?"

Kankuro fluffed his hair. "Now you're good. Go get her, killer."

"For the last time, I'm not that angry with her," Gaara shook his head. "Honestly. I'd be more likely to keep her in sand cage than I would be to execute her."

"Maybe I'll talk to her about helping you not take things so literally. I've got seventeen years of work on this but still no progress," Kankuro shook his head. "Get out of here, weirdo."

…

Gaara left the office and made his way towards the inn. It was a beautiful evening; the summer heat had finally broken and it was almost pleasant outside. He flew low, alongside the rooftops, when he noticed Beki walking down the street. She wore a worried expression on her face, her gait slowed by her thoughts. Gaara called out to her and Beki's head snapped up. Her expression softened and she smiled gently as she waved up at him. Gaara landed beside her and took her hands in his. "I said I was going to pick you up. Did something happen?"

Beki shook her head. "No, I just figured you would be done about now. The plan was to meet you halfway."

"Are you hungry?" Gaara looped his arm through hers out of habit.

"Yes," Beki leaned against him. "But we don't have to do anything fancy."

"We're on a date," Gaara blinked. "Of course we have to go somewhere nice."

Beki sighed. "All right, lead the way Kazekage sama."

Gaara shook his head as he started walking. "How would I make Suna look if I took a visiting ambassador to a dive?"

"Well, if you're taking me out as ambassador then I need to go back and put on my armor," Beki turned towards the inn and Gaara yanked her back into place.

"Oh no you don't," Gaara stared her down with mock suspicion. "I know you foreign types. I have to keep an eye on your or you could try to steal government secrets."

"If tonight goes well I'll have you singing secrets to me naked," Beki spoke low enough so only he could hear. Gaara's eyes widened with surprise and a soft pink flush came into his ears. "I hope you're a woman of your word, Miss Tsukimori."

…

It was the same nice steakhouse as last time. Beki waited until after they had placed their orders to bring up what was on her mind. Before she could speak, however, Gaara reached out and took her hand.

"Work troubling you?" He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"We're going to have to talk shop eventually, but that's not what's on my mind." Beki brushed the hair out of her face. She was usually so comfortable around Gaara but it was possible that the conversation she had with Yukihana was psyching her out. At the same time, Beki was aware of how serious this discussion would be. Once Beki brought this into the air, they wouldn't be dating anymore. They would transition into adult territory: marriage, taxes, kids, and so on. Beki knew she had to grow and adapt as her life demanded but it would be nice if one thing in her life moved slowly. All she wanted was somewhere, or someone, she could be a seventeen-year-old with. Up until now, that was Gaara.

"You know how you've asked me to marry you a couple of times," Beki began slowly.

Gaara blinked and sat up a little straighter. She saw his Adam's apple bob and his fingers twitch. "Yes?"

Beki took a deep breath. "I was thinking about it,"

Gaara leaned forward in his seat.

"I can tell you what I would need before I can say yes." Beki finished. Gaara's face twitched, his muscles pulling into almost an almost imperceptible frown for a moment. She could tell he was disappointed. As usual he kept it to himself.

He let go of her hands and held up his palms in a gesture of openness. "Well, what can I do to fix it?"

The line wasn't Gaara's. Beki could tell he had rehearsed the response. She thought back to the last time they were together, when the had the nasty fight, and wondered if this was how he had prepared for their next encounter. Noticing the formal tone, Beki continued:

"I need you to show me you can make time for me. The whole time we've been dating, the time we have spent together has been a stolen night here, a lunch squeezed in there. If I marry you, Gaara, I'm going to have to give up everything to be with you," Beki watched him for a reaction but Gaara was unreadable as ever. "Your job is important and I understand that. I need to see that every once in a while you can put me first."

"What would you like me to do?" Gaara folded his hands.

"It doesn't have to be now, but sometime soon I want us to spend some quality time together." Beki explained. "Call it a test run of me living in Suna. I'll come out here for a week and stay with you. If you have to go into the office for a bit every day I would be fine with that. Just…" Beki shook her head. "Do you remember that weekend we spent at the beach house together? That's what I want. I want more of that."

Gaara rapped his knuckles on the table and gave a slight nod. "I think we could make that work. That would be nice to come home to you every night." He gave a slight smile. "And if it goes well you'll marry me?"

Beki laughed. "After we've done a few test runs and everything works out, sure."

Gaara narrowed his eyes at her. "Sure?"

Beki blinked. "What?"

"I have asked you to marry me five times, each of which you have shut me down. I finally get you to agree and it's a 'sure'?" Gaara watched her carefully.

Beki shrugged. "I mean, if everything goes well, why the hell not?"

Gaara pressed his palms against his eyes. "You make no sense to me sometimes, Tsukimori. I'm glad I didn't arrange for some elaborate formal proposal."

"Oh, you'll still have to do that when we get to it," Beki grinned mischievously. "I want moonlight and violin music playing softly in the background."

Gaara shook his head and called for the check. "You are going to get it tonight, Tsukimori."

A flush came into her face at the implications of his tone and her heart began to race. "Really? You know I can't back down from a challenge."

"That's what I'm counting on." Gaara leaned in close, resting his elbows on the table. "We haven't played King of the Rock for a while. I think that could settle our differences nicely."

Beki narrowed her eyes. "Where would we be playing?"

"I could fly you out in the desert, somewhere isolated." There was a hungry look in his eyes. "Every round I win you lose a layer of clothes."

"I'm wearing a sundress, Gaara," Beki puffed indignantly. "Let me go get my armor on and we'll try again."

"No," Gaara shook his head. "I don't think you understand: this isn't a game you're going to win. You might as well accept your fate and save yourself some time."

Beki narrowed her eyes. "You just want to do it out in the open again, you voyeur."

"You're the one who jumped me in the woods." Gaara blinked innocently. "Sorry I developed a taste for it."

"I mean you stopped murdering people on a whim," Beki shrugged. "I guess you'd have to thrill seek elsewhere."

Gaara folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Or, I could turn you loose and hunt you down. Eliminate the pretense of the game all together."

"Yeah, let me try to run away from you in a _desert_ full of _sand_." Beki laughed. "I'd rather play King of the Rock. At least I can trick myself into thinking I stand a chance then."

Gaara smirked. "Suit yourself."

…

Beki stared up at the stars, panting and sweating despite the chill of the night air. She looked over at Gaara with a smile. She was shocked to see him pulling on his pants and grabbing for his jacket.

"Don't like being naked out in the open?" Beki chuckled as she pulled her sundress back on.

"No," Gaara shook his head. "I have to get back to the office."

Beki's smile slid off her face and a cold feeling crept down her spine. "You're leaving?"

"I'm sorry Beki," Gaara stood and started to button his jacket. "I left early today to be with you. I have a lot of preparation work to do for my meetings tomorrow morning."

Beki blinked in shock. Slowly, her surprise sank down inside her until it sat in her gut like disgust. "So, you're just going to hit and run? We aren't going to talk or cuddle? Anything?"

"This is what I had time for." Gaara held out his hand to her. "Don't take this personally, Beki. I'm the Kazekage. My work doesn't go away when I leave the office."

Beki slapped away his hand and stood on her own. "It took me three days to get here, Gaara. You're telling me I went this far out of my way so we could have dinner and a quick lay? Please tell me you aren't serious."

Gaara shook his head. "I wish there was more I could do. Look, if you spend more time here I'll be able to fit in more time with you. You could come by and see me every day. We could have dinner in my office and-"

"Dinner in your office?" Beki did nothing to hide the hurt in her voice. "Is that what I am to you? Something you fit in when your schedule allows it?"

"I don't want things to be this way, Beki." Gaara folded his arms. "But I have duties and responsibilities I can't pass off to someone else. When things quiet down, we'll set up that trip for you to come out. We can get some quality time in then, all right?"

Beki shook her head. Gaara took ahold of her arm and formed the sand cloud. As they lifted off in the air, Beki made no attempt to be close to him. He wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her but she remained as rigid as a doll. Beki felt his eyes on her from time to time. She never returned his looks and she never spoke. There was this heartbreaking feeling nagging at her chest that there was nothing left to say. He dropped them off in front of the inn and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll see you later, Beki," Gaara said as he let her go.

Beki walked inside without a glance behind her. She felt dirty, like a napkin that had been used and discarded. There was this horrible mixture of embarrassment and humiliation writhing around inside her, making Beki want to curl up in her futon and hide from the world for a while. When she turned the key and entered the room, Beki came face to face with her mother in full spa gear. Yuki was in a bathrobe and had her hair in a clear shower cap. The black locks were coated in some kind of creamy concoction and her face was plastered with what Beki could only assume was a facial mask.

"Uh…Hi?" Yuki sputtered, frozen in her tracks. She clearly hadn't been expecting anyone to be in the room.

Beki stared at her mother in shock. Her hair was pinned up and there was a sheen of oil on her skin. "What… are you doing?"

Yuki blushed a bit and threw her hands on her hips. "I may look gorgeous all the time, but it doesn't just happen by itself! And I don't know if you noticed but we are in a desert and there's NO MOISTURE IN THE AIR!" Yuki waved her arms above her head in clear frustration. "What are you even doing home? It's only 8 o'clock."

Beki turned her head away from Yuki, her bitter feelings resurfacing. "Things didn't go as planned."

Yuki smiled a knowing grin. "Oh, I get it. Did it end a little prematurely or did he have trouble "rising" to the occasion?"

Beki flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "No! It went just fine! He just…. Left immediately afterwards."

Yuki frowned and thought for a moment. "You must not be very good."

Beki nearly stomped her foot in exasperation. "No! You know what… just forget it. This is why I can't talk to you about anything!"

Yuki discreetly stifled a chuckle and sat on the bed. "I'm sorry, hun." She patted the spot beside her. "No more jokes. Tell your mom everything that happened. I'll allow you to skip some of the less juicy details."

Beki sighed and joined her mother on the bed. "We had a nice night. We had a good dinner and things were going great and we… you know… got together… and then as soon as it was over, he told me he had to go to work and dragged me back to town!"

Yuki was quiet as her daughter vented her feelings. She would nod her head occasionally and give Beki a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Beki had tears slowly sliding down her cheek, but made no attempt to dry them.

"I just…. I don't know what to do. I really like him, but I can't handle how every time paperwork beckons, I get tossed to the curb. We're already juggling a long distance relationship. It isn't fair how I can't even spend time with him when I'm in Suna!"

Yuki smiled and put her hand over Beki's. "Being a kage is no small feat; it isn't some summer job you can just half ass. Your father was that way, too. He never did anything half assed. I am sure that this Gaara kid is a good kage. His father was kage, too, so I'm sure he learned the basics of it young. It would be natural for him to be a leader. Just because he's got it down and he's used to it doesn't mean that a kage can put his people second. It's not just a job, its a lifestyle. You can't change that, no one can."

"That's the problem…" Beki sniffled. "I think that he's really impressive and an admirable person, but… I can't bear to be on the sidelines. I don't want to be second place. You have no idea how much of my life I've spent sitting around, waiting for my time to come."

Yuki shook her head. "Don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say here. There are things in life that are worth fighting for. Your father broke all the rules to be with me. He sacrificed his family ties for our relationship. Your father was a stubborn man and nothing would ever change that. There are things about every person that you will never be able to change. If you want them to be in your life, you either accept them the way they are or," Yuki shrugged her shoulders and held up her palms. "You don't.

Beki was silent for a moment as she regained her composure. "That's some heavy stuff coming from a woman with mud on her face."

Yuki scoffed and sat up. She tossed the robe she was wearing aside and walked towards the bathroom.

Beki shrieked and averted her eyes. "Why are you NAKED!?"

"You weren't supposed to be here, remember? You're lucky I was even wearing the robe."

Beki buried her face into the pillow in a futile attempt to remove the image of her mother's rear from her brain as she heard the shower running in the bathroom. This wild and carefree woman was the Yuki that Beki had come to know. For those few moments, it was nice talking to her like a mom.

"By the way, if I remember correctly, you were walking through town naked when I first met you," Yuki leaned out the door. "So I don't wanna hear it, missy."

"Don't use all the hot water," Beki stared her down. "I need a shower, too."

"A little too sandy, my darling?" Yuki practically sang.

"I'm not answering that." Beki puffed up her cheeks. "Just hurry up already."


	86. The Recovery

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it. Because it takes so long for me to crank these out, I really appreciate those of you who take the time to review and PM me your comments/questions. It creates a more interactive experience for everyone and makes the sometimes disheartening struggle of writing a long form story that much more rewarding.**

* * *

Yuki and Beki parted ways at the village gates. It was a stark contrast to how her mother behaved outside the village. Beki was used to Yuki clinging to her defensively but while in Konoha she was comfortable turning her daughter loose. Beki wondered what that implied, whether she thought this was a safe place or if Yuki just didn't consider anyone here a threat worth defending against. Regardless of her mother's intentions, Konoha was a comforting and familiar sight. Beki enjoyed the crispness in the air that seemed to only exist near a forest. Her hometown had a similar chill to it, so thick you could almost take a bite.

As she walked through the village, the scents of nearby restaurants wafted into the streets. Beki could practically taste their trademark dishes and he stomach grumbled. They had been in such a rush to bounce Yuki and Beki had left Suna with no provisions. Yuki had proven herself a decent forager when they had to go long stretches between towns. Beki was running off wild roots and berries at the moment. She suffered one street after the other until at last Beki had crossed out of town and into the outskirts. As she made the final leg of her journey, Beki promised herself that if Hinata wasn't home and there was nothing in the fridge, she would change into something more comfortable and treat herself to a nice meal.

The gatekeeper let her inside without comment. Beki made her way up to Hinata's house, practically itching to take the armor off. She stood her kanabo up on the porch beside the door and let herself inside.

Hinata was in the laundry room preparing a load. She looked up at Beki with a broad grin on her face. The smile didn't slip but Beki saw the change in her eyes; Hinata had been hoping for someone else to come home.

"Naruto's off on a mission?" Beki began to unstrap her leg guards so she could take her shoes off.

"Yes," Hinata's expression was tinged with guilt. She hadn't meant to make Beki feel like she wasn't happy to see her. "What are you doing home so early? I thought you would be gone for another week."

Beki knew this was coming. On the walk back to Konoha she had decided on a generic response to avoid discussing the issue. "I should've known not to drop in on a kage. Gaara was too busy to see me."

"So, you gave up and came home after…" Hinata counted the days using her fingers to subtract Beki's trip out and trip back. "Two days?"

Beki shrugged, trying to keep up the lie. "He let me know there wouldn't be any openings. I have work to do here, so I don't mind." Beki snapped her fingers, remembering the upcoming festival. "And that means I'll be around for the festival next week! Why would I want to sit around Suna when I could be chowing on taiyaki?"

Hinata looked unconvinced. "You went running off to Suna to see Gaara, he was too busy, so you came home?"

"Yeah," Beki smiled. She could tell just by how her face felt it was a crappy, noncommittal attempt. When she was really, truly unhappy, it seemed it would be impossible to hide it.

Hinata narrowed her eyes. "I don't have to use the Byakugan to know you're lying through your teeth, Beki." Hinata closed the lid on the washer and started the load. She walked out into the kitchen and stared Beki down with her arms folded. "What happened?"

Beki opened her mouth, searching for a more convincing lie, when her stomach growled. Hinata's demeanor immediately softened. "You haven't eaten recently, have you?" Beki shook her head, grateful for the distraction. Hinata looked around the kitchen and rifled through the fridge. "I'm so sorry Beki, I don't have anything on hand. I could throw something together but it would take a while."

As Beki watched Hinata rummaging through the kitchen to take care of her, a pang of guilt wrenched at her gut. If no one else did, Hinata deserved the truth. Not a summary of what happened the night she'd spent with Gaara. Her friend should know everything going on in Beki's heart. She owed her that for all the love she had showered her with over the years, even when Beki was downright unlovable. Beki relented and heaved a sigh. "How about we talk over dinner? I haven't eaten anywhere but that diner Yuki likes and I'm dying for some barbecue."

"Okay," Hinata looked her over. "Do you want to go now?"

Beki shook her head and gestured at the armor. "I need to get out of this before I go anywhere."

Hinata followed her friend upstairs out of habit. "So, what happened while you were there?"

Beki opened the door to her room and started rummaging in her closet for something comfortable but mildly presentable. "I guess we can start now." She pulled out a pleated skirt and a sweater from her closet, then fished through a drawer in her dresser for a pair of thigh high socks. "So, Yuki and I head into Suna-"

"Because you were feeling like you needed to work on your relationship, if I remember correctly," Hinata tapped her chin.

 _Right to the heart of it as always,_ Beki tensed. It was scary how perceptive Hinata was when it came to the lives of her loved ones. "Yeah...so we got to Suna in the morning and I stopped by to see Gaara." Beki began to peel off the layers of her armor, stacking it on the stand she kept in her room piece by piece. She checked the armor as she placed it. There was still sand trapped in the nooks and crannies of the plates. Beki had a long night of scrubbing with a soft bristled toothbrush ahead of her. "He told me he'd move up all his appointments and get off at six to spend some time with me."

"Did he blow you off?" Hinata asked. "Work popped up and he couldn't make it?"

For a moment, Beki could have sworn Hinata was projecting. "No. He was off when he said he would be. He took me out to dinner and we talked for a long time about our relationship. You remember how he kept asking me to marry him?"

"And you kept saying no," Hinata nodded.

"I told him the reason I kept refusing was because I need to be a priority in his life." Beki was struggling with the straps on the chest piece. At times, it seemed like although the plates had conformed to her shape, some of the fasteners were still Seiichiro sized and a pain to release. Hinata stepped over without being asked and began to help. Beki kept her arms up in the air as Hinata released her from the chest pieces. "I mean, he's dumped me over his job before. I told him if we wanted to get more serious I would need him to spend some quality time with me."

Hinata nodded. "I can't imagine trying to build a relationship like that. Naruto and I were long distance for a time but we had already established ourselves."

Beki shuffled uncomfortably as Hinata raised the chest pieces over her head. "I've spent a lot of my life waiting for other people and sacrificing for my family. I had to start over here in Konoha, but at least I started getting to feel useful. If I have to give everything up for him and start over again…the least I think I deserve is more than dinner in his office."

Hinata considered Beki's words carefully. "Is that all he gave you?"

Beki turned away from Hinata and was quiet for a moment. She reached behind her back to unclasp her bra cleverly hiding her pain-twisted expression. The fabric fell to the floor and Beki felt Hinata's expectant gaze on her back. She was both physically and emotionally exposed. Her armor was in pieces around her and she could feel her inner armor crumbling as well. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she choked them down and gritted her teeth. Warriors aren't weak, she told herself as she turned to face Hinata bare breasted.

Hinata's gentle, concerned face stopped Beki in her tracts. Hinata looked hurt. She was hurting simply because her friend was hurting. For some reason, the realization shook Beki down to her core. Tears threatened to spill out once again and this time, Beki let them. Hinata was silent for a moment as Beki wept quietly. She opened her arms wide and Beki climbed into her embrace without protest.

Beki continued to cry for a small time. Hinata remained still, save for a soft hum and the gentle stroking of Beki's head. Beki swallowed the knot in her throat and tried once again to explain the situation to her friend.

"No, I got a little more time with him than that."

Hinata narrowed her eyes. Something incredibly intimate or humiliating had to have happened. She remained silent, however, until Beki could sense the expectant silence swell to crushing proportions and caved. "We, you know, did it, and then he went back to work right afterwards."

Hinata remained quiet for a moment. Beki had stilled her sobs, but Hinata could still feel some wetness through the fabric of her shirt where Beki's cheek was pressed against. "A few minutes later or…?" Hinata inquired. She and Naruto had had enough before work sessions to know that a speedy retreat was not enough to hurt Beki this bad.

"Like, pulled on his pants as soon as we were done and flew me back to my hotel at high speed. I was home by eight o'clock, Hinata. We went to dinner at six." Beki reached up to wipe her eyes. The tears had stopped and anger was quickly filling their absence. "Do you know the worst part, Hinata? He budgeted for that time! He knew he had to be back at work at eight so he knew EXACTLY how much time he could spare. But wow, he sure managed to find time to roll me over!"

Hinata winced and inhaled sharply. "That isn't right…"

"I feel like a call girl! 'Um hello, I need one big boobed blonde girl right away and she also needs to be down with banging in public! And don't worry about a tip, I'll just give her some steak! Put some meat on her bones'." Beki's voice was just short of screaming. "He could of at least paid for my hotel, you know since I'm basically just there to satisfy him." The anger in Beki was dying down pitifully and hot tears streamed down her cheeks again. "I'm starting to hate myself for loving him."

Hinata rubbed Beki's back soothingly and made shushed her softly. "Its okay, Beki. Let it out."

"I mean, can you imagine if _I_ treated _him_ like that? 'Oh, haha, yeah, sorry. I have better shit to do. Hope you didn't give up anything too important to be with me!'" Beki laughed bitterly. "I have caught so much shit for being with him. From my dad, from my mom, from the Raikage, I could go on." Beki rubbed her eyes and sobered, the darkness still seeping off her like a spell. "My mom said something to me the other day that summed it all up: I'm young and naïve and I thought I knew better than the adults that loved me. They were just trying to spare me this pain but oh, we were different! We were meant to be!"

Hinata winced. Ever since Seiichiro passed, Beki had a tendency to spiral. She would get caught up in her misery and tread water in it until her skin started to glow. Then she would freak out about transforming and spend the next twenty minutes deep breathing to keep herself from burning the house down. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Beki. The two of you really were good together in the beginning. It seems that ever since you were raised to a position of responsibility it changed the terms of your relationship. I think that even a well-established relationship struggles with big changes like that."

"You're sweet, Hinata," Beki shook her head and took a deep breath. "That doesn't change the fact that I've got myself in some deep shit and there's no easy way out."

Hinata pulled Beki over so her head was resting on her shoulder. "What do you mean, sweetie?"

"I'm dating the damned Kazekage," Beki puffed. "Even if I'm the most miserable person in the world and I decide we can't go on, I would need to be incredibly careful about how I broke up with him. I don't care how reformed he is, the guy used to murder for fun. I don't want to test his resolve." Beki leaned into Hinata, allowing her to support her weight. It was a relief. When she was in the armor, Beki had to have perfect posture. It put strain on every muscle in her body sustaining that weight and dealing with the restricted movements. A chance to let her muscles relax and not be a soldier for a minute meant more than anything. Beki heaved a sigh, feeling her heartbeat slow and her breath steadying. "What do you think I should do? He's three days away. I can't sit down with him and have a heart to heart over a cup of coffee."

"You should write him." Hinata laced her fingers through Beki's and gave her a squeeze. "Give yourself time to calm down and make as many drafts as you need. Lay out your feelings plainly. From what you've told me, handling this professionally might be the best way to get his attention."

Beki heaved a deep sigh, the lump in her throat dissipating. "You're right."

Hinata patted the top of her head. "Alright. Now that you're calm, put some clothes on. I'm tired of you walking around looking like a stripper."

Beki laughed and got back on her feet. She put on a fresh bra and the rest of her clothes. Hinata led the way downstairs and out the door. Beki felt relieved but also selfish. Hinata had helped Beki out with this mess of a situation, yet it was obvious she was dealing with some stuff of her own. "Hey, Hina chan. Are you doing okay?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes, I'm alright. Naruto was called away on a mission suddenly. I just miss him terribly, is all."

"Let me know if you wanna talk about it," Beki cocked her head. "I'm here for you."

Hinata smiled. "Thank you, Beki.

…

Neji spied Beki walking through town out of the corner of his eye. _That's strange. Hinata said she would be gone much longer than this._ Neji shook his head. It was none of his business what Beki did but old habits die hard. After he had shrugged it off, Neji continued towards the training fields to meet his team. Gai sensei had come up with some new training regimen he wanted to test on them. He removed Beki from his mind and picked up the pace towards their usual training grounds.

The training was grueling; they were out there for hours sparring and conditioning the way only Gai sensei could manage. Regardless, Tenten and Lee were as chipper as ever. Between their friendly banter and the hard physical demand Gai placed on them, Neji was able to put his mind at ease. Gai insisted they continue the regimen tomorrow. Lee had cheered this idea on, but Tenten and Neji were left grumbling.

After the training was done, Neji walked home alone with the sun setting behind him. Neji rolled his neck; it was already getting stiff. He knew he was going to be too sore to move tomorrow. When Gai pulled out all the stops, Neji could barely lift his arms high enough to take off his shirt at the end of the day.

When he reached the gates of the Hyuuga compound, Neji stopped and activated his Byakugan. Beki was sitting on Hinata's porch cleaning her armor. She was so fixated on her work that it made it easy to justify not bothering her. Neji entered the gates and started walking for his room. Now at ease about avoiding Beki, all he could think about was a shower and a hot meal. As his body complained, Neji considered the possibility of having some tea to help stave off the growing inflammation in his muscles. A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts with a start.

"Hey Neji," Hinata said softly from beside him. "Beki's been looking for you."

"Oh, she has," Neji adjusted uncomfortably. "Thank you, Lady Hinata. I'll go find her later." He bowed and stepped away to make a swift exit.

"You can't do this, Neji," Hinata looked at him with concern.

Neji froze. Hinata was always so sensitive to the needs of others. Her superhuman sympathy and observational skills made it hard to side step once she set her sights on an issue. His best bet was to play oblivious and hope that she bought it. "What do you mean?" He asked with the most innocent expression he could muster.

Hinata sighed. "You two really are the same in a lot of ways." She took a deep breath and continued. "I know what happened between you two before Beki left. She told me as she was packing for Suna. I couldn't believe it at first because you led me to think you really liked Beki. Then I figured you must have had your reasons. I thought maybe you really did like Ren so I let it be."

Neji looked up and scanned their surroundings. As far as he could tell, Beki was still working on her armor. Assured that the coast was clear, he spoke, keeping his voice low just in case: "That wasn't it, Lady Hinata. Ren knows that I've had my eye on Beki. She was trying to help me-"

"By making Beki jealous?" Hinata shook her head in disbelief. "Isn't that a bit insensitive?"

"In retrospect, yes, it was a foolish and desperate attempt." Neji sighed. "The idea was good. Ren claimed that Beki would realize how much time she spent with me and maybe realize she had feelings for me...if she had any."

"When Beki left she was practically in tears," Hinata explained. "She's constantly surrounded by successful couples whereas her own relationship is a constant struggle. Beki can't rely on Gaara for friendship or companionship. You and Ren are two of her best friends. It wasn't that she was jealous the two of you were together, Beki was upset because she felt like she would lose the two of you." Hinata fidgeted and looked away. "I know that since Naruto came home I haven't spent as much time with her as I used to. She had shifted some of that unused attention onto you. If you got all wrapped up in Ren, Beki was scared she was going to be all alone. Normally, she would just shrug that off and deal with it. I'm afraid Beki is still processing with everything that's happened with her parents, and-"

Neji put up his hands and shook his head. "Don't worry yourself, Lady Hinata. As I said, it was a foolish move and it won't happen again. I...I don't think I can keep going on like this."

Hinata watched him carefully. "What do you mean?"

"I've accepted that if Beki and I were supposed to be together, we would be." As Neji spoke, the words came without hesitation. There was a calmness to his voice that borderlined on the casual, as if he were discussing not being able to attend a concert he'd wanted to. On the inside, however, Neji could feel his heart sinking. As he admitted this to Hinata, it was as if he were speaking it into stone. Once he said it, it became irrevocably true. He had packed all his hope in a box and each word was a nail in the lid. As painful as it was, the experience was also cathartic, and he gained strength as he forced himself through. "I still care about her immensely. I got so wrapped up in her life that I find it hard to remember what my life was like without Beki in it. That time did exist, though, and eventually she will have to leave Konoha. The sooner I start to pull away the easier it will be when that day comes."

When he finished, Neji looked Hinata in the face to see her reaction. To his surprise, she looked worried for him. "You mean you're just going to try to avoid her from now on?"

Neji looked towards Hinata's house. "That was my plan, yes."

"I agree that maybe some space will help you get some perspective on the issue, but I don't think you can just avoid someone who lives next door." Hinata spoke gently, fully aware of the raw feelings involved on both sides. "You're her friend, Neji. She trusts you and cares about you. I know that at times Beki is oblivious but she will eventually notice that your absence is intentional."

"I can't, Hinata," A lump was forming in the back of Neji's throat. "It hurts too much to be around her."

"I'm not saying you have to train with her or take her on errands with you anymore," Hinata was practically pleading. "Just please don't avoid her. It would mean a lot to me."

Neji suppressed a bitter laugh. A heat rose up inside his chest. Why was it so easy for everyone around him to just ignore his feelings? The seal on his forehead itched slightly as he focused his gaze upon Hinata. "Is that an order, Lady Hinata?"

Hinata shrunk back out of reflex. He looked just like he had before he had fought with Naruto. But she wasn't the same Hinata as before. She took a step towards Neji entering his personal bubble. "Are you giving up, Neji? That really doesn't seem like you." She met his fierce gaze with a glare as intense as she could muster.

Neji turned swiftly and walked away, his stride more hurried than it had been before. Hinata sighed and wrung her hands. Before she had a chance to recover, Beki swept up from the side.

"Hey, Hina chan. What's up?" Beki cocked her head.

"Not much." Hinata noticed Beki was dressed to go out and forced out a smile. "Where are you headed?"

"Apparently Ren and Daiske are still in town," Beki grinned. "I was going to see if I could track them down. If they're still in town for the festival I was going to ask if they wanted to go."

"When you see them, say hi for me," Hinata said. "Will you be home late?"

"Psh, knowing them, more than likely," Beki stretched. "You don't have to wait up."

"Alright, have fun," Hinata waved as Beki skipped off towards the entrance. Once she was out of sight, Hinata let out a sigh of frustration. Why didn't everyone just talk to each other? So many of their problems would be solved if they were like Naruto and spelled out how they felt.

Naruto.

Hinata's cheeks got warm and a true smile pulled at her lips. He would be home soon. Hinata tucked away her worries about Neji and headed home so she could straighten up for her fiance's return.

…

"I mean, the vacation has been nice," Daiske rubbed the back of his head.

"It wasn't a vacation," Ren bopped him on the nose. "We've been serving as Ishida's escort."

"But he doesn't want us around!" Daiske threw up his hand in exasperation. "What's going to happen to us if something happens to him?!"

"He refused our services," Ren shrugged. "He technically outranks us and is also our client. We have to do what he says unless its treasonous."

Daiske shook his head. "Doesn't it feel wrong?"

"You and your shinobi code," Ren snorted.

"Not having a code makes you no better than a bandit," Daiske grumbled.

Ren elbowed him hard as they walked, "I'll have you remember that I'm also a priestess in training. As soon as I turn 19, I retire and become a full time understudy to the head priestess. That means I only have two more years as a shinobi."

"So, you've got shinobi senior-itis." Daiske shook his head. "You were the same way at the academy."

"You bet," Ren stretched. "You'd better figure out what you're going to do with yourself, Daidai. Beki is an ambassador now and I'm going to become a priestess. Team Honey's all but moved on without you."

Daiske rolled his eyes. "Thanks for reminding me." He shook his head. "Maybe Beki will need an assistant or something. I don't know if I want to hang out around Getsu with everything going on with my parents."

"You'll have to be around Yuki all the time," Ren teased.

Daiske's horror stricken expression reduced Ren to a fit of laughter so loud people were staring at them. Within moments, Beki appeared.

"I would know that cackle anywhere," Beki grinned. "Hey, guys."

Ren turned her catlike leer on Beki. "Oh, look who came crawling back from Suna."

Beki shrugged. Hinata had talked through everything with her already and she had a plan. Ren's teasing wouldn't change that. "Yeah, I got back early. When are you guys supposed to go back to Getsu?"

"The end of next week. We're going to escort Ishida home." Daiske shuffled uncomfortably. "He was pissed you left town without saying anything."

"I'm the senior ambassador now." Beki folded her arms. "I don't have to check in with him all the time."

"I think his point was he was in town for you and you skipped out," Ren explained. "I'm pretty miffed myself, truth be told."

Beki sighed. "About that. I'm sorry. I was upset about something else and I was taking it out on you guys. It really isn't a big deal that you and Neji are dating, Ren. I'm happy for you guys. I mean, I would have never pictured you guys together, but if that's what you want I totally support you."

Ren looked Beki over for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Beki, honey. You didn't know that wasn't a serious thing?" Beki's eyes raised in surprise. Ren stifled a giggle, trying to make it look as natural as possible. "I wanted to make you jealous. You've got yourself a kage boyfriend and a new fancy job as ambassador. Just didn't want you to forget about us. Neji was just too much of a sucker to resist."

Beki puffed up. "You know, Neji is a really nice guy! It's not okay to take advantage of him like that!"

Ren smiled internally. She raised her hands in mock self-defense. "Hey, hey. He got a good smooch with a cute girl out of it. Besides, you know I only have eyes for you!" Ren smacked Beki on the rear and turned away towards Daiske. _Sorry for getting you involved in all this, Neji. Hope this helps…_

Daiske looked back and forth between his two friends. Beki looked flustered and kept opening her mouth like she wanted to say something, but ultimately, she just sighed and followed Ren. As they walked through town, Beki pointed out all her favorite shops. The village was preparing for the festival again and some stores and restaurants were already draped in their revelry. As fun as it was, Beki hadn't been completely derailed from the earlier conversation. There was something still nagging her.

"So, you weren't into Neji at all?" Beki looked at Ren, her brows knit in confusion. "You seemed pretty into him."

"Eh," Ren shrugged. "He was a prude."

Beki stared her down suspiciously. "Ahuh."

Ren stood at her full height, her chin barely reaching Beki's chest, and put her hands on her hips. "I don't like having my time wasted! Its not that I couldn't have won him over to the dark side, its just it would have taken way too long to seduce him for it to be satisfying!"

"Coulda fooled me," Daiske mumbled.

"What, were you jealous?!" Ren elbowed him again.

Daiske frowned. "I would just like to point out that you two-" He pointed at both girls accusingly. "Are totally cool kissing _everyone_ , _all the time._ Except _me_."

Ren blinked. "I guess he's right."

Beki looked at Ren. "I thought kissing everyone was my thing?"

"After you left town someone had to do it," Ren sighed at the thought of her sacrifice. "Poor Daidai feels left out."

"Aw, Daidai!" Beki and Ren simultaneously threw their arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. They nuzzled his neck and rocked him back and forth as his face turned scarlet.

"Alright, get off!" Daiske squirmed his way free. "You guys are humiliating, you know that?"

Beki laughed. "Okay. That's enough teasing." She looked back and forth between them and smiled. It was nice having them around. The two of them were quickly becoming the only thing she had left from her childhood. They weren't as close as they had been as kids but they had been through a lot together. Her smile wavered as Beki considered the years to come, how they would become completely different people and have their own lives to live. She had begun the process but now Ren was on her own path as well. It seemed only a matter of time until they never saw each other again. This could be their last chance to do something together as a team. "Hey, do you guys want to go to the festival with me next week?"

"I like festivals," Daiske blinked. "What kind of food are they going to have?"

"Its all good, don't worry," Beki grinned and looked at Ren. "How bout you?"

Ren shrugged. "I guess I could try my hand at the carnival games. They've banned me from ever playing again at home." She scratched her chin. "I wonder how many stalls it will take before they throw me out here?"

Beki rolled her eyes. "Are the cheap prizes really worth all that to you?"

Ren smiled wickedly. "Its more about the looks of defeat on everyone's faces around me."

"There she is, taking advantage of the fact that she looks like a minor." Daiske shook his head.

"A minor? She looks like an academy student," Beki shoved her playfully.

"It's not my fault you started leaching height off me and Daidai in the third grade," Ren stuck out her tongue. "We were both taller than you."

Daiske scoffed. "Speak for yourself. I'm _still_ taller than Beki."

"BARELY!" Ren stared him down. "Imagine how much taller you would be if she hadn't leached it from you!"

"Okay, I think this is where I go," Beki stepped backward, laughing. "I don't know what she'll accuse me of next."

"You leached my boobs from me, too!" Ren shook her fist. "You shouldn't get to be tall and busty, Beki! Give me my boobs back!"

Daiske leaned down with his elbow on the top of Ren's head, pinning her. "You can go. I'll hold her."

"Thanks, Daidai. I'll see you guys later." Beki waved and walked away to the angry cat sounds of Ren trying to free herself from the classic "armrest" move Daiske and Beki had been using on her since the academy.

…

As Beki walked through the gates of the Hyuga compound she caught sight of Neji. He was heading back to his room and only had a small start on her, so Beki made a break for it. "Hey, Neji!" She saw him tense and slow to a stop. _He's probably still hurt by how I acted the other day. That or he's upset about Ren toying with him. Or both._ Neji hadn't turned to face her so Beki stepped around in front of him. "Hey."

Neji was clearly trying to keep a straight face but Beki could see the pain lurking beneath the surface. "I owe you an apology," She looked up at him with a somber expression. "The other day...I'm sorry about how I acted. I guess seeing the two of you so happy together just reminded me of how much I'm struggling. I took it out on you and that wasn't fair. I hope you can forgive me."

"Don't worry about it." Neji shook his head. "We weren't being very considerate of your feelings."

Beki could see he was still hurting. She knew that part of the reason he was suffering was her fault and Beki hated herself for it. "That doesn't make it okay, Neji. I know I haven't been so good about keeping it together when I'm upset. This…" Beki thought about the anger that welled up inside her that day, how it had made her violently sick to her stomach. That resentment she had felt had blinded her with rage, so much so she had turned on two of her best friends. And for what? She shook her head and continued. "As much as I want to blame it on the Burned Maiden, I can't keep doing that. It has made things harder for me since it woke up but I need to be stronger than this." Beki looked him straight in the eye. "I'm not going to let this win anymore. If I start acting like that again, call me on it. If I let myself treat my loved ones this way I'll become a monster."

Neji considered her carefully. "Don't worry about it, Beki. I doubt something like this will come up again."

There was a cold note in his voice as he spoke that stood out to Beki immediately. _Something else must be wrong._ "What's up, Neji, are you okay?"

Neji sighed impatiently. "I'm fine, Beki." He gave her a polite bow. "I'm sorry but I have to get going."

Beki was stunned. Neji hadn't bowed to her in years. "Neji!" She reached out and latched onto his arm as he turned. "Neji, what's going on?"

Neji rotated his arm and freed himself from her grasp. "I'll see you later."

For a moment Beki struggled, desperate to grab back ahold of his shirt and not let go. But something was off and she could feel it. Beki let him go. After a moment, Beki lowered her arms and watched Neji disappear into the house. Had she really hurt him that much? She stood there a few moments to see if he would come back out but he didn't. Knowing there was nothing more she could do, Beki turned and headed up to the house. She wondered if Neji needed some time to sort things out or if the other night had broken something between them.

Her armor was still sitting on the patio, less than half of it cleaned and polished. Beki sighed and plopped down on the porch. She picked up the toothbrush and one of the pauldrons and resumed the meticulous process of brushing the sand out of the crevices. As she worked, Beki noticed a slight warmth coming off the armor. The sensation was a comfort, so Beki put down the toothbrush and held the hot metal in her hands. She looked at her reflection in its dark surface. Beki's features were changing as she approached adulthood, chiseling away at the baby fat and making the soft things hard. It startled her, seeing an expression she had only ever seen on her father's face plastered across her own. Beki looked tired and not in the "haven't gotten enough sleep lately" way. She sighed and picked up her toothbrush. Tired or not, Beki had work to do.


	87. Festival Blues Part II

**Hi everyone! I know it has been a while since I last posted. I haven't heard from a lot of you either so I figure we have been mutually busy! That being said, to make up for the wait I'm giving you an extra long you don't hear from me again soon, just know that I've got most of the story already mapped out so I'm not going to abandon it. With my work schedule being what it is, it might just take me a little longer to get these puppies out. I look forward to hearing what you guys think. Its really fun to go back through the old reviews and see how far we've come. This story has grown and changed so much since I first started it and a lot of that is because of you guys. Your ideas and feedback have helped guide and shape this story into what it is today. I hope you're as happy with it as I am!**

* * *

Beki fought with the hair pick she had attempted to "artfully" place in her hair. Her mane was so thick that the ornament kept getting absorbed into the mass on top of her head.

"This is why I only wear my hair in a braid," Beki complained to her reflection. The up do was pretty enough. She tossed aside the hair pick and grabbed her drawstring purse from the dresser. As she walked to her door, Beki paused and took one last look at herself. She had fought with herself about wearing the armor or a yukata and decided on the latter. Ren and Daiske were foreign and dressed in their shinobi gear. If Beki were dressed for the occasion, even though the two would stand out in a crowd they would garner less suspicion if accompanied by a perceived local.

As she descended the stairs, Beki chuckled to herself. The garment was almost as restrictive as her armor in some ways. Hinata was by the door putting her shoes on. The heiress was as beautiful as ever.

"Hey Hinata, looking good." Beki grinned.

Hinata looked up, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Good morning, Beki. Heading out to meet your team?"

"Yeah," Beki adjusted her obi. "Knowing them if I don't show up soon Ren's going to start a bar fight."

Hinata chuckled. "That sounds like your friend. Did she get in this much trouble when you were kids?"

"Worse, but because she was so tiny it was always brushed off." Beki explained. "She looks like a child, now. When we were in the academy, Ren was like a ferocious toddler." She surveyed her friend, envying how much more put together Hinata looked. Beki gave an almost imperceptible sigh and a slight shrug of the shoulders. She only had herself to blame for her lackluster appearance. "So, you're going to meet Shino and Kiba?"

Hinata nodded. "We usually go with Kurenai sensei, but she's going with Asuma sensei."

"Wise choice." Beki smiled. "No one wants to be a third wheel to a recently married couple."

Hinata's smile wavered for a moment and Beki knew she was thinking of Naruto. _What a shame that he's still on his mission._ Beki knew that Hinata had plans with her team and Beki had plans with her own. That didn't stop her from wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea to get some quality time with Hinata. Just as she was opening her mouth to make the suggestion, the door was bowled open.

"Hinata!" Naruto panted, sweat dripping down his face.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata leapt out of her chair and flung herself on him. "You're home!"

Naruto gave her a tight squeeze and shook his head. "No, not yet. This is just a clone. We've been delayed by the client by about a day. I missed you so bad I couldn't wait."

The couple was completely oblivious of Beki now, so with a smile and a shake of her head, she walked outside. Beki closed the door behind her to give the happy couple some privacy. As she walked down the path toward the gate, she caught sight of an unfamiliar woman heading towards her.

 _Is she a Hyuga I haven't met?_ Beki cocked her head. "Hi there," Beki called out with a friendly smile.

The woman looked up and Beki froze in shock. "No way."

Yuki wrinkled her nose. "What's with the face?"

Beki shook her head. "It can't be you! You're just too elegant to be my mother!"

Yuki looked down at her kimono and shrugged. "I always go all out for festivals."

Beki surveyed her mother's attire more closely. She wore a silk kimono in rich cobalt hues. Pine boughs stretched across the surface, lightly dusted with snow. Along the bottom was a bed of the fresh fallen powder where little rabbits frolicked. Her charcoal obi was adorned with the phases of the moon in silver. As Yuki moved her head, expensive looking hair ornaments: lacquered combs, jeweled pins, and picks that looked like strands of wisteria blossoms clinked like windchimes. Her mother looked gorgeous, but in an unusually polished and traditional way. Yuki always talked about being a priestess. Until now, Beki had dismissed the idea. Seeing her mother with such subdued dignity proved at some point, her mother had been a person of conservative importance.

"So, uh," Yuki looked over her daughter with a slight frown. "That's what you're wearing?"

"I brought your old kimono with me," Beki pointed to the store house. "But it's a festival. That thing is a family heirloom and I don't want some kid running into me with takoyaki and ruining it."

"I understand not wearing that one," Yuki cocked her head. "But cotton? Really? You're an heiress to two clans, Beki. You could step it up a little." Yuki came closer and started to adjust Beki's hair. "And who taught you how to fix your hair? Your father with his top knots?"

Beki grumbled but it was kind of nice having her mom fuss over her. She watched in surprise as Yuki took out a few of her hair ornaments and fixed them into Beki's hair. "Where did you get all this?" Beki was close enough now to see the shimmer of silver woven into the snow on her mother's kimono and the high grade of the silk.

"I had it all made," Yuki said with an emerald topped pin in her mouth. She saw the confused look on her daughter's mouth and continued: "There's a shop in Getsu where I had my wedding kimono maid. I had them send someone with their best silk bolts. They took my measurements, I picked what silk I wanted, and then we decided on the rest of the getup the next time he came out."

"How long did this take?" Beki winced as her mother accidentally stabbed her scalp with the pin.

Yuki shrugged. "A couple months. I knew the festival was coming so I had it all done in advance." She stepped back to survey her work. Yuki smiled at the hair, but as her gaze traveled down the rest of Beki's attire she shook her head and sighed. "If I'd known, I would have had one made for you, too. You look like a peasant in this crap."

Beki rolled her eyes. "People always thought I was going to be arrogant because I was an Asou and a Tsukimori. It's clear now they got that idea from how you acted."

Yuki folded her arms. "Oh, you poor thing. Suffering so much under the burden of pretending you're average when you were born into greatness. I'd like to point out that the pretentiousness of preserving bloodlines you like turning your nose up at is exactly the reason you can catch fire and burn through your enemies like tissue paper in a house fire."

"I just don't like the way you act like we're somebodies and other people are nobodies," Beki shook her head. "Everyone is a somebody."

Yuki let out a frustrated sigh. "All I know is that not appreciating what you have been blessed with is a fatal flaw. Not to mention how depreciating yourself to make other people feel better about themselves is a good way to get them to treat you as bad as you treat yourself." Yuki took her arm and started walking down the path. "I mean, this isn't how I pictured taking you to a festival as a young woman, but I'm just happy I'll finally get to go with you. I've looked forward to this since you were in diapers."

Beki winced. "Hey, Yuki, I've got some bad news for you."

Yuki blinked and let go of her arm. "What do you mean? Are you feeling ill?"

"No," Beki gave her an apologetic smile. "See, my teammates are here from Getsu. I never get to see them, as in the last two years I've seen them twice. They're all moving on to other stuff so this is kind of the last festival we're going to get to have together. I'm sorry. I already promised to take them around today."

Yuki made no effort to hide her disappointment. "I already got raffle tickets for us to use at the arcade booths and reserved, like, ten taiyaki for you. I remembered how you used to throw those things back like a drunk." She sighed and fished in her obi. "I mean, I _assumed_ that spending an important day like this with your mother _who came back from the dead_ would be a given, but I've been wrong before."

"Yuki, I'm really sorry," Beki bowed. "I promise next year you can have me all day. I'll let you dress me up like a doll and show me off."

Yuki stuffed a receipt and a ridiculously large wad of raffle tickets in Beki's obi. "Go have fun with your friends. Don't get pregnant."

Beki shook her head. "What was that?!"

Yuki shrugged, trying to keep her face neutral but the small frown forming at the corners of her mouth betrayed her pain. "Nothing. I just don't want you to have too much fun today. I'm too young to be a grandmother."

Beki rolled her eyes. "I'm not like you were as a teenager."

"Yeah," Yuki sighed as she trudged for the gate. "You're right about that. I would have killed to have my mother take me to a festival. Or to have had a mother. Or to have gotten to leave the shrine to go to festivals."

Beki watched with a guilty expression as her mother threw open the gate, continuing her dejected tirade as she walked outside and marched away. She sighed and adjusted her obi. It was hard figuring Yukihana out. Most of the time she acted like a scandalous big sister, protective but too sexy and laid back to be taken seriously. Then there were times like this that she genuinely acted like Beki's mother. They were so infrequent they always caught Beki by surprise. There was no way she could ever predict what her mother would think was important mother-daughter time and what was just an everyday activity. Beki had also never seen her mother look hurt before. Part of her wanted to chase Yuki down and apologize now, blow off her friends, and give her the day she'd been looking forward to. At the same time, Yuki was always around now. Beki would have plenty of opportunities to fix this between them. Her friends, on the other hand, were only going to be around for a few more days. She sighed, frustrated to be trapped in another complicated relationship situation. Beki shook her head and walked through the gates.

…

"Hey baby!" Ren whistled. "Where you been all my life?!"

"Shut up, Ren," Beki folded her arms. "I thought if I dressed up you guys wouldn't look so out of place."

Daiske smiled. "You look nice, Beki."

"Who did your hair, girl," Ren grabbed Beki's obi and pulled her forward so she could have a better look. "These hair ornaments look expensive." She grabbed Beki's chin and turned her face so they were nose to nose. "You ain't holding out on me, are you, boo?"

Beki swatted Ren away. "My mom did my hair. They're hers."

"I was going to say, they're a little on the fancy side for what you're wearing." Ren folded her arms. "That shit almost looks ceremonial. I would know."

Daiske rolled his eyes. "Here we go again, with the _I'm-practically-a-certified-priestess_ crap."

Ren stuck out her tongue. "So, can we get to the booths already? I wanna see some grown men cry." She rubbed her hands together and laughed maniacally.

Beki fished the roll of raffle tickets out of her obi. "My mom gave me these for us to use."

Ren's eyes lit up and she snatched them out of Beki's hands. Her teammates gave her a dirty look and she relented, unrolling the tickets and tearing off a small wad for each of them.

"That's all?" Daiske rubbed his fingers together. "I saw a nice set of headphones I want to win."

Ren grumbled as she handed him more tickets. "Honestly, taking raffle tickets from a child. You should be ashamed, Daiske."

"Funny how you insist you're a child when it's convenient." Daiske snatched the tickets. "Beks, did your mom give you anything else?"

"Like a love note for Daiske?" Ren popped up with an excited grin.

Beki thought of the receipt for the reserved taiyaki and smiled broadly. "Nope. Just the tickets."

…

Kakashi was forcing his way through the throngs of the festival crowd. He usually didn't mind the gaiety but the turnout this year was excessive. The streets seemed warmer and more humid because of all the bodies. All he could think about was going home, cranking the fan, and curling up with a good book. As he politely shoved his way upstream of the crowd, he heard a familiar voice and turned. It was Yuki's diner. Kakashi sighed. At least if he was in the diner he would be off the street. He stepped through the doors and was immediately struck with a strange sight.

Yukihana was done up in traditional garb. From her complicatedly coiffed hair with golden jingling ornaments to the getas on her feet, she looked like the festival poster girl. The only thing that didn't go with the getup was Yuki's self-indulgent pout.

"Yuki, what happened?" Kakashi furrowed his brow. Yuki's pout deepened until it was almost childlike in its lack of self-restraint. "Oh," Kakashi nodded. "Your daughter bailed on you."

"Can you believe it?" Yuki fumed. "I am honestly hurt. I tell you what, I'm a heartless son of a bitch, so it takes a lot to hurt me. I'm wounded."

Kakashi waved at the owner. "We're going to head out."

Yuki grumbled as she tossed her money on the table after fishing it out from the folds of her obi. They must have been a strange sight, a shinobi in the full Leaf standard dragging along what looked like the daughter of a powerful Lord. When they walked through the doors of the bar, the strange looks they got were amplified. It took the bartender a full minute to recognize Yukihana under the makeup and dignity of her clothes.

"How bad?" The man asked.

Kakashi sized up the look on Yuki's face. "Whiskey. Two glasses."

Yuki threw back her shot without hesitation. "This is the kind of crap a mother looks forward to, seeing her little girl all done up and going out on the town with her. I never wanted to be that mom that forced their wants and needs on my kid. I let Beki run wild next to what her father did with her and she can't even hang out with me at the festival?!"

Kakashi listened patiently while she fumed. "You proved to the village you know how to dress yourself."

"What good is getting dressed up when you have nowhere to go?" Yuki scoffed. "That's a waste of expensive makeup and a pound of pomade down the drain."

Kakashi chuckled softly. He hadn't heard anyone say "pomade" since his father was around. "You're like a sassy grandma, you know that?"

Yuki blinked. "Did a man with gray hair just call me a 'sassy grandma'?"

"I meant it in a good way," Kakashi cocked his head. "It's part of your charm. Usually you run off halfcocked, swearing and sewing violence wherever you go. Then you get talking and it's like hearing a grandma talk about the good ole days. The contrast is rather amusing."

Yuki shot him a disgusted look and waved for another whiskey. "Keep them coming. If I can walk straight when I get out of here I'll still be able to remember that I had a feeling today."

Kakashi chuckled as he watched Yuki throw another one back. "Did you go to festivals back home?"

"Not until after I left the shrine," Yuki scratched at her scalp. "Before that, we hosted a couple of festivals at the shrine a year. I helped with the rituals and things but it wasn't fun." She gestured to the windows. "Not like this. The festivals were usually more like cleansing rituals and protective charms. A very somber affair."

"So, you were hoping to make up for lost time?" Kakashi rested his elbow on the bar and propped up his chin.

"I guess that was the idea." Yuki frowned delicately and then shrugged. "I'm going to get her back for this. If she thinks training has been brutal so far- "Yuki gave a dark laugh. "She'll be praying for the sweet release of death."

Kakashi gave a soft sigh. "Kids grow up so fast. I remember when my squad was just a bunch of pipsqueaks. They clung to everything I did and said. Now I'm lucky if they'll give me the time of day."

"They bailed on you too?" Yuki threw back another shot like it was tea.

Kakashi shook his head with a sad smile. "No. They didn't bother asking me at all. They have their own lives now, their own people they want to make memories with. You can't blame them. It's just the passage of time."

"Their friends will be there for them when we're long gone is what you're saying." Yuki gave a disgruntled huff. "I thought you were supposed to be cheering me up here."

"I thought of it as more of two kindred souls airing their mutual dissatisfaction." Kakashi said as he watched the crowd outside.

Yuki waved down the barkeeper. "Make my next one a double. I'm still feeling too much."

…

As they made their way through the throngs from arcade game to arcade game, Beki was surprised she hadn't seen anyone she knew. It was especially strange since she knew the Konoha crew always traveled in packs. It had been hours and yet she hadn't even caught a glimpse of her friends.

"Who ya looking for?" Ren grinned as she took a bite of her odango.

Beki shrugged. "Anyone. I know this is a ninja village but it isn't _that_ big. I should've seen someone by now."

Daiske shrugged. "Maybe they're all avoiding you?"

Beki shot him a dirty look. "Don't give me a complex. I know Neji's already avoiding me."

"And tell us how that makes you feel." Ren kept a somber face, but a catlike grin curled at the corners of her mouth.

Beki let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know what I did wrong! We're best friends and suddenly, he's dodging me like a bad smell. I can't figure out what it is I did wrong. I mean I lost my temper but it's not like it was that bad compared to what I've done before. He's the kindest and most understanding person I've ever met. Yet whatever it was that I did was so bad he can't stand me anymore. Don't you think if you did something that bad you would remember it?"

"Beki, I don't mean to be rude but you're really fixating on this." Daiske rubbed the back of his neck. "Could we talk about someone other than your boyfriend?"

"He isn't her boyfriend, Daiske." Ren rolled her eyes. "Can't you keep up with anything?"

"Sorry, the way she's carrying on it sounds like he's her boyfriend." Daiske let out a sigh. "Come on, the fish catching game's over there."

Beki clamped her mouth shut and puffed up her cheeks. She had been talking about Neji an awful lot with them. It was selfish. Her friends were only in Konoha for a short time and here she was dumping her problems at their doorstep. Was it because they weren't from Konoha she felt safe sharing this with them? Or was she really that upset?

As they walked, they were forced to circumnavigate bags people had set on the ground as they made their purchases and piles of stock boxes. A woman pushed past them in an especially treacherous spot and Daiske lost his balance and stumbled into a scaffold supporting a stall that had closed for the day. The empty sign on top had nail heads sticking out of it for a vendor to attach a sign to. In slow motion, the impact of Daiske's jostle traveled up the beams and shook the sign, dislodging it at the top. The sign swung forward and down in an arc right in front of Beki's face. She heard a soft thwack and subconsciously raised her hands to check herself.

"Ren?!"

Daiske's voice on the other side of the sign instantly set Beki's teeth on edge. Through her shocked silence, there was a rasping sound. She grabbed ahold of the sign and looked up to see Daiske doing the same thing.

"Now!" Daiske cried and Beki lifted her side of the sign. There was a sickening squish as they pulled the sign away.

Ren looked up at them, her eyes wide with terror. One of the nails had lodged itself directly in her windpipe. The wound cried red tears that blossomed into flowers on her clothes. Her knees buckled and Daiske and Beki both threw out their arms to catch her.

"Medic!" Beki cried, looking up at all the strange faces around her. "Someone get a medic now!"

Daiske's hand hovered over the nail. "Do I take it out?!"

"I don't know!" Beki shouted frantically. Blood continued to seep from Ren's neck as grasped at her own throat. "She can't breathe! Pull it out! Pull it out!" Beki tried to keep calm, but the raspy gurgling noise Ren was making echoed though her ears, deafening her. Her eyes were locked on to Daiske's shaking fingers as they wrapped gingerly around the head of the nail. Beki's skin felt cold and she hadn't let out a breath in several seconds.

Time slowed down as Daiske began to remove the nail. There was this horrible wet meaty sound as it rose out of her skin. Ren laid complacently in their arms, her face contorted with panic, and wide eyes darting back and forth between them. Once the nail was out, the wound gushed blood. Daiske dropped the nail. Beki scrambled for the handkerchief in her obi. As she fumbled, Daiske tore off his sleeve in one swift movement and pressed the material to her throat, a futile attempt to ebb the tide.

"You're going to be okay, Ren." Beki squeezed her hand and looked around. People were forming a circle around them but no one stepped forward. Beki cursed her lack of medical ninjutsu for the thousandth time. Then again, who would have conceived that her friend would bleed out from a nail wound at a festival?

The scent of blood and hot copper filled the air. Ren's clothes were so soaked now she looked like an extra from a horror movie. Daiske and Beki shared a helpless look, guilty that they were powerless to help her any further. Ren reached up and grabbed at the severed shirtsleeve.

"What're you doing?" Daiske pressed down harder. Blood leaked from the fabric onto his hands, coating them in a sea of gore.

Ren grabbed ahold of his hand with both of hers and pulled the it away. "I'm fine."

"What're you-" Beki reached out to press her sleeve into the wound, convinced her friend was delirious from blood loss. Before she could, Ren had reached up with her sleeve and wiped away the blood at her throat. The skin beneath was completely smooth, no wound or scar marred her alabaster skin. She sat up and shook her head.

"Shit I'm lightheaded." Ren laid back down. "Daiske, go get me a pork bowl."

Daiske sat there dumbfounded, the blood sodden shirtsleeve sitting like stone in his hand. He looked at it, and then at Ren's neck. "How?"

"Don't ask questions!" Ren waved her hand at him dismissively. "Pork bowl!"

Daiske looked at Beki and she shrugged, so he stepped away to get a pork bowl. He looked over his shoulder every few steps.

"Ren…" Beki stared down at her disbelief. "How…what…?"

"Hanged Maiden." Ren grinned. "We got lucky that nail closed my windpipe. I went zero to Maiden in like, two seconds."

"But you were bleeding out. How did activating your maiden form heal your wound?" Beki asked.

"You mean you weren't curious how I completely healed from my chunin exam wounds without a single scar?" Ren put a finger to the corner of her mouth. "Not even a little bit?"

Beki blinked. It was true. There wasn't a mark on Ren's body and she had almost been torn to pieces that day. "Are you saying that the Hanged Maiden form heals you?"

Ren batted her eyelashes. "Right on the money. I looked it up in the archives of the shrine when I noticed I was out of my cast like, four weeks early. The Hanged Maiden has this passive healing factor. I'm always healing. If I get a papercut, that puppy will be gone by the end of the day. It is even faster when I've activated the Hanged Maiden."

Beki slapped her across the face.

"Okay, I get you're pissed-" Ren started but Beki slapped her again. "That was also called for."

"That is TWICE you have almost died in my arms." Beki looked down at her hands. Like Daiske, they were covered in gore. Her yukata was trashed as well, dark brown-red splotches marring the bright fabric. "Okay, memo to me, next time you get an organ yanked out I'm not going to help you."

"Actually, organ yanking I will need your help." Ren held up a finger. "Impaling I can handle but if something is removed, I'm boned."

Beki knit her brows. "What kind of healing factor is that?"

"An expedited one." Ren folded her arms. "You don't regrow a finger if it gets chopped off but your body would fix up a stab wound if you didn't bleed out first. Replacing and repairing lost tissues isn't the same as re-growing a whole damned organ."

"I guess that's true." Beki laid down next to Ren.

"What are you doing?" Ren gave her a questioning look.

"This way people will just think we're chilling." Beki put her hands behind her head.

Ren laughed. "That's sweet of you but there's too much blood for people to just walk on by."

"And whose fault is that?" Beki stuck out her tongue and Ren wiped a bloody hand on it. "EW WHAT THE HELL REN?!"

"Now we're blood buddies." Ren grinned.

Beki spit. "Now I have whatever cooties you've picked up."

"About that," Ren laughed uncomfortably. "They aren't cooties anymore. You might actually need to get checked."

Beki's face paled and Ren started laughing. "I'm just kidding. I'm clean."

Before Beki could respond, Daiske came up with three pork bowls. He looked exhausted. "So apparently, walking up to a food stall with blood all over your hands in a foreign ninja village is a good way to get interrogated by the guard. They're following me."

"Hey guys," Beki waved. "They're with me."

The hazy figures of the guard behind him melted back into the crowd. Daiske gave Beki a concerned look. "Why is you laying on the ground in the middle of a festival in a pool of blood not worry the guards?"

Beki reached out and took a pork bowl. "Do you know how many times I've had to walk through town naked because I spontaneously caught fire and burned off my clothes? I've borrowed vests from half of them."

Ren bust out laughing. "Now that's how you meet a man."

"Oh yeah, it would be super-hot until the naked girl mentioned that she _spontaneously caught fire._ " Daiske sat down next to them and shook his head. "There are some red flags when a chick walks up to you naked. Usually it means she's a) crazy, b) trying to distract you, c) is incredibly dangerous, or the rare but still ever-present threat that d) she is a supernatural being."

Beki gave him a strange look. "What was with d)?"

"Yeah the way you said it made it sound like you wanted the d)." Ren looked at Beki out of the corner of her eye and the two shared a laugh, high fiving at his expense.

Daiske sighed. "I spit in your pork bowls."

Ren took a big bite. "See, I would believe you if you even had one testicle to your name."

"I've got plenty of balls!" Daiske fumed.

Ren grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to her, the ir lips an eyelash length away. "Then kiss me right now."

Daiske turned red as an apple and looked around. "Right here? Now? In front of everybody?"

"See?!" Ren shoved him away and took another bite of her food. "Told you were testicless."

"And here's where Kobiyashi sensei would yell at us for being so immature." Daiske took a bite of his food. "Guess some things never change."

…

Night had fallen and the bar was getting crowded. Yuki and Kakashi paid their tabs. Kakashi walked Yuki outside, guiding her through the heavy night festival traffic. Yuki linked her arm through his for support. Kakashi was surprised how well Yuki was doing considering she had drunk her weight in whiskey.

Fortunately, the closer they got to her apartment, the thinner the crowd. By the time they reached her block, they were the only people on the sidewalk. Yuki reached up, putting her hand behind her head and rolling her neck. "My head weighs a million pounds."

"It's all that 'pomade' weighing you down." Kakashi chuckled but Yuki missed the joke. When they reached her door, Yuki fumbled around in her obi. "Dammit, where is it?" She transitioned up to the insides of her collar. "There it is." Yuki pulled out her keys and with intense concentration opened the door. As Kakashi opened his mouth to excuse himself, Yuki stumbled over the threshold. It was clear she was much more intoxicated than he originally thought. He guiltily imagined her falling and hurting herself, so he followed her inside to help her safely into bed.

Kakashi followed her inside, closing the door behind them. Out of habit, he scanned his surroundings. Yuki's apartment was spartan. What little furniture there was didn't look especially comfortable or inviting; it was clear she didn't have company often. There were small touches of it being a home, however. There was a decorative plate up in the kitchen depicting a mountain scene and a few pictures on the walls. It was too dark to make out what they were. There was also an impressive looking blade hung on a stand. He turned to ask her about it only to be met with the sight of bare flesh.

It was nearly pitch black in the room but Yuki's pale flesh shone like moonlight. She had her back to him as she hung her kimono up on a stand. Kakashi turned his head slightly away out of respect but his gaze stayed transfixed on Yuki's supple back end. Her legs were long and muscular and her back met her butt in a tight, curvy fashion. Kakashi knew he shouldn't be looking, but as soon as he gained his composure, Yuki turned and took a step towards him.

Kakashi was blinded with the full assault of Yuki's bare body. Her breasts were still young and plump. They were somewhat large, but most impressive of all was their extreme perkiness. They seemed to resist gravity as they swayed from side to side with each drunken step Yuki took towards him. Kakashi looked her dead in the eye. "Yuki, why are you naked?"

"Everyone knows you aren't supposed to wear underwear under a kimono!" Yuki put her hands on her hips.

"No, right now. Why are you naked right now?" Kakashi could feel his curiosity fighting with him. It was like his pupils were developing a magnetic attraction to her body.

Yuki stopped in her tracks a few feet in front of Kakashi. She looked confused for a second before looking down at her body. She stared for a moment before looking back up at Kakashi with a smirk. "You like naked bodies, don't you?"

Kakashi was stunned for a moment, his eyes flashing between Yuki's smirking face and swaying breasts. "W-What are you talking about?"

Yuki giggled like a school girl. "Oh, don't pretend like you don't. I've seen you walking around with those little automatic books of yours…"

Kakashi was having a hard time keeping up. Yuki placed her hands on her hips again and leaned forward slightly causing her breasts to fall forward and hang slightly. Kakashi felt heat rise to his face and he cleared his throat. "Automatic? Yuki, are you okay?"

Yuki silently took several steps towards him. Kakashi instinctively took steps back until he was backed up into a wall. Yuki continued forward until her chest was pressed into Kakashi's abdomen. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." Yuki reached down towards Kakashi's pants and he felt his stomach drop.

There was a small ruffling noise for a moment and then Yuki pulled back a few steps with a big grin on her face. "See! I knew you were a perv!"

Kakashi let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He looked over at Yuki's outstretched hand in which she was clutching one of his Icha Icha books.

Realization dawned on him. "Automatic… You mean erotic! My erotic novels!"

Yuki opened the book and thumbed through a few pages in the middle. She spread the spine and stuck her nose in between the pages. "Look! I'm you!" Yuki laughed again, but suddenly went quiet. She hiccupped once and then vomited right into Kakashi's book.

Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. Between the nakedness, the flirting, and now this, he really didn't know how to handle this woman. He stepped over to Yuki and slipped one arm around her mid back. He helped walk her over to the sink and held her hair as Yuki vomited once more. Once she had stopped heaving and was breathing normally, Kakashi let go and stepped around awkwardly in the dark looking for the light switch. He finally found one and flipped it on. He checked on Yuki out of the corner of his eye and was satisfied to see her sitting down. He looked around her house once more trying to find some article of appropriate clothing. Finding only a bathrobe in the bathroom, Kakashi decided to make do and grabbed it. He walked back into a kitchen expecting to see Yuki still sitting by the sink. She, however, was not.

Yuki was standing, still butt naked, next to one of her cabinets holding a small unimpressive frame. Kakashi came up from behind her and placed the bathrobe around her like a coat. Kakashi grabbed one of the towels from the kitchen and went to work cleaning up the vomit. He tried not to think about his now ruined copy of Icha Icha. He had just finished cleaning up the dirty towels when Yuki hiccupped again. Except this time, it sounded different. Too different.

Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder and Yuki instantly crumped onto the floor, the frame still in her grasp. He froze in place as he noticed the shining stream of tears sliding down her cheeks. "Not this again…" She groaned and draped a hand over her eyes, lowering the other hand to her side. Kakashi caught a glimpse of the photo as she lowered the frame to the floor. It was a younger Yuki, dewy and bright in her bridal finery, looking like a doll beside Seiichiro. Kakashi barely recognized the Reaper. He was a kid himself with an easygoing smile on his face.

Kakashi could feel his stomach slowly curl into a knot. He was silent for a few moments while Yuki tried to regain her composure. It didn't seem to be going well and Kakashi leaned down to help her into a nearby chair. He rummaged through her kitchen until he found a tea kettle and some non-descriptive tea bags. He started heating the water as Yuki continued to cry silently.

"You would think a shinobi would be more comfortable with death…" Yuki scoffed as she violently rubbed the tears from her face. She hadn't bothered to close the bathrobe around her so her front was still fairly exposed. "But I loved him…" Her face crumpled once again into tears and she covered her face with her hands. "I really did love him. He made me a whole person. Not just some killing tool or monster. He made me…. Happy." Yuki continued to talk though sobs. "He gave me my life. He made me a woman and a mother. I'm just so lost without him… I don't know what to do with Beki, I don't know what to with myself and…" Yuki trailed off for a moment, out of breath. "I don't know what to do with you…."

Kakashi felt his breath catch in his throat at her last words. He tried to open his mouth to reply, but no words came to him. His brain was completely stupefied. Her words brought him back to the feelings he had felt so many times in his past. Kakashi had had his share of loved ones' deaths and knew too well the feeling of being lost. His mind flashed back to his first meeting with Yuki at the memorial stone. He also knew too well that one thing that never seemed to help was hearing someone else say they knew what they were going through. What words could replace the loss of a loved one?

"Pain means you're alive…" Kakashi said quietly. The words came out of his mouth before his brain could even process them.

Yuki gave him a look that was both patronizing and pleading. "Bleeding also means you're alive, but you don't see people chasing after that."

Kakashi continued on despite Yuki's retort. "Pain means that some part of them is still alive too. If no one was here to feel the pain of their loss, that's when they would truly be gone."

Yuki frowned. Kakashi half expected her to make another witty comment, but she stayed silent.

"Their lives can never disappear as long as we remember them. Their dreams and aspirations live on inside us and as long as we work to fulfill them, then some part of them will continue to live on in this world."

Yuki looked to Kakashi almost as if she was waiting for more. Kakashi wracked his brain for another pitch. "I'm sure Seiichiro's desire to raise Beki has left some effect on you. Anyone who spent five minutes with the man could see how much he loved his daughter. And I think that part of him is still alive inside you."

Yuki looked down at her picture frame once again. She smiled softly and wiped her eyes. She stood up and placed the frame back onto the shelf she had removed it from. "You're right Kakashi. I can't just sit around feeling sorry for myself. I've got a baby to raise!" She took a step towards the kitchen and immediately tripped on her own feet. She stumbled forwards into Kakashi's arms.

She looked up into his eyes and grinned. "Sorry, I drank too much."

Kakashi smiled back. Her smile was cute, but the effect was largely diminished by her red puffy eyes and the black make-up streaks down her face. He shook his head gently and supported her with an arm across her back. Yuki leaned into him as they walked, overwhelming him with the smell of whiskey, vomit, and pomade. He held it together as they headed into the bedroom. Yuki pulled away as they approached the bed but let the bathrobe drop off her as she climbed in. Kakashi reached down and picked up the blanket, tucking her in the way he would one of his students. As he did, Yuki reached up touched his cheek. He paused and looked into her irritated red eyes. "You make the rest of us grownups look bad, Kakashi. I don't know how you keep it so together all the time." She let the hand fall from his face and rested it on top of his hands.

He pat her hand with his free hand. "I'll be right back. The kettle is still on the stove."

Yuki gave him a strange look as he walked out of the room. He reentered moments later with a steaming hot cup of tea in a dainty floral porcelain mug. Kakashi pulled up a chair and sat at her bedside.

"Wait, you didn't make me a cup?" Yuki gave him a disgusted look.

"One of us has to walk home tonight." Kakashi's expression was unfazed as he took a sip of the tea. "This tea is crap."

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I'm not in the habit of entertaining guests."

"You still aren't entertaining anyone." Kakashi took another sip.

Yuki raised her arms over her head so the blanket fell below her breasts. "We could change that."

"Thanks for offering but I've already had to clean up one of your bodily fluids today." Kakashi held up a hand.

Yuki stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "Tea makes you mean."

"And alcohol makes you an ugly hot mess." Kakashi cocked his head.

"Ugly?" Yuki's eyes widened in surprise. "You know, there's more to being a gentleman than not taking advantage of a lonely naked drunk girl."

"Does that include drinking tea with her?" Kakashi asked.

"You're drinking it at me." Yuki stuck out her tongue. "I didn't get any tea."

Kakashi gave her the side eye. "You've had enough to drink today."

Yuki puffed up her cheeks and looked away. "For someone who's so salty you don't seem to be heading for the door."

"It would be irresponsible of me to leave you in this state. Imagine the headlines: Woman who died twelve years ago found dead last night choked on her own vomit. Experts confused as hell." Kakashi took another sip of the bland tea.

"Says the man drinking tea through a mask!" Yuki gestured at his face.

"The last thing I need is for you to see what I look like." Kakashi chuckled.

"I'm so toasted It's not like I'll remember it tomorrow." Yuki scoffed.

Kakashi shook his head. "Stop trying to bait me into sex."

Yuki furrowed her brow. "How would you taking down your mask lead into us having sex?"

"It just always seems to work out that way…" Kakashi's voice trailed off.

Yuki threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "My god, do you even hear yourself? You are the cockiest bastard I have ever met! I'd puke if I had anything left in the tank!"

Kakashi burst out in deep laughter. Yuki chuckled for a moment, but soon joined him in his laughing fit. Long after the source had passed, Yuki's laughing triggered another fit from Kakashi and vice versa. It quite some time before they were finally able to calm down and caught their breath.

Yuki smiled awkwardly at Kakashi, a slight blush forming on her face. "You know… you can stay over if you want…" Kakashi gave her a look and she quickly shook her head. "I'll even put clothes on."

Kakashi smiled, but shook his head. "Sorry, I don't sleep over on the first date."

Yuki furrowed her brow. "What first date? The festival doesn't count!"

"I tucked your naked body into your bed. What is that if not a date?"

"I was crying far too much for that to be a date!" Yuki spat her tongue out at him.

Kakashi chortled. "I guess that's a fair point."

Yuki was quiet for a moment. "I wouldn't mind trying again though. A first date, I mean."

Kakashi stared at her for a moment. Her face and the tops of her breasts were turning a faint pink, making her freckles stand out more. He was honestly surprised that this woman could stand in front of him naked like it was nothing but talking about dating made her blush. She went vixen to schoolgirl in less than a second. "I would consider that proposal if you weren't drunk out of your mind."

"Drunk? Me? Noooo, I'm just..." Yuki thought for a moment. "I'm sick. Festival food makes me puke." Yuki laughed awkwardly barely attempting to conceal her bluff.

"Alright, Yuki." Kakashi sighed. "You should get some rest. You're going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning."

Yuki nodded. "I guess I'll see you around."

"You know it." Kakashi stood. "We can't seem to stay away from each other."

"Much to our mutual chagrin." Yuki yawned.

"Chagrin is a strong word," Kakashi said as he headed for the hall. "More like mildly bothersome, like when you get an eyelash in your eye."

"See, that's actually painful-" Yuki started but Kakashi was already in the kitchen.

"Go to bed, Asou Yukihana." Kakashi washed his teacup and dried it with a clean towel, setting it back in the cabinet before he headed out.

"You know, if you ever tell anyone about how I cried tonight, I'll have to hang you by your entrails." Yuki called out from her bedroom.

Kakashi shook his head. "You would have to catch me first."

There was no snarky response. Out of habit, he popped his head into the room and saw she was fast asleep, curled up like a cat. Kakashi smiled softly and headed out the door. Once he stepped outside Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief and sank back against the door. He'd been on black ops missions that took less discipline. He shook his head and headed for home in the soft light of dawn.

…

Two days later, Kakashi came home to a small brown paper package on his doorstep. He recognized the artistic calligraphy as Yuki's and picked it up with a grin. "What is she up to now?" He stepped inside his apartment and unwrapped the package to find brand new copy of an Icha Icha book. He chuckled as he looked over the cover. "The silly girl was so drunk she didn't remember which one she threw up in. I've already got this one." On impulse, he opened the book to see a note written on the inside of the cover.

 _Sorry I ruined your pervy book. You are part of a dying breed, Kakashi. If I had to drunkenly embarrass myself in front of someone ever again, I hope it's you. That being said, I figured I should at least provide you with a decent replacement. The book seemed way too dry to enjoy so I added something else to make it more interesting. Muah!_

Kakashi shook his head at the burgundy lipstick mark on the page. "What kind of nonsense are you up to?" He thumbed through the pages and a couple of photographs fell out. Kakashi's eyes widened as he picked them up off the floor. It was Yuki in a lacy bra and panty set in several suggestive positions. "Okay…" He stuffed the pictures back in the book. "And my other copy is going right in the trash."


	88. Grief and Sorrow

**Hi everyone! I was able to get another chapter done! Thank you guys so much for letting me know your thoughts. Its really reassuring when I'm writing these things to know that you guys think that a joke is funny or that you like things going on with the character development. It gives me a lot of direction and that helps streamline the writing process for me. I appreciate all your help and feedback!**

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"What?" Beki poured milk on the table in shock. She shook her head, catching herself. She tipped the milk back up and Hinata had already sprung into action with a dish towel.

"Yeah." Naruto stuck his hands in his pockets. "Isn't it awful?"

"Kurenai sensei is going to be devastated." Hinata wrung her hands. "What's she going to do? Her and Asuma sensei just got married and now..." She looked back and forth between Beki and Naruto. Hinata squared her shoulders and headed for the door. "I need to go get Kiba and Shino. We need to go check on her."

Beki nodded. "Don't worry. We'll take care of the rest."

Hinata put on her shoes and walked out the door as Naruto took over cooking dinner. Beki finished mopping up her spill and started to set the table. "So," Beki kept her eyes on the table. "Can you go into details or is it a national secret?"

"I mean, if you were some other diplomat I don't think I would share." Naruto explained. "But you're close enough to everyone you'll find out eventually: It was Akatsuki. Again."

"Shit." Beki tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You would think that losing members would make them less bold, not more so."

"I don't know all the details myself but it was apparently pretty bad." Naruto sighed. "His team saw everything. He died in their arms."

A ball formed in Beki's throat, her mind instantly shifting to her father slumped over in a chair. The smell of smoke, blood, and burnt hair somehow materialized, filling her nose with the acrid scent. The soup on the stove and the bread in the oven did nothing to combat the sensation. "That's horrible."

Naruto braced himself on the counter. "It must be really hard for them."

"That's an understatement." Beki stared down at the plates. "It's bad enough losing someone you love. Actually being there when it happens takes it to a whole new level of distress."

"I mean, they still have each other. Asuma sensei would want them to stick together and get through it-" Naruto began.

"It's easy to say that kind of stuff, Naruto." Beki folded her arms and leaned on a chair. "It was easy for people to tell me how much my dad loved me and how he would have wanted me to keep going. I knew all that. That didn't make losing him and having to pick up the pieces any easier."

Naruto listened silently, shuffling uncomfortably by the hot stove. "Well, I mean, what should a person say? Should I just not say anything? I'm just trying to help."

"Do you remember how I treated Hinata right after it happened? I know she loves me and wanted to help me. When everyone is doing that though, its smothering. You can't hear yourself think. Grief isn't like being wrong about something. A person can't come along with the right answer and poof." Beki snapped her finger. "That's what you needed to hear and you're cured now!" She took a sip of her milk. "You have to get through it. And it's different from person to person. Some people never recover, they're just always sad and empty afterwards. Other people are angry all the way through. The thing is they have to get through it with a little help from time to time. Someone to tell them that they aren't crazy for feeling what they're feeling, to stop them when they are doing something crazy."

Beki looked up and saw the pinched look on Naruto's face. He was too polite to say anything but she knew what he was thinking. "Sorry, let's change the subject. I don't need to lecture anyone. God knows I'm not an expert at anything."

…

The funeral had been several days before. It was incredible to Beki how even though Konoha was such a large village, a single death seemed to set the whole town under a dark cloud. Crowds seemed to speak more softly and everyone had a somber expression. The whole was rather depressing and Beki didn't feel up to braving it. She was going to take side streets home when she noticed a familiar, albeit bowed head.

"Konohamaru." Beki walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. "How are you doing, buddy?"

"Hey, nee san." Konohamaru rubbed his nose with his sleeve. He looked paler, less rested than usual. His whole manner was subdued to an unnatural maturity. Beki felt her heart ache at the sight of his broken spirit. She knelt down so they were eye to eye, which each time she saw him seemed to be less and less distance.

"How's your family?" She asked.

Konohamaru gave a shrug. "They're all sad. Like when grandpa died but worse."

Beki nodded. "It makes it hard when you lose someone young. You aren't ready for it."

Konohamaru shook his head. "No. Mom's been crying a lot. Dad's really quiet. No one's really talking a whole lot right now."

"It'll be like that for a bit." Beki brushed the hair out of his face. "But everyone will be okay. Just like when you lost your grandpa. You guys may get sad again once in a while when you miss him, but that's okay."

Konohamaru nodded. "Asuma was my only uncle, nee chan. It's going to be really weird not having him around." His lip quivered and his eyes started to well up, but Konohamaru swallowed hard and blinked them back. Beki looked around and then smiled comfortingly.

"Want a hug?"

Konohamaru nodded silently and Beki squeezed him tight. "You can have one of those whenever you want, okay buddy? I'll never run out."

"Beki?" Konohamaru's voice was muffled by her shirt. "What if my parents die?"

Beki gave him another squeeze. "I don't think anything is going to happen to your parents. Your uncle and grandpa were doing the same thing, protecting the people of the Leaf. That was their job. We're going to get the bad guys who hurt your uncle, the same way they got the guys that hurt your grandpa. Everytime we stop one of the bad guys, there's one less of them to hurt good people." Beki scratched his head.

"Why do people hurt each other?" Konohamaru had gotten very still. Beki could only guess that this stuff was eating at him but he didn't want to worry his already overstressed parents. Beki had never been much of a philosopher and the kid was throwing some curveballs at her. If it was anyone else, she would deflect. Konohamaru needed her and she wasn't going to let him down.

"Everybody is broken, Konohamaru. Every single person you see walking down the street has been hurt before. Some of us take that hurt and we change it into help. We've been hurt so we don't want other people to feel that pain and do good things. Bad people are hurt, too. But they make choices to keep the pain going. They hurt so they don't want other people to be happy, they want them to hurt too."

Beki could feel either snot or tears on her shirt as Konohamaru gave a soft nod. "So how do we fix it?"

Beki shrugged. "I don't have all the answers, buddy. Just keep doing good. Keep stopping the bad guys and help where people are hurting." She pulled away and gave him a soft smile. "Nothing makes you feel better when you're hurt than helping someone else."

Konohamaru blinked a few times. "Okay. So you think if I go home and do some chores that might make my mom feel a little better?"

"She might not say anything right now. She'll notice and you'll feel good that you helped." Beki squeezed his arms.

Konohamaru nodded and went in for one more hug. Beki rocked him a little bit until he let go. "Thanks, nee chan." Konohamaru wiped his eyes. "I'll see you later."

Beki waved as he ran off, waiting till he was out of sight to check her shirt. _Okay good, just tears._ As she slipped off down the side streets, Beki couldn't help but shake the weird sensation she wasn't alone. She looked around and spotted a familiar pineapple shaped head peeking out over the top of a building. Her face fell at the sight and Beki let out a sigh. _He doesn't even like you, Beki_. She argued with herself. _He has friends, they'll talk him through this. Even if you tried to help him he would probably just verbally abuse you anyway._ Beki took a few steps when her dad's voice sounded off in her head: _Stop being such a pansy bitch and do the right thing. Coward._ Beki glared at the wall, knowing the voice was right. She squared her shoulders and jumped up on the roof.

The cigarette dangled out of Shikamaru's mouth so loosely a strong wind would snatch it. He was struggling with a silver lighter, the flint wheel clicking with each failed attempt. Beki pressed a hand to her face to test the temperature; she noticed her core was usually hotter than her extremities. Sure enough, her conversation with Konohamaru had been stressful enough that she was running hot.

"Here," Beki said as she snatched the cigarette out of his mouth and put the end against her cheek. Shikamaru opened his mouth to protest just as smoke started to waft from the end. Beki held out the lit cigarette and waited for the incoming insults.

"Shouldn't you be running through town naked or something?" Shikamaru took his first puff, wincing almost imperceptibly.

Beki shrugged. "What day is it?"

Shikamaru threw her a sideways glance. "Wednesday."

"Nope, not one of my designated streaking days." She sat down on the roof just out of arms reach.

"No." Shikamaru shook his head. "Whatever this is, we aren't doing it. You can take your problems somewhere else."

"I've asked you for help like, one time." Beki rolled her eyes. "I don't know why Chouji is the only person in your group that isn't so damned high strung."

Shikamaru scoffed. "If you could get one other person in this village to call me 'high strung' I would give you a hundred ryo."

Beki shrugged but remained silent. It had been easy helping Konohamaru but Shikamaru would take a different approach.

"Aren't you like, a diplomat or something now?" Shikamaru spat. "Sorry, I can't keep up with all the excuses for why you live here but don't ever do anything."

"No one likes a dick, Shikamaru." Beki spat back.

"Or a useless whore." Shikamaru laid back on the roof. "Why don't you go stir up some more trouble for Neji or Gaara. Hell, maybe you could get them fired from their jobs. That would be a fun day for you."

Beki screwed up her face in disbelief and opened her mouth to say something nasty but stopped herself. This is exactly how she had been towards Hinata and everyone else who tried to help her. Instead she sighed, took a deep breath, and reminded herself why she was there.

"Regardless of how you feel about me or what your girlfriend has told you," Beki began, noticing panic briefly cloud Shikamaru's face when she said the word "girlfriend". "I just wanted to tell you it's going to be okay-"

"What the hell?" Shikamaru scoffed. "You think I want platitudes from you, of all people? You didn't even know Asuma and you think you're going to come up here and-"

"I saw my dad die." Beki stopped him cold. "Everyone around here is an orphan. They've lost friends, they've lost their parents, they've lost family members. For most of them, it happened when they were kids. I know from personal experience that losing my mom at 5 didn't suck half as much as losing my dad."

Shikamaru still had the sour expression on his face but he was quiet. He was cautiously listening to her with a mouth poised to spit back the second he didn't like what he heard. Beki continued on, keeping her gaze fixed off towards the woods.

"You're right. I didn't know Asuma sensei all that well. From the few times I talked to him, he seemed like a decent person. I'm not here for him though. I'm…" Beki had to take a deep breath to prepare herself for the recoil she was about to get. "I'm here for you."

Shikamaru snorted, putting his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. He pretended to fall asleep. Beki watched the imitation of sleep breathing and rolled her eyes. "I don't expect you to come and pour your heart out to me. We aren't close like that and to be honest, I wouldn't let you. The last thing I need in my life is Temari thinking I'm trying to take her boytoy away along with her brother. My head would end up on a spear somewhere." She shook her head. "I just...I had to go through the same thing. The feeling angry, and scared, and guilty. Wanting revenge on the bastards that took them from you, terrified you'll lose everyone else, and wondering why it wasn't you. My dad was a lot more important than I was, made more of an impact than I ever will. But he died and I lived. I still...I still have nightmares about it. I can smell that room, the blood and fear. They prepare us for a lot as shinobi, but nothing quite makes you ready for that."

Beki pushed at a pebble on the roof, dragging it against the flat surface like an inkstone. "I was wicked mean, even to people who loved me and wanted to help, and that made me hate myself more." She shook her head. "It may be different for you. I've been watching my mom deal with his death and she's handing it completely different. Drinking, smoking, all that stuff." Beki gave a soft chuckle. "I guess that's why I came up here. You kind of remind me of my mom."

There was no response but Beki had said her peace. She stood and walked towards the edge of the roof. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss." Beki hopped down off the roof and back onto the side street.

As she walked home, Beki could still feel the dark pressure hovering around. _I've done my best._ She thought. _Things will sort themselves out, I suppose._ Beki ran her fingers along the wall, feeling the rough plaster grate against her skin. A few bits of paint flecked away when her nails caught worn spots, chipping away and falling to the ground like confetti. Beki pulled her hand away and brushed the dirty fingers against her pants. She was so absorbed in her world that it took a moment for her to pick up on the footsteps up ahead. Beki gave a quick glance out of habit and stopped with a start. It was Neji, walking by himself with his hands in his pockets and his head bowed in thought. It didn't look like he'd gone to training yet; his clothes still looked crisp and his hair was immaculate. She hesitated to call out to him, which was strange. Beki had never been uncomfortable approaching Neji before but she couldn't help but feel like she would be bothering him. _You're being stupid. Go talk to him._

"Hey!" Beki called out and picked up pace. Neji slowed to almost a stop and looked over his shoulder. She smiled and waved at him, her heart sinking at his lack of response. "Rough day?"

Neji shrugged and gestured to the sweat towel around his neck. "No. Just on my way to train with Gai sensei." He kept walking and Beki kept pace. Neji seemed tired, his face drawn and whole affect coming off flat. She never got to see him anymore, let alone talk to him, and it felt like there was a whole world of conversation that had backed up in his absence.

The silence seemed comfortable for Neji but to Beki it was deafening. As much as she wanted to be respectful and give him some space, Beki needed to talk to him. It was a physical need, like wanting to scratch an unreachable itch. _I don't know what he's been up to. Bringing up Asuma and all that would be too depressing of a way to start it off. How is it that I live in the same complex as him but I never see him anymore? I used to feel like I couldn't get rid of him and now he's like a unicorn. I'm getting off track; just say something!_

"Ren and Daiske went home." Beki stuffed her hands in her pockets and instantly wanted to hit herself. Why would Neji want to talk about her teammates?

"Oh." He said distractedly, like a busy parent.

"We had a bit of a mess happen at the festival. It was packed and some scaffolding collapsed. Long story short a nail got embedded in Ren's throat." Beki paused.

"Is she okay?" Neji asked.

"Yes," Beki sighed, grateful for the first legitimate exchange. "It turns out her Hanged Maiden powers let her heal really quickly. It was like nothing had happened. Other than, well, the blood everywhere. Ruined all of our clothes."

Neji nodded. "That's good."

Beki was tempted to grab him by the collar and shake him. Why was he doing this to her? Didn't he realize that this was killing her not to be able to talk to him? After a moment, she decided that bringing up Ren had been a bad idea. That must have been why Neji was reacting so poorly. This would be a good chance for her to bring up Ren's games and try to fix the damage.

"About Ren." Beki looked at him, hoping for some eye contact. "I'm really sorry about her. She isn't the most mature person and sometimes does insensitive things for her own amusement. I'm hoping she'll grow out of it but in the meantime people get hurt."

Neji shook his head. "That isn't an issue, Beki. I…I liked somebody else."

Beki lit up. _This is my chance! I can fix things between us!_ "Who is it? I could help you!"

Neji looked away and wrinkled his nose. "I don't see how _you_ could help."

"Oh." Beki felt like she'd been struck. "Is it not someone I know?"

"You really don't get it, do you?" Neji sighed, frustration edging into his voice. He took the sweat towel draped around his neck and tossed it over her face. "I'll see you later, Beki."

She stood stunned in place. She took the towel off her face and thanked God it was clean. Now, not only was Neji avoiding her but he was being downright rude. Beki was surprised at herself; if this had been anyone else she would have burned through her clothes (and possibly the city block) by now. Instead of anger, she just felt hurt. It wasn't an insulted kind of hurt, it was a physical one. Like she'd taken a blow to the chest or the gut. It made her feel weak and vulnerable, so much so there was a lump forming in her throat.

…

Yuki shook her head. This was worse than watching Beki with Red, albeit the rooftop was a better scouting location than the tree she'd used before. The tension between Beki and Neji was so palpable Yuki could have cut it with a knife. Neither of the idiots would just come out and say anything, of course. She watched the emotions flying across her daughter's face as plainly as fast forwarding through a movie. There was pain, sadness, and then searching for answers in the nothing before her.

Beki furrowed her brows, her face so twisted with concentration it made her look simple minded. Thinking seemed to be beyond her capabilities when she made that face. "What was he hinting at? 'I just don't get it'?" Beki shook her head and put her hand to her chin. "Is he trying to tell me he's gay?"

Yuki nodded. The same thought had crossed her mind once or twice. "It's a possibility," She said softly, engaging her daughter in conversation even though Beki couldn't hear her.

"I mean it would make sense?" Beki cocked her head. "I never see him with any girls and he's prettier than any girl I've ever known."

"If I was anyone else, he would make me insecure about my womanhood." Yuki agreed.

Beki let out a groan of frustration. "Whatever," She grumbled and stormed away. Yuki tapped her fingers on her knee. Neji had told Yuki he liked Beki, but saying things and doing them were different animals. There was only one way to be sure that Neji wasn't just playing lip service and covering for himself.

…

Neji had thrown himself into his training, trying desperately to block out his own thoughts. He had taken it a step too far; if his sparring opponent had been anyone but Lee, Neji would have seriously injured them. He walked away from his training feeling guiltier than he had going in. He sighed and fixed his sagging shirt.

As he headed home, the evening crowd was oppressive. Neji struggled so much to deal with being bumped around by strangers that he eventually gave up and took to the back streets. No sooner had he disappeared from public view than he was snatched down a seedy alley by a pair of ghostly hands.

He was thrown against a wall and pinned there so quickly he had no time to respond. Neji looked at his assailant, afraid it was the last thing he would ever see. He recognized the face and his stomach sank. _Of course Yukihana would be the one to murder me in an alley._ Her appearance didn't help his preconceptions; she was wearing a long trench coat in spite of the mild weather and carried a generally secretive air about her.

"Alright, Neji." Yuki stared him down. "I have one question for you."

In one swift movement, she had thrown off her trench coat. She stood before him in an incredibly seductive rendition of a maid outfit. The dress had no sides and was simultaneously dangerously low and indecently short. He saw so much of her milky breasts it was a miracle that her nipples weren't showing. The skirt barely covered her nethers, but he couldn't help but staring at that area because of the lines of her garter belt and nylons.

"You ready to become a man?" Yuki's voice was dangerous, but there was an irresistible seductive quality to it that Neji couldn't fully ignore, no matter how much he wanted to. Yuki flicked up the tiniest excuse of a mini skirt to show Neji the very lacey black thong she had underneath. Neji gulped and tried to resist looking, but Yuki's supple flesh was too well contrasted with the black lace. She really knew how to catch a man's attention.

"I-I-I-" Neji shook his head. "I should go-!"

Yuki took a step towards him and Neji tried to run away. She slammed him against the wall with one hand and grabbed his junk with the other. Neji froze instantly at the contact. "Wh-what are you doing?!"

"Okay, so that settles it." Yuki folded her arms. "You aren't making it up. You like girls."

"Excuse me?!" Neji covered his manhood defensively. "I _told_ you I like Beki!"

Yuki shrugged. "Saying and doing are different things. I had to make sure the reason you haven't asked her out yet wasn't just that you were deflecting."

Before Neji could answer, Kakashi walked by with his nose in a copy of Icha Icha. He said nothing as he passed, so Neji turned his attention back on Yuki. "So you thought it was okay to corner me in an alley and…and…" He gestured to her outfit. "Assault me!"

Kakashi walked backwards and stopped beside them. "…Yuki?"

Yukihana glanced up at Kakashi and gestured at Neji, as casual as could be. "Neji isn't gay."

Kakashi looked down at Yuki's legs and then breasts. "I don't know if you can determine anything while wearing that get-up. Anyone could get tempted by that. Besides, haven't you harassed enough young men lately? I think the last one needed therapy." Kakashi shook his head and continued down the path he had originally walked.

Yuki followed Kakashi with her eyes until he was out of view. She then turned back towards Neji with a smile that was both seductive and threating. "You figure out a way to tell Beki how you feel. Once you do that, you're going to work your ass off to make her a happy little princess. Fail to do this and I swear on the grave of my dead twin I will find you and lay you so hard, you'll wake up with a maid fetish." Yuki darted in and sniffed Neji's neck, inhaling his scent deeply. She then backed away slowly, taking a second to put her trench coat back on.

Neji stood in stunned silence, his pants much too tight to be comfortable. When did his life get so crazy?


	89. Glitter Overdose

**Hey guys! Woohoo, I'm on a roll! Three chapters in a week!**

 **Anyway, its been mentioned once or twice that some of you would like to see TOTM scenes in comic format. In addition to this story, I draw in my spare time. Not a lot of it makes it online because its just glorified doodle work, but if there is a scene you would like to see drawn you can include it in a PM to me and I'll try to make it happen. I've done one before (The Run can be found on my deviantart, same name ponchoninjax3) but that was a while ago and I think I've at least improved a little bit. Anyway, let me know what you think of this next arc and if you'd like to see anything else. Thanks!**

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Yuki walked home like the letter was nothing. It was a scroll advertising a musical instrument repair business specializing in antiques. Such a thing would seem out of place if it wasn't for Yuki's extensive business dealings with shops back in Getsu. The aviary keepers paid it no mind, though. Just another flyer for Yukihana. There was no way for the Konoha shinobi to know that this was a secret correspondence that had slipped under their notice as well as the shinobi in Getsu.

Yuki walked into her apartment and headed into the kitchen. She laid down a dishtowel and plugged the clothes iron into the wall. As the device heated, Yuki stared at the back of the scroll, as if that were enough to make the letters appear. The secret message wasn't hidden with ninjutsu. The only way it could be detected, however, was if a person directly sniffed the paper. They would smell the dried lemon juice but even then, they may not become suspicious. People used scented stationary all the time. The iron light clicked on to tell Yuki it was ready. She carefully ran the iron over the back of the ad, watching how the words appeared like magic on the page.

Yuki grinned as she read the message. They had found the bastard.

…

Beki shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Yuki was late. Either that or she was in the trees watching for Beki to drop her guard. Even on days where they weren't scheduled to train, a snowball would come for her out of nowhere. She'd had full bags of groceries knocked out of her hands, so Beki was forced to always be on alert. She had gotten quite good at dodging unexpected projectiles but she had almost developed a nervous tick in the process.

The minutes dragged on and Beki tugged at her collar. She was used to the weight of the armor but it was always stifling. At least when she moved around there was a little relief. "Yuki, it's been fifteen minutes. If you don't show yourself soon I'm going home."

There was no reply. Beki scanned the trees again, looking for the faintest glimpse of white. From behind her she felt the sudden rush of a snowball. The armor warmed against her hand and guided her hand up, intercepting the snowball. It impacted against the backside of the gauntlet, spewing tiny snowflakes on Beki's neck. "There you are."

"Sorry I'm late," Yuki skipped up. "I just got some good news."

"Did you finally find something to fill the gaping hole where your heart should be?" Beki asked, completely straight-faced.

"Not yet," Yuki grinned. "Since you cried so much about the smoking, I need to find some other vice. Maybe gambling would do the trick."

Beki rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's get to work."

Yuki held out an arm to stop her. "Before we do, I want you to consider a proposition."

"I'm listening." Beki raised an eyebrow.

"What would you say if I told you I could help you get some payback for your father?" Yuki's lips twisted in a cruel grin. "I'm going with or without you, just so you know. I thought I'd at least offer you a chance to throw a couple punches before I murder the hell out of the bastards."

A sickening heat rose inside Beki, the nauseating anger she was coming to know so well. "When do we leave?"

…

Hinata watched as Beki hurriedly packed a bag. It was obvious from the contents that this would be a long journey. The tools she was stuffing in along with her clothes also indicated that it would be dangerous.

"You can't talk about this one?" Hinata tapped her fingers anxiously. "Not even when you think you'll be back?"

"I'm sorry Hinata," Beki shook her head. "This one's an emergency diplomatic situation. Please don't worry about me though." She gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Yuki will be with me. That's worth at least a squad and a half of protection."

"I know." Hinata's eyes stayed on Beki's face. Beki had never been good at hiding her emotions and today was no exception. There was a strange shadow that had been cast over her, giving Beki's smile a cruel air and her eyes a foreign coldness. Beki's sudden departure and complete about face in attitude meant something was wrong. Hinata had a bad feeling that Beki was hiding behind her diplomatic status to go run a more sinister errand. "Do you need anything?"

Beki paused and looked around the room. "No. I think I'm okay." She picked up her back and hauled it over her shoulder

Hinata held up a hand. "Aren't you going to take your armor?"

Beki looked over at the stand. "No, I don't think I'll…" She paused, her eyes transfixed on the stand. Beki reached out with an almost reverent manner and picked up her father's mask. "Maybe just this. Just in case." Beki smiled at Hinata. "Don't want to lose any teeth."

Hinata nodded, her brows knit with concern and questions on her lips. She kept them to herself, though, and allowed Beki to pass. Unfortunately, the more work Beki took on the less she seemed herself. She wasn't seeking out Hinata or Neji's company anymore. All Beki ever seemed to do was train with her mother or lock herself up with her paperwork. Hinata knew that being reunited with a lost loved one should be a celebration but she couldn't help but notice the changes Yuki had brought. Hinata heard the door close behind Beki and let out a sigh. "Whatever you're up to Beki, I hope it brings you some peace." Hinata looked around the familiar room, memories coating the place like a fine dust. "I hope this brings you home, Beki because I miss my friend."

…

The place was seedy even in the bright of day. Beki shot her mother a doubting look and Yuki flicked her nose. "I've already run recon on it, don't give me that face."

"You're sure?" Beki wrinkled her nose. "A nightclub?"

Yuki nodded. "How easy would it be to be invisible in a place like that?"

"I guess we're going to find out, aren't we?" Beki looked down at the shopping bag by her feet. "And you want to do this tonight?"

"These people survive by outplaying shinobi," Yuki explained. "They'll catch our scent if we spend too long planning. You've got enough field experience to just wing this." Yuki looked down at the building. "I'll try to stay close by, but if something goes down you need to be able to hold your own."

"That's a lot to ask of me when I'm not decked out in my armor." Beki shook her head.

"You're relying too much on that metal, Beks." Yuki's expression was grim. "Ninjas are tools. We have to be sharp and deadly under all circumstances. If you start relying on tools too much, there's no way you'll survive in the shinobi world."

Beki sighed. "Yeah, okay, whatever. You like to forget my abilities leave me naked in public when the fight's over. Pretty hard to blend in when you're a tall blonde girl fleeing the scene stark naked."

Yuki shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll strip too. Two is less suspicious than one."

"No!" Beki palmed her forehead. "That isn't the solution I'm going for here."

Yuki tugged on her arm. "Let's bounce. I'm getting a feeling."

Beki nodded, grabbed the bags, and followed her mom as she led them across the rooftops.

…

"This is gross." Beki stomped her foot at the sight of herself in the mirror. "I look like a whore."

"That's the idea." Yuki was busy teasing her own hair to incredible heights. "You want them to look at everything but your face."

Beki tugged at the top of her neon green strapless dress, trying to get it to cover more of her breasts. Her mother had shown her a trick involving wearing a bra that fit, stuffing it with socks, and then putting on a bigger bra. After she'd put some make up over them, Beki's boobs were porn star sized and jacked up to her chin. Her efforts to cover herself more only succeeded in revealing more of her rear. "Could we have maybe picked a longer dress? Something that covers my boobs and butt at the same time?"

Yuki rolled her eyes. "No, Beks. For the last time, you aren't you. What the hell kind of kunoichi training do they give you guys today? You have a body! And assets! You're supposed to use them for the benefit of your village."

"I do! Clad from neck to ankle in armor!" Beki folded her arms, boosting her breasts even higher. She sighed in frustration and dropped her hands to her hips. "I'm an ambassador's daughter. I never had to stoop to selling sex."

Yuki laughed aloud. "You say that like it's a good thing! That's like saying you're proud you never learned how to use taijutsu or something. The ability to transform yourself as the job requires is an essential skill. Do you know how many times I've lured men to their death this way?"

It was Beki's turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah, I get it. You flash your tits and they just throw themselves off rooves."

Yuki shook her head. "You forget I worked as a stripper for several months in Konoha. I didn't just flash my tits, I convinced a group of highly trained shinobi that I was nothing more than a stupid sex worker. I can doll you up all I want, but it'll be your job to sell that you're nothing more than a slutty valley girl."

"Cha, like this?" Beki tossed her head and imitated the obnoxious voices she had heard party girls use.

Yuki snapped her fingers. "Now you've got it."

Beki sat on the bed with her knees clamped shut tight. It hardly mattered; the dress came up so high that when she was sitting her pink thong was visible anyway. "This is horrible."

"Quit your whining or I'll make you wear even less." Yuki gave her a menacing smile. "You could really rock a skimpy two piece with that long torso of yours."

"Nope!" Beki hugged herself protectively. "I'm good!"

"How's my makeup?" Yuki batted her long, dramatic eyelashes at her daughter.

"You look like the dead hooker they find at the start of an episode of a crime show." Beki folded her hands on her knees.

"Good!" Yuki beamed. "That was the look I was channeling. Okay. Last step." She took out a body spray bottle that looked like it contained a swirling galaxy inside. "We overdose on body glitter."

Beki stood with a groan and held out her arms. Yuki started spraying her down with the noxiously sweet liquid. "I smell like cotton candy and ice cream had an illegitimate love child."

Yuki sniffed her. "Blue cotton candy and vanilla ice cream."

"So glad we can agree." Beki smiled disdainfully only to squeal in protest as her mom started rubbing the body glitter into her chest. "Stop!"

"No, they have sparkle with every step!" Yuki wrestled with her. "Use them to distract from your face!"

After about ten more minutes of Yuki smothering them with glitter (to Beki's chagrin, Yuki decided they needed hair glitter as well), the pair put on their shoes and headed out the door. The heels were both 6-inch-high platforms also covered in sparkly overkill.

"They won't need to know what our faces look like," Beki looked behind them. "We're going to leave a trail of flipping fairy dust behind us!"

"Psh." Yuki rolled her eyes. "All of that'll burn off you when you go Maiden."

"You think I'm going to have to turn in there?" Beki gave her a concerned look, almost turning her ankle on a sidewalk grate.

"Definitely." Yuki's walk was unaffected by the insane shoes. She moved as if she were made for them, making the neck breaking heels look glamorous. "There's a good chance I'm going to have to go full Yukionna in there as well." She stared ahead with determination, a cruel smile creeping onto her ruby lacquered lips. "It's the big leagues now, sweetheart. We won't survive if we don't go all out."

Beki took a deep breath and centered herself. She reached into her tiny handbag and felt her father's mask for reassurance.

"Here we go," Yuki smiled at her daughter, reaching out and taking her hand. "Follow my lead."

The line to get into the club was wrapping around the building. Instead of getting in line, Yuki walked right for the front door. The bouncer was built like a bulldozer. He had to be almost three hundred pounds of muscle, covered in threatening looking tattoos. The man looked them over like meat. Beki looked at the stupid smile on her mother's face and imitated it. The man waved them in without a word. Beki waited until they were out of earshot before she turned to her mother. "Why'd we get to just walk in?"

"A) We're hot," Yuki held up her fingers as she ticked off her points. "And B) we look like we have money. It's how the world works, sugar."

The music inside was deafeningly loud, unlike anything Beki had ever heard before. The bright lights were flashing, making everyone move like monsters. "Here," Yuki pulled Beki to a small table with chairs so high Beki worried about dismounting them in their shoes later. "This is where we'll scout."

"You still haven't told me what we're looking for." Beki rested on her elbows, ignoring how her breasts practically spilled out on the table. "You think Yasahiro will just be walking around, out in the open?"

"No." Yuki crossed her legs provocatively. "There's more than likely some sort of secret meeting space or a VIP area where they'll be keeping him. We're watching for people to disappear. Who escorts them, where do they go, how we can sneak in."

Beki nodded, feeling her eyelashes poke her right under the eyebrows. Yuki had curled them back painfully tight and had plastered them with mascara. Beki thought her eyes looked like tarantulas. Yuki assured her this was normal. The minutes stretched by and they watched the bodies sway. Other tables were carrying on their conversations much too loudly for privacy but out of the necessity of the loud music. A waitress eventually approached them to take their drink order. She was wearing barely more than they were in the form of fishnet stockings and slightly more reasonable heels.

"Hello ladies," She beamed. "What can I get for you?"

Beki blinked, trying to recognize the face between flashes of blue, purple, and pink. "Miki?"

Miki's face froze for a moment, the smile a little too forced and her eyes widened with surprise. She considered Beki for a whole moment before relaxing. "Beki? Is that you? I hardly recognized you under all that whore cake on your face."

"I know, it's horrible." Beki sighed.

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "You know the waitress?"

"This is Miki," Beki gestured to her. "Miki, this is my mother. Yukihana."

Miki wrinkled her nose. "Didn't you give me some moral lecture once about how Orochimaru killed your mother and that by extension made me a horrible person?"

"Turns out she wasn't dead, just locked in her own ninjutsu." Beki gave her a friendly smile. "What're you doing here?"

Miki sighed. "Working, obviously."

Beki rolled her eyes. "I get that, but what's your angle?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Miki cocked her head. "This is a little outside your jurisdiction."

"I'm looking for my uncle." Beki explained. "He's supposed to be in the building somewhere."

"Dressed like that?" Miki furrowed her brow. "Does your uncle have some kind of incest fetish?"

Beki gave her a dirty look and Miki chuckled. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. Let me guess, this is the one that offed your pops?"

"I mean, if you wanted to put it as insensitively as possible, yes." Beki looked at her mom. "We think he's in some kind of VIP area or something."

"Ooooh." Miki held her tray in front of her and rocked on her heels. "I see how it is. You guys need to find a way in, huh?"

"Yes." Yuki smiled. "Any way you could help us with that, friend?"

Miki kept a smile on her face but Beki's mom was freaking her out. She looked too young to be anyone's mother, let alone a teenager like Beki. Yuki had given her no reason to be afraid. That didn't mean that years of being around dangerously violent shinobi hadn't taught Miki to spot a threat when she saw one. As polished as she looked, there was an animal quality to Yukihana that Miki had seen in some of Orochimaru's experiments, if not in the big boss himself. It was a steely, cold, calculating look in their eyes. She was clearly intelligent but there was no warmth to her. She was completely devoid of compassion and made no attempt to hide it. Part of Miki was tempted to make some excuse and get the hell out of the club. The information she had been sent to recover was much too important, however. Her record was relatively good but major fumbles like this would cost Miki her freedom, or worse, her life. Miki's only choice was to man up and work with the monster.

"I have a target, too." Miki confided quietly. "He's the son of a powerful crime boss. They deal in weapons, drugs, and mercenaries. Some of which are members of nearly dead clans with rare abilities."

Beki's eyes widened. "You're here to collect?"

"If there are any," Miki nodded. "Or at least to get my hands on the information of where they can be found-"

"Otogakure shinobi." Yuki let out a low, menacing laugh. "This girl works for Orochimaru?"

Beki held up a hand. "She's okay, mom. I know her. I can vouch for her."

"Oh, can you?" Yuki looked Miki dead in the eye. Her gaze searched Miki's and she felt exposed, like somehow the blue-eyed woman could see into her very thoughts and memories. It cut right down to her soul. Yuki's eyes steadied, staring Miki down. "How do you feel about winter, little one? How about ice and snow?"

Miki went cold. Her hair stood on end, creeping up her body until she was covered with goosebumps. Her memories flashed in front of her: mangled bodies, flooded rooms with blood in the water. Headless corpses of people she had known. "I, um, I don't know what you're talking about." She made her best attempt at a friendly laugh. "I grew up where there weren't long winters-"

Yuki stood slowly and crossed into Miki's space. Miki held her ground. It was rule number one: you never ran from a predator. They loved the chase twice as much as the kill.

"I seem to remember thinking I heard a little mouse scratching around the floors beneath me when I woke up in the ice. I tried to be thorough, dragging all the little mice out of their dens and putting them down. I had to really want it; it was hard work. I didn't have all my powers back yet. A lot of them I had to break with my hands or turn their friend's weapons against them. Where did you hide, little mouse?" Yuki stared her down.

The air around them dropped in temperature several degrees. Miki could see her nervous breath puff out in front of her. Beki grabbed her mother's wrist. "She's not like them. I trust her, mom."

"I'm trying to help you." Miki used all her discipline to keep her voice calm and level. "You two look exactly like the type my target likes. He has access to the VIP area. I can point him out to you. I would just need an excuse to come down there, too. Like if one of you were to leave your handbags up here." Miki dared to look Yuki in her cold blue eyes, and then over at Beki. "We both get what we want."

Yuki took Miki's chin in her hand. "I killed my way out of that base before I had my powers. I no longer suffer from that handicap. Last time you were spared. Now that I know you, little mouse, if you dare to betray us…no one will be able to save you."

"Orochimaru would stand for-" Miki started but Yuki gave her chin a painful squeeze.

"What did he do after I killed an entire base full of his men?" Yuki stared her down. Nothing, Miki knew. Orochimaru even told them not to pursue the monster that had done it. Yuki smiled, as if able to read Miki's thoughts. "Now you get it. So where is this entitled little son of a whore?"

…

Beki and Yuki were relocating to a table closer to the drug lord's son. Beki reached over and socked her mother's shoulder as they walked. "Hey, what was that for?" Yuki rubbed her arm. "Careful, you'll smudge my body glitter."

"What do you mean, 'what was that for'?" Beki threw her a dirty look. "Miki's got it rough, mom. She isn't a bad person, she just works for a bad person."

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Was I going a little hardcore with the threats? Yes, maybe. That girl is about as much threat to me as a bucket of potatoes. Just judging by her body, I can tell she's not anyone important. I have to keep up the persona, though, Beks. What if she goes back and reports I'm alive and a big soft cream puff? I'd have to have a rematch with Orochimaru and I don't think the ecosystem can handle that again."

Beki shook her head. "You're right. She isn't anyone important. She just does recon."

"That's all she could do with those tits." Yuki laughed. "My god, she makes me look flat. I can't imagine her chasing down a target or running at all, for that matter. Just thinking about it hurts." Yuki rubbed her breasts at the thought. "All the painful bouncing…"

"Is that all you pay attention to?" Beki cocked her head. "Body parts?"

Yuki shrugged. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't always look."

Keeping with Miki's information, there was a greasy looking guy in his late twenties wearing an expensive robin's egg blue colored suit surrounded by thugs. There were a couple of brain dead plastic doll looking girls already with him, whining with high pitched voices. The drug lord's son looked bored out of his mind. Yuki pinched Beki. "Change of plans."

"What?!" Beki nudged her. "You've been coaching me all night and now its change of plans?"

"You'll like this." Yuki grinned. "He's used to girls being idiots and fawning all over him. When they call us over, full frigid bitch. Like you're too good for him."

Beki blinked. "Yeah?"

Yuki nodded. "He looks like he'd like to be disrespected."

Beki shook her head and furrowed her brow. "How can you...just by looking at him you can tell?"

Yuki grinned wickedly. "I was working for tips for a while, Beks. I can read men like an open book."

"Except Kakashi." Beki said under her breath and Yuki's head snapped around.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Beki returned the wicked smile.

Like Yuki said, it was only a matter of minutes before the pair were approached by one of the goons. Yuki threw him an impatient look. "What?"

The goon jerked his head towards the table. "Mr. Nakano would like you ladies to join him for a drink."

Yuki turned her hate beams on the drug lord's son. Nakano tipped his glass towards her and she rolled her eyes. "You can tell _Mister_ Nakano it looks like he has enough bitches in tow already. My sister and I would rather chug broken glass, thank you."

Beki's jaw dropped in surprise and she stifled her first childish impulse to "oooh". The goon walked back to the table and Yuki turned her back on them with a disdainful scoff and a toss of her head. "Yuki, that was harsh."

"Hardly." Yuki rolled her eyes. "Wait for it. Three...two...one…"

"Mr. Nakano would like to prove the sincerity of his request." the goon gestured to the table, which was now only occupied by Nakano and his guards.

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Fine. Come on Suzu. Let's see what the sleezebag has to say."

Beki, now apparently "Suzu", followed along. Yuki draped an arm protectively around her daughter's shoulders while maintaining a thousand-yard scowl.

"Ladies," Nakano stood and gave them a polite bow. "I couldn't help but notice you two in the crowd."

"Heard that line before. Try again." Yuki cocked her head.

He gave a soft chuckle. "Well, you look like any of the other women here. There just seemed to be...more of a spark of intelligence from you two."

Beki looked at her mom. "Next he's going to tell us we have a great personality."

Yuki laughed. "Riiiiight?" It almost turned Beki's stomach listening to her mother use that mock idiot voice. "Come on, Suzu. We're wasting our time. He's just another dime a dozen punks using his daddy's money for street cred."

"Do you know who I am?" He cocked his head, glaring them down threateningly. Or at least, it was his attempt at being threatening. The boy was older than Yuki but came off like a kid. It was funny to Beki to see the difference between shinobi and civilians. This guy couldn't scare her if she was tied up and he had a knife in his hands. It took everything she had not to laugh at him.

But Yuki did. She laughed aloud, turning Beki and walking back towards the floor. "Let's go."

The goon held out an arm to stop them, two of the other thugs stepping up beside them.

"Let me show you."

…

The hands wrapped around their biceps were as thick as Beki and Yuki's heads. It was dark in the service hallways, the music from the club muffled by the blue acoustic paneling on the wall.

Nakano walked in front of them, his men surrounding the women as a form of intimidation. Beki and Yuki feigned fear. At least until Beki noticed one of the armbands on one of the goons. He was a ronin. Beki carefully sized them up again. They were probably all ronin, on second glance. Mean and seasoned by years being hunted on the fringes of shinobi society. As they approached the unstable looking metal stairs descending into the basement, Beki wasn't just pretending to be scared.

They were led down the steps. Beki was barely able to keep her footing between the rough handling of the thugs and the instability of the staircase. They descended two flights of stairs to reach what appeared to be a vault. "This is who I am." Nakano put his hand on the lock and the vault slid open with a great whirr.

Inside was a smaller club with a completely different vibe. The whole place was illuminated with an off putting red light, basking the well-dressed bodies as they danced to aggressive beats. Half-naked women were dancing in chain link cages all over the room and barely clad, underweight, and underage looking girls were serving drinks.

"This has to break, like, every fire code." Yuki said with a sidelong glance to Beki. Beki nodded. If she went Burned Maiden in there, everyone would die from smoke inhalation before they could do anything.

"So, what do you think ladies? Not so dime a dozen now, am I?" Nakano gave them a cruel smile.

Yuki shrugged. "I guess."

The smile fell off his face and he slapped her. Beki tensed in surprise. She had never seen someone land a hit on her mother before. Yuki cocked her head. "He even hits like a bitch."

"Throw them in the hold." Nakano fixed his jacket. "Let's see how much they're laughing when we sell them to the highest bidder."

Yuki and Beki were forced in a sea of limbs back into a hidden room with a single large holding cell made of iron bars set back into the bedrock. They slammed the door behind them with a laugh. The men milled out of the room, throwing offensive catcalls behind them.

"Okay," Beki looked at her mother. "That couldn't have gone any worse."

"Are you kidding?" Yuki beamed. "That was perfect! I saw your uncle out in the crowd. We got him, boo. Our intel was good."

"Problem is, how are we supposed to get out of here?" Beki gestured at the bars. "I can't go Burned Maiden or we'll all die."

"I got this." Yuki attempted to freeze the bars. "What the shit?" She tried again and Beki saw frost forming on the bars, only to immediately disappear. "It's been treated with something."

"Can't you just freeze the metal?" Beki shook her head. "I heard you busted out of jail pretty easily before."

"I would have to do a massive blast of chakra to do that. You want all our ronin friends outside to notice that and come in here ready to fight?" Yuki explained. Beki shook her head. After a moment, Yuki blinked. "Um…. you have any hairpins?"

"You don't have a lock pick on you?!" Beki fished around in her hair. "Here."

"No." Yuki shook her head as she tried to pick the lock. "I use my ice as tools. I don't ever really need a kit. Shit. This isn't working."

"Well, they'll have to let us out to sell us." Beki frowned. "We can fight our way out then. I'm wishing we had at least wore more practical shoes."

Yuki sighed. "You'll just have to cover me as I take them out. Make sure no one jabs me with anything pointy."

There was a small creak as the door slipped open and closed. The whole action took less than a second and it barely opened wide enough for a cat to slip through, but there was Miki. "Shit, you guys." Miki sighed. "I saw the whole thing. What were you thinking?! Didn't I tell you he was a drug lord's son with freaking shinobi for body guards?!"

Yuki shrugged. "So what if I'm a little cocky?"

Miki shook her head and fished out a lock pick kit from between her breasts. Yuki whistled and Miki threw her a dirty look. "Sorry, that's just an impressive use of your assets."

Miki rolled her eyes and set to work on the lock right just as the door opened.


	90. Body Shots

**Hi everyone. I know its been a while since I've updated. I have a ton going on in my personal life between my job and Tallman's school stuff (and my own school and family and being sick and so on and so forth). I appreciate those of you who have touched base. I'm happy to know that when I get a chance to use some of my incredibly limited spare time to write, there are people happy to read it. I'm working on a companion art piece of this at the same time. Unfortunately its all digital, which makes me move at 1/1000000000th of my normal paper-and-pen speed. But its coming. Eventually. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter and I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Feel free to PM me or leave any questions in the reviews. I try to respond within 24 hours (even if I haven't been active on here in a long time).**

* * *

The door opened wide, washing the room in the awful red light of the nightclub. A great shadow passed and Miki threw herself backwards against the wall. One of the hulking ronin security agents stepped inside. In less than a second, he had scanned the cage where Yuki and Beki shirked away from the bars and over to Miki. Recognition pinched his face.

"What are you doing in here? This area is off limits!"

"One of these girls left their bag upstairs." Miki folded her hands and gave a polite bow. "I hadn't realized they'd angered Mr. Nakano." She held out the sparkly gold bag Yuki had brought in with her. "Should I give this to you or…?"

The ronin's attention was on the bag. Miki took a step forward to hand it to him and a ghost of a smile tugged at Yuki's face. _The old bait and switch_. As the guard reached for the bag, Miki lashed out with her free hand and jammed a needle into his neck. His eyes widened with surprise. In a flash, he grabbed her by the throat and raised her into the air.

"You little witch," He spat. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Beki was smiling now, too. She'd been on the wrong end of Miki's needle before. It was only a matter of time. The problem was, he was a lot bigger than Beki. The powerful sedative wasn't kicking into effect as quickly as Miki was losing oxygen. Her face was quickly turning from pink to red as he choked her out. Distress was dancing in her eyes as she grabbed ahold of his wrists and rammed her knee into his face. The guard flinched, hunching forward as a cry of pain squeezed its way out of his deflated abdomen. His grip loosened just enough for Miki to knock his arms aside and drop to the floor. She jumped backwards, putting some distance between them. Miki's eyes were watering as she coughed violently. Her knees were shaking but she kept on her feet, using a hand on the ground to steady her low stance.

The guard was both conscience and incensed beyond reason thanks to Miki's knee strike. Blood poured from his nose, his face twisted in scarlet anger. In a single movement, he retracted a knife from his belt and dove for Miki. During all the commotion, Miki hadn't lost her grip of Yuki's purse. She took ahold of the chain strap with both hands. As the guard closed in on her, Miki dove between his legs and jumped on his back, wrapping the chain around his neck. He swung wide, grabbing for her, but Miki kept herself low on his back and dodged his swipes. The guard turned and tried to slam backwards into the wall. Miki dropped down to the floor so his head smacked the wall instead. At last, the guard fell to the floor unconscious. Miki heaved a sigh of relief and threw Yuki her bag.

"He was an ox." Miki shook her head. "Must have had some training in poison resistance."

"Yeah. That stuff only took like, thirty seconds on me." Beki folded her arms and Yuki gave her a suspicious look. "She knocked me out with it once."

"I gathered that." Yuki looked between them. "Weren't you two supposed to be friends?"

Miki gave Yuki a coy smile as she resumed lockpicking the door. "What's a little knockout drug between friends?"

Yuki got a knowing smile and nodded. "Oh." She made finger quotes. "Friends."

"I don't like how you said that." Beki threw her a dirty look. "It isn't like that."

"I mean, I obviously don't blame you." Yuki gestured to Miki's chest. "I mean, come on. That's making me feel inadequate."

Miki rolled her eyes. "Is she always like this?"

Beki sighed. "It literally never stops. She's either masquerading as a stripper or making sexual advances and accusations. Her favorite people to harass are teenage boys."

"They like it!" Yuki slapped the bars, her brows knit.

"That's what you tell yourself." Miki mumbled as the opened the door. "Okay, all kidding aside we need a game plan or we aren't getting out of here alive."

Beki gestured to the knocked out guard. "You obviously specialize in this sort of thing."

"I'm an infiltrator, Tsukimori." Miki folded her arms over her chest to protect herself from Yuki's prying eyes. "I specialize in takedowns of targets much bigger and stronger than me. It would be one thing if these guys were just hired civilians, but they're seasoned ronin. I could take on a max of two at a time. If we try to take them on directly en masse, we'd lose for sure."

"Speak for yourself." Yuki put her hands on her hips. "I've mopped the floor-"

"You aren't listening to me." Miki's eyes flashed. "These aren't genin here. You are used to having terrain advantages and the element of surprise. This time around the odds are stacked against you. The guards already know you two are bad news and I don't work in this area." She pointed at the guard. "If anyone else spots me, they're going to know it's fishy. Just like he did."

Yuki groaned. "Okay, we get it. Single target takedowns from the shadows."

"Every takedown improves our chances for survival. If an alarm gets triggered, it's that many less goons that come to respond." Miki looked at Beki. "How about you? I heard you can spontaneously combust now or something?"

Beki nodded. "It isn't a good idea in here, though. I kind of...explode a little bit when I first trigger it. There's too many civilians in here for that. Not to mention we're underground. The smoke would choke us out just as fast as the ronin."

"That'll be our plan B, then." Miki took a deep breath. "Okay. Beki, you're with me. Yukihana, I trust you can do takedowns by yourself without any setup?"

Yuki shrugged. "I guess, if we have to do this the boring way."

"If by boring, you mean the only way we get out of here that doesn't involve body bags, yes." Miki opened the door to the club. "Come on."

…

They ducked out of the room when one of the strobes went off at an especially loud moment in the song. Yuki dipped right, disappearing into the crowd. Miki and Beki scooched left. Miki plastered a waitress smile on her face and scooped up a stray tray off a table. She scanned the room and her eyes flickered. "I have an idea. See that booth over there? Go sit in it and pretend you're passed out. I'm going to go get a tray of drinks and come wake you up."

Beki nodded and followed Miki's command. It didn't make any sense to Beki how pretending to be passed out at a table could help them. This was the third or fourth run in she had with Miki but the girl was still an enigma. Miki was a kunoichi but her methods were atypical when compared to any other lady ninja Beki had ever known. Most of the time Miki just seemed like a waitress. Every time Beki had run into her, that was Miki's cover. She was waiting tables with that fake friendly smile plastered across her face. The girl had served Beki coffee and spewed specials like its what she was born to do. If Beki hadn't seen Miki knock out that huge guard only moments before, she would be forced to question Miki's competence.

As Beki laid her head down on the table and listened to the throb of the menacing music her stomach turned. Somewhere in this room was her father's killer, the man who had tried to frame her for it and murder her, too. No doubt Yukihana was trying to figure out a way to kill Yasahiro right along with the guards. It frightened Beki how sick it made her feel that she wouldn't be there to see the life choked out of him. It was that nauseating darkness, the anger that ate away inside of her. It tasted like hot copper and bile as the hate caught in her throat.

The soft tap of a tray being set on the table pulled Beki from the dark depths of her thoughts and back to the grimy, glitter and gin covered table.

"Hey," Miki shook her gently. Beki looked up at her. Miki leaned forward and shook her again but Beki recognized the movements as just a cover. Miki's other hand popped open a tube full a fine white powder. As Miki jostled Beki, who was following Miki's lead and lying there motionlessly, Miki tapped the powder into each of the drinks. From her angle it was hard to tell, but there looked to be at least ten shots on the tray. Miki stopped at the last glass. "You don't look so good," She said as the surveyed Beki. "Are you taking this hot-mess-club-girl-thing too seriously?"

Beki shook her head and sat up. "It's really loud in here."

Miki looked around. "It's your uncle, isn't it? You're here to kill him."

Beki nodded. "He's the one who killed my dad. Then the bastard tried to frame me for it. Hired a bunch of ronin to kidnap me and make it look like I committed suicide."

Miki let out a low whistle. "That's pretty messed up." Beki gave her a tired look and Miki shook her head. "If I'm saying its messed up, you're competing with people being used for experiments and teenagers that are really nice people but also go on unpredictable murderous rampages. It isn't pity, its honesty. It isn't a humble thing to say, but I'm a decent gauge for messed-up-ness."

"Thanks, Miki. That really helps," Beki shook her head with a groan.

Miki wrinkled her nose. "Your sarcasm isn't appreciated." She slid the only untampered glass to Beki. "Chug it."

Beki picked up the glass and eyed her suspiciously.

"Dammit, Tsukimori. Do you think I drugged that one at the bar?!" Miki growled. "You're losing your cool here. Drink the whiskey and put on your big girl panties. I need you at your best if we're going to get through this alive."

"Why do you and my mother think booze fixes everything?" Beki said as she downed the liquid. It burned her throat and made her eyes water, but Beki soldiered through it.

"It doesn't fix anything." Miki took the glass and slapped it on the tray upside down. "You just told me you spontaneously combust. I'm thinking that maybe a little alcohol in the tank will help you breath fire in a few minutes if we need you to."

Beki blinked and watched Miki storm off. That hadn't even occurred to her. Beki secretly began to hope that she would be able to breathe fire. Bursting into flames was inconvenient but being able to spew flames like a dragon sounded pretty damn cool.

…

Miki resumed her patrol. She had counted at least twenty guards around the room. There were booths, a VIP area, the dressing rooms, the stage, the DJ booth, and the bar. Of those locations, only two or three could really be used for hits and disposals. Miki had laced the drinks with a cruel combination of sedatives and laxatives. It was unlikely that all the guards would take drinks from her. Some of them had decent work ethics and wouldn't drink on the job. Of those she did get to take the drugs, they would run to the bathroom and pass out on the john. People would start going upstairs to use the bathroom. It would eventually create a fuss but hopefully by then Miki would have what she needed. As much as she liked Beki, Miki couldn't risk her future to help her. Her thoughts were interrupted when one of the guards noticed her and approached.

"Don't you work upstairs?" this one wasn't as big as the goon Miki had floored earlier. He was younger, too, with a full head of hair. There was a nonchalance to his attitude that would have put civilians at peace, but Miki could smell the murder on him. Nakano didn't keep anyone around him without a rap sheet a mile long.

"Yeah." Miki rested the tray on her hip. "I'm covering for Keiko." The guards didn't bother with waitress schedules. They were as disposable as the dancers; pretty little dolls that decorated the club like jewelry. When one stone fell out, another replaced it.

"She was just here," The guard looked around, his brow furrowing.

Miki leaned in conspiratorially. "She was puking for like, an hour. We think she got knocked up by one of the bartenders."

His eyes widened. Miki had seen him drink on the job before, so he knew the bartenders. "Really? Who?"

Miki shrugged. "I mean, this is Keiko we're talking about here. Pull a name out of a hat and there's a chance he's the father."

The guard shrugged and took notice of the tray. "Who are those for?"

Miki gestured at the bar. "The manager said we need to push the shots. I just carry the tray and ask everyone with a dazed look if they want one."

The guard looked at the tray, then back at Miki. "So they aren't counted?"

Miki looked around and slipped him a glass. He sized her up and smiled when he got to her chest. "Can I take it off you?"

Miki rolled her eyes. "Sorry, sweetheart, I don't get paid enough to do body shots. You wanna lick salt off someone, go talk to the dancers."

He laughed aloud and shook his head. "You're funny. I like 'em funny." His eyes narrowed. "You're awful smart to be working a job like this, plus you've got a good enough body to be up there on the stage. What are you doing here?"

"I wasn't smart enough not to let my ex wrack up a mountain of debt and dump it on my doorstep." Miki adjusted the tray. "I didn't make enough at my old job to cover it. I know the dancers make a lot more but…" Miki sighed and gave a defeated shrug. "I eventually wanna work with kids. No one will care if I waitress in a place like this, but if I'm a dancer? No chance they'll give me the job." The lies came so easily to Miki now. All her life, people had never found Miki threatening. When she was younger, that meant she'd become the scapegoat for everything that went wrong on her squad. As she got older, it meant people were comfortable baring their souls and telling Miki their life's story. Each one was a thread she could draw on to weave a believable lie. A little bit of the heartbroken barista, a fistful of the bitter nightclub owner, and a dash of the tragic runaway balanced out to be a believable tale. Miki channeled them as she spoke, becoming each of them for a moment as she told the story.

Miki had to be careful. She had to sound damaged enough that the guard would believe Miki would work there but not so much that he wouldn't want to win her over. The broken beyond repair were easy prey and were often targeted in the back alley on their way home at the end of the night. Miki had learned about that the hard way when a sadistic club manager had tried to assault her once. Miki still remembered the look of shock on his face as she drove her hidden knife between his ribs.

The guard took the shot and placed his upside-down glass on top of Beki's, snapping Miki back from her dark reminisce. "See you around," He said, and Miki smiled as she started to walk away.

"Hold on." The guard's voice stopped Miki dead. _Did he figure me out?_

Miki turned and looked up at him. The guard got up in her face, his expression unreadable. There was the brush of a hand against her flesh as he stuffed a 1000 ryo note in her cleavage. "I'll see you around, sweetheart." Miki flashed a shy smile and hurried away with her head low, swearing internally. Forget being a letcher, Miki was used to dealing with that sort of treatment. She was barely able to talk her way out of that one. As she made her way around the room, Miki recalled the lies she had told him and set them to memory. Her story would have to be consistent if they talked to each other. Four more guards approached her, each time her story becoming more convincing by the retelling. More money was stuffed down her bra but the smile she gave them was genuine. She knew they would be running for the bathroom in a few minutes and some of these big, burly men might even cry as their bowels violently evacuated.

After a quick count, Miki noticed that of the roughly twenty guards she had counted earlier, only about ten were still on the floor. A few new faces had showed up; they probably worked in the offices. Nakano's office was behind the DJ booth. She watched as the first of the two guards stepped inside the office, leaving the other guard outside alone. Miki scanned the crowd dancing on the floor. A small smile tugged at her lips. Everyone looked so conceited, wearing their dry clean only clothes and expensive shoes. Miki took one of the empty shot glasses and threw it from the hip with a flick of the wrist. It slammed into a woman's leg and she stumbled, knocking into the man she was dancing with. He fell backwards into the man behind him who was holding a set of drinks. The dark liquor splashed on his white suit jacket and he turned. They started shouting, then shoving each other. The man in the white suit pulled a knife. A scream went up from one of the women and a space opened around them. The men's friends joined them on either side and more small, smuggled weapons were pulled.

The guards all converged on them. The men fought back with such ferocity that even the office guard was pulled into the fray. Miki dipped low, ditching the drinks off her tray and slipping into the office. She came in low, expecting to surprise the guard inside. Miki stumbled in the darkness when her foot hit something soft. Her gaze shot to the floor and her eyes were met with the sigh of the guard's body splayed at her feet. His blue lips were parted in surprise and his eyes wide with fear. The rustle of paper to the left caught Miki's attention. She looked up to see Yuki sitting in the plush armchair behind Nakano's ornate desk. She was casually thumbing through a leather bound notebook with the Nakano family crest embossed on the cover in gold lief. Miki swallowed hard.

Yuki's eyes darted up from the page, flashing dangerously in the darkness. The rest of her body remained completely relaxed. "Looking for this?" Her manicured nails tapped the cover.

Miki cleared her throat. "That was my target, yes." Yukihana was holding Miki's life in her hands. If anything happened to that notebook, Miki's options would be limited to running away and dying or going back to Otogakure and dying.

"That's quite a commotion out there," Yuki's eyes stayed on Miki as she turned a page. "Where's my daughter?"

"Beki is at one of the booths, far away from the fight on the floor, pretending to be a drunk girl." Miki swallowed. "I was trying to keep her out of harm's way."

"Or," Yuki purred. "You wanted to separate yourself from her so you could make a quick escape." Yuki waved the book at Miki. "Once you had your target."

Miki opened her mouth to protest but Yuki snapped the notebook shut. "Don't bother. Here's the deal: You had to have an exit plan, and a backup for that if it failed. I'm going to hold onto this until we're safely out of harm's way."

Miki nodded. Yukihana had her in a corner. "When do we leave?"

"When a stab my brother in law through the heart with a letter opener." Yuki stood and crossed the office, stepping gracefully over the dead guard. She flashed Miki a winning smile as she passed her, sending a chill down her spine. This woman made Orochimaru seem warm and friendly. Miki followed her out. The guards were dragging out the last of the troublemakers and were slowly returning to their posts. Yuki and Miki walked in the opposite direction of the guard coming back to the office.

"We should regroup." Miki suggested. She glanced over at the booth where she had left Beki only to find it empty. She scanned the crowd in surprise and didn't spot the familiar blond head or neon green dress. "Do you see Beki?"

"No, and that's bad news…" Yuki scanned the crowd. "For you, that is."


	91. Out of Breath

**Hi everyone! I had a little free time and was able to get a chapter done. Thank you so much to those of you who have checked in and reviewed. I'm always happy to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about the story. I know that my posting has been less frequent than it has in the past but know that I'm always pecking away at the next chapter. We're more than halfway to the end of the story now and I'm going to see this through. Thank you to those of you who have helped me get this far and I can't wait to hear what you think!**

* * *

That single shot of whiskey had taken enough of the edge off for Beki to think clearly. She didn't notice how her feet throbbed in her sky high stilettos or how her breasts carried a dull ache from being padded up to her chin. Beki could even filter out the deafening bass enough to closely observe the crowd. She had lost sight of Miki behind it and Beki hadn't seen her mother in a while. That either meant they were both in deep trouble or that the mission was a resounding success so far.

After several minutes of watching the bodies sway to the rhythm, a fight broke out. It happened so fast Beki didn't have a chance to catch what started it. Two groups just squared off on the dance floor and started to go at each other with weapons they'd managed to slip past the bouncers. The guards converged on the scene and were met with violent opposition. As if drawn by an unseen force, Beki's eyes picked out a small group moving away from the throng and towards the VIP room. The behavior was odd; everyone who wasn't involved with the fight was running like mad for the exit. This group, however, ambled with an easy gait. It was as if the row behind them were nothing more than a small disagreement between friends. Beki subtly turned to watch them as they passed through the curtains to the VIP area. Two of the men were bodyguards based on their appearance. They must not have been affiliated with the club; the club guards all wore an unspoken uniform of a black tshirt and various colored cargo pants. These guards were in three piece suits, so they must have been privately hired. The man they were escorting wasn't Nakano, though. He had short cropped black hair and was wearing a dark turtleneck with dress slacks. Beki was trying to figure out what other kind of bigshot he would be when he turned his head to face the guard on his far side. As he did, the collar of his turtleneck came down far enough for Beki to see a mass of ugly swirling burn scars.

Her breath caught in her throat as the memories came washing back to her.

 _The two men holding her down, Yasahiro coming down the stairs and stepping up behind Seiichiro. Beki cried out to him, for him to save her father, and he smiled. Yasahiro took Seiichiro's head in his hands from behind, drew a knife, and drew a red smile across Seiichiro's throat. Beki screamed, feeling her body go hot and the sound of the clicking started. She pulled against the shinobi holding her down, violently jerking to get away and run to her father. One of them punched her and Beki heard a whoosh. The two men holding her were instantly consumed by the flames, their screams dying before they left their throats. Yasahiro dropped Seiichiro's head and kicked the chair at Beki to put some distance between them. The rage had taken hold, the Burned Maiden had awakened, so she stormed past her father's body to get to Yasahiro. Her flames scourged her father's body as she passed; a pyre for a fallen hero. Beki caught up to Yasahiro, who tried to swing at her with the knife, but Beki grabbed him by the neck and shoulder and threw him. He screamed, the smell of his seared flesh filling her nostrils. The sudden wash of chakra and then the quick spending of it left Beki feeling comatose. As she collapsed on the ground beside the smouldering ruins of her father's armor, the last thing Beki saw were the horrible red swirling welts on Yasahiro's flesh._

The men passed into the VIP room silently. Beki was frozen in place, locked in the trauma of her memories as they filled in the gaps of that night, like a bunch of puzzle pieces she had found under the couch. It was the first time Beki had seen her uncle since that night. They had thrown her right in captivity after they found her and Yasahiro had been in the hospital. When his men tried to kill her and failed, he had fled. All this time, Beki had buried her feelings. She had let herself get eaten up by the loss of her father and grieving him. Now that had passed and she could fully come to terms with the man behind it all, a family member Beki had thought she could trust. He had manipulated her, using her as a pawn in an elaborate game to take out her father and take his position.

Beki stood. A numbness had overcome her as she stared out into the red light of the nightclub. The fight had broken up and the crowd was considerably smaller once the bouncers had thrown out the participants. It was a hellish scene, the scent of sweat, alcohol, perfume, and cologne mixing together in a rancid mixture that was one of the worst things Beki had ever had to stomach. Beki expected to feel the deepest hatred against these people, the ones who had harbored her father's murderer. Instead there was a deep sadness for them. She pitied them, existing in places like this deep beneath the earth, squalid like the rats they were. It was with these thoughts Beki walked towards the VIP room, which was now unguarded thanks to the earlier fight. She parted the curtains and stepped inside.

The room was dim, cast in black light. Beki had to pause to get her bearings because there was darkness all around her, seemingly swallowing her up. Beki reached out and touched the wall, finding it surprisingly close and covered in black velvet. She took a few steps forward, following the seam between the wall and the carpet around a corner and into the VIP room proper. It was divided into small booths, each with their own set of privacy curtains. It must have been a slow night; only a few of the booths were closed. Based on the sounds coming from inside, Beki had no interest in what was going on in those booths. She looked around and spotted a booth that was occupied but the curtains weren't drawn. The two guards that had walked in with the scarred man were talking with a dancer at the entrance of their booth. She was practically naked; her underwear was a thong made out of what looked like a scrap of fabric and some dental floss and her breasts were only obscured with Xs made of florescent masking tape. Her body was splattered with neon paint in various colors, making her look like victim of a radioactive spill. After a few moments, the guards turned her away. The dancer immediately spotted Beki and walked over with a perplexed look on her face. She sized Beki up and after a moment, said:

"Are you lost?"

"No," A familiar voice called out from the booth. "She's here to see me."

The dancer shrugged and walked away, leaving Beki alone to face her personal boogey man.

The guards parted and looked at her expectantly. Beki had no choice but to walk over and step inside the booth. The moment she crossed the threshold, the guards dropped the curtain, leaving Beki alone with the man inside. In the eerie, black lit glow of the lamp overhead, there was no mistaking the flash of his eyes. It was Yasahiro.

He had died his hair black and cut it short. Yasahiro had also stopped dressing in traditional wear, most likely to hide the ugly scars on his neck and shoulders. The tendrils of burn still crept up out of the collar of his turtleneck on the left side high enough to marr the perfect skin of his jawline. The burns looked like tiny, twisting tentacles creeping their way towards his ears. By his expression, Yasahiro had been expecting Beki. The tension was palpable as they jockeyed for who would speak first. Usually Beki would take that first bold step, but in the face of her murderous uncle she was somewhat at a loss.

"You've wandered a long way from home, niece," Yasahiro leaned forward in his seat and folded his hands, never breaking eye contact. "And stumbled your way into a pit of vipers."

Beki consciously relaxed herself. Her body's first response was to tense, to let the chill run down her spine and set her hair on end. That would give away her apprehension the way her hair turning colors used to. The Drowned Maiden was gone, though, so as long as Beki was mindful she could keep Yasahiro in the dark about her nerves. "Who says I've stumbled? I'm exactly where I mean to be."

Yasahiro gave a soft chuckle. There was a time Beki thought his laughter sounded warm and friendly. In the sickly glow of the booth it was muffled and sinister, like something you would hear wafting down from an empty attic in a haunted house. "Has the new job brought you that much confidence? You stand tall with your shoulders squared but all I see is a little girl trying to fill shoes much larger than she admits."

"I see a man who could never earn anything for himself," Beki felt the heat start to build under her skin. "And he wasn't strong enough to take it away from a better man, so he lied and cheated to topple him from the shadows."

Yasahiro parted his hands. "I was never up front about it, no, but nothing I did was especially out of the ordinary. You worshipped your father, yet you aren't willing to admit we were cut from the same cloth."

"The two of you were nothing alike." Beki stared him down. "If the world had more of him and less of you, it would be a much better place."

Yasahiro laughed again but louder this time. "What you saw was a dying man trying to set things right before he met his judgement." Yasahiro looked up at her a smiled, a sight that turned her stomach. She saw in Yasahiro's smile the same cunning arrogance she saw in Shinichi's grin. There was cruelty in their blood that seemed to transcend generations. Beki wondered if she ever looked so ruthless. "Do you think your father got where he was just being a noble bastion of justice? That his kanabo was only wielded against the wicked and unworthy?" Yasahiro cocked his head, the vulpine smile stretching ear to ear. "You're a fool if you think he spared enemy genin. How many fresh little heads do you think he bludgeoned?"

Beki had tucked her chin and balled her fists. She wanted to hit Yasahiro across his mouth for the lies that poured out of it. That was what Yasahiro wanted and Beki knew it, so she restrained her more aggressive urges and dug her nails into her palms.

"You're young so you don't see things for what they are." Yasahiro sat up in his chair and regarded her with his chin on his hand. "The truth is, Haruka, that the more noble a person behaves, the uglier and darker their past. We all pretend to be better people than we are."

"No amount of philosophical discussion is going to change my mind that you're fratricidal scum." Beki spat.

"So, what do you want to do about it?" Yasahiro raised his hands towards the lights. "Are you going to kill me? Won't that make you 'fratricidal scum', too? Or does your vengeance justify the killing?"

There was a click and a pop as the Burned Maiden began to fizzle to the surface. The light in the room grew warmer, more golden as Beki's light counteracted the purple glow. "I don't think you're worth killing." Beki leered. "Maybe I'll just give you a nice set of matching scars on your right side. The world needs to see you just as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside."

Yasahiro smiled, a menacing warning that Beki knew deep down she should heed. Her uncle had proven that he never made a move without a plan. There was some trick at play, some trap he was waiting to spring. Then again, Beki was the legendary Burned Maiden. Nothing had yet stood against the righteousness of her fires. Beki;s skin fizzled and her dress started to smoke. She lunged for Yasahiro with her hands glowing like hot irons. In that moment she realized her hubris as the older, more experienced shinobi dove into the strike between her hands, landing a sharp blow with his elbow to her solar plexus. The pain was incredible. It knocked the wind out of Beki's lungs and threw her backwards into the curtains, knocking down both the curtains and the two guards behind. Beki forced herself back onto her feet, clutching her midsection. Bile rose in her throat and Beki swallowed hard; the last thing she wanted to do was vomit. The guards were scrambling back to their feet. Beki grabbed ahold of the nearer one and tossed him into his partner. In the moment his coat left her hands and her arms were suspended out in front of her, Beki noticed that the glow was gone from her hands. She looked down at her dress and found it completely intact; her skin was warm and sweaty but well within normal limits. Beki looked up at Yasahiro as he walked out of the booth with a self-satisfied grin on his face.

"Surprise!" He clapped his hands, furrowing his brow at her while maintaining his sheepish smile. "Did you think I would just sit around idle after you up and awakened on me? Of course not! I went home and hit the books."

Beki's eyes widened in understanding. "The counter style."

"Bingo, sweetheart." Yasahiro sneered. "Our ancestors were clever men. I'd be absolutely helpless if they hadn't prepared for such an obvious eventuality: a Maiden turning on a member of their kin with insidious intent."

The occupants of the other booths had heard the commotion and were all quickly making their exit in various states of undress. The guards that had accompanied Yasahiro had regained their footing and resumed their place by his side. "You two can go," Yasahiro waved them off. "I can take care of her myself, but if you two get involved you're liable to get burned."

They looked at each other and exchanged a look before departing. Once again, Beki was alone with her uncle and the odds were stacked against her.

"So," Yasahiro stretched his laced fingers out in front of him, popping his knuckles. "Should I explain or do you like surprises?"

"Let me guess, you just overload me with pain so I can't focus enough to transform?" Beki rubbed the tender spot under her breasts. She was sorely missing her armor.

Yasahiro cocked his head and gave a half shrug. "You can't start a fire without air, can you?" He stood in a ready position and Beki weighed her options. She could attack him, focusing on taijutsu or other ninjutsu. If she didn't rely on the Maiden, maybe she stood a chance. As she surveyed her own condition, however, that option seemed unlikely to succeed. Beki was physically vulnerable in her clubwear and she was unarmed. She cursed herself for not thinking to smuggle in a sharp hairpin.

Beki's next option was to evade him long enough to go full Maiden. So far it seemed the counter style kept her from transforming. There was a fair possibility that once Beki had managed to ignite completely, there would be nothing Yasahiro could do about it. Beki's final option was to run away and find her mother. She bit her lip as the bitterness rose inside her. Here was her greatest nemesis, the source of all her pain, and Beki was being forced to consider a retreat. _He knows I won't run away._ Beki cursed. Yasahiro didn't have to say a word to set Beki's head reeling. Yasahiro understood her patterns and could predict her actions long before Beki did. There were sublevels of subversion, whether or not she should meet his expectations or do the opposite. Or if doing the opposite of what she would usually do wasn't exactly what Yasahiro wanted in the first place.

 _Less thoughts, more actions._ Beki charged for him but ducked low at the last moment, going for a classic tackle to his torso. Yasahiro effortlessly side stepped her, coming down against the side of her head. His fingers were still laced, so the balled hands were like a mace against her temples. Beki's head swam and she stumbled, falling out of one shoe and landing ribs first into the black carpeted steps. A cry of pain escaped her lips and she heard Yasahiro chuckle.

"Do you see now?" Yasahiro stretched languidly. "It isn't about inflicting pain. Quite the opposite, in fact. Pain triggers an anger response in an attempt at self-preservation and anger for you equals fire. The counter style pure deprivation. You battle a forest fire by starving it for fuel and disorienting its progress towards setting off down a different path."

Yasahiro was slowly disabling her. Every time she went to attack, any attempt to transform, he was on her. Each blow was made precisely to a critical joint or nerve cluster. The damage was enfeebling Beki further, lessening the likelihood of activating the Burned Maiden and crippling her ability to use taijutsu. If he kept up his onslaught, Beki would be so out of breath she might start hyperventilating. Beki swallowed hard as she inched her way back onto her feet, tossing aside her remaining shoe. Yasahiro was going to win.

…

"She was right here," Miki gestured at the booth. "I told her to stay put and pretend to be a wasted party girl."

Yuki scanned the crowd. "She isn't dancing with anyone and I don't see her at the bar. Beki either went to the bathroom or got pulled into one of the rooms."

Miki felt a small pang of guilt. Moments before, she had been ready to coldly abandon Beki and Yuki to their fate. Now that she had to face the possibility that Beki could be in danger and Miki was the responsible party. her conscience was eating her up. Beki had sort of become a friend to Miki, a familiar face she ran into from time to time that had no intention of assaulting, murdering, or using her for twisted experiments. During these run ins, Miki got a taste of what life had been like before the Sound, but less lonely. "Okay," Miki shook her head to clear away the thoughts of all the horrible things that might have befallen Beki. "Beki's a kunoichi. She's objective-driven. Why is she here? What is she trying to accomplish?"

Yuki watched with a raised eyebrow and a slight pout of disapproval as Miki reasoned her way through their predicament. "Beki told me you guys are here to kill her uncle, so that must be what she's trying to do. She's bullheaded, so there's no chance she would abandon her objective unless she was acted on by an outside force. That leaves us with four possible outcomes: she's looking for her target, has located her target and is in pursuit, or has been captured."

"That was only three." Yuki scoffed.

"Outcome four is that Beki is dead." Miki frowned. "I'm really hoping that isn't the case-"

It was then that they heard the body as it flew out of the VIP entrance, the velvet curtains parting with a small ruffle. The body flew in a graceful arc but landed with a sickening thud, its momentum carrying it towards the dance floor. The pair had barely registered the flash of neon green as it passed before they were already in motion. Miki immediately rolled Beki on her back to check the damage as Yuki stepped between them and whatever was parting the curtains to the VIP lounge.

"Looks like it was outcome five: she's getting her ass kicked." Yuki shook her head. "Figures. I take my eyes off her for five minutes and she needs an ambulance."

"Now this is a surprise," Yasahiro laughed darkly. "Never in a million years did I think I'd be seeing you again." He paused, surveying Yukihana's form in the angry red lights of the nightclub. "Or are you some long-lost relative of Yukihana's? The Asou were like rats. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a small cache of bastards hiding in the mountains somewhere."

"It's me," Yuki put one hand on her hip. "There was no way I could let anyone else take you down. I had to claw my way out of hell for that honor."

"That wouldn't surprise me," Yasahiro spat. "You were so vile hell itself spat you back out, you homewrecking dropout."

Miki felt the air around them drop in temperature rapidly. The sensation of her skin being exposed to that familiar chill sent a shiver down her spine. Miki ignored the memories of the mangled bodies, the seas of blood and excrement, the horror twisted faces of the dead the she had seen the last time the cold had overtaken her. Miki couldn't let the horrors distract her; she had a patient to tend to. There was mild swelling forming on the side of Beki's face but she was still conscious. _That's good. No major head trauma._ "Hey," Miki turned Beki's chin so they were facing each other. "Where else?"

Beki coughed and winced. "Elbow to the solar plexus and stairs to the ribs. I've had worse."

Miki could feel the eyes on them, the impending sense of danger as the guards closed in. She took a deep breath and started to probe Beki's ribs. Beki inhaled sharply as Miki poked an especially tender spot. "No broken ribs. They might be cracked, though." She held out a hand and pulled Beki to her feet. "Any more blows to that side and you might end up with a punctured lung."

Beki nodded and rolled her shoulders. "Okay. Got it."

Under better circumstances, Beki should have been benched. As Miki looked at the number of powerful looking ronin closing in on them, however, all three of them would have to fight for their lives. She noticed that the guards were all focused on Yukihana. She was spending chakra like she was made of it, surrounding herself in a shroud of fog and frost. There was an ethereal beauty to the display of power, the sort of thing a passerby would be foolish enough to linger to watch. It seemed harmless, like a ripple in the water, but Miki knew better. There was a monster in those depths waiting to lash out at its prey.

Their attacker's attention averted, Miki grabbed Beki and hauled her over the bar. The bartenders and most of the guests had bounced. A knife fight was one thing but the second ninjutsu came into play civilians bailed out. "What are we doing?!" Beki hissed as they ducked out of sight. "Shouldn't we be helping her?!"

Miki held up a finger. "You can't take on every fight like a bull in a china shop, Beki! You have to use your head or you lose it." Miki peeked over the bar. The guards had completely surrounded Yukihana, like a scene in an old action film. In those movies, the guards would go at Yuki one at a time so she could beat every single one in a beautifully choreographed melee. In the real world, it wasn't so pretty. At any moment they would all throw themselves on her, grabbing limbs, slashing, beating, crushing whatever they could get their hands on. A lone shinobi outnumbered to that degree was dead for sure. "Think, Miki…"

Beki peeked over the bar. "Crap. I thought you guys took care of more guards than that."

"There was a shift change." Miki shook her head. "I should have been watching the time."

"So how do we help her? I'm half crippled and you said yourself you can only take on one guy at a time." Beki winced as her rib brushed the wood of the bar.

The guards certainly had the home court advantage fighting Yuki at their club. There was also limited cover and only one exit, so escape was nearly impossible. There had to be some way to turn the tide in Yuki's favor, to give her the slightest edge on her opponents. Miki knew from experience even the tiniest knife could mean the difference between life and death. All the body heat that had built up in the room was subsiding, steadily being replaced by Yuki's frost. Yuki was unarmed, but if Miki remembered correctly she had been unarmed in the Sound base as well. Miki wracked her brain, letting those awful memories bubble up. She gasped and Beki jumped in surprise. Miki dropped back down behind the bar and started rifling through the debris left in the wake of the bartenders' retreat.

"What the hell, Miki?!" Beki barked.

"Help me find a lighter!" Miki barked back.

Beki screwed up her face but obeyed. "What's a lighter going to do for us?" The frantic way Miki was searching made no sense. It was as if the discovery of a lighter would solve all of their problems, opening up a portal to safety or killing all of their enemies instantly.

Miki let out a sight of exasperation and shook her head. "You really don't pay attention to the outside factors in a fight, do you? Your mom is at a serious disadvantage. We have to do something to tip the scales in her favor."

"And how is a lighter going to do that?! Are you going to signal our surrender to distract them or something?" Beki looked at the wall of alcohol behind them. "Make a Molotov cocktail?"

Miki was carefully running her hand under the base of the bar. She paused and retracted it as a cheap, beaten up lighter revealed itself. "Hopefully I'll be able to show you." Miki pressed the flint wheel and it clicked with no results. She looked up at Beki. "How is Yuki doing?"

Beki peeked over the bar. "They're still posturing, luckily."

Miki took a deep breath and said a silent prayer. "Come on…come on!" She clicked the wheel again and again. "Too bad it isn't a pilot light and we can't just shove your finger in there to light it!"

Beki pouted. "Yeah, life would be a lot easier if spontaneously combusting wasn't just destructive."

At last the flame caught. Miki suppressed the urge to cheer aloud and protectively put a hand around the flame. "Okay, Beki, Either this works or we all die."

Beki furrowed her brows and gave a confused half smile. "…Yay?"

Miki climbed up on top of the bar, stood on her tiptoes, and held it up to the fire sprinkler. The fire suppression system kicked in and all the sprinklers turned on full blast, showering Yuki and her opponents in a stream of lukewarm water. A smile curled on Yuki's lips and her hair faded to a salmony pink under the red light.

Yasahiro swore. "Take her down while you still can!"

Just as Miki predicted, several of the guards converged on her. It was hard to see the fight behind the veil of water but the guards nearest Yuki leapt backward. Shining spires of ice had jutted out of the ground at Yuki's feet, a dangerous but beautiful lotus made of ice.

"Witch," Yasahiro hissed under his breath. "Your water isn't going to help you this time!" He clapped his hands together and focused his chakra. The other guards would get a nasty shock but at least he would be able to neutralize Yukihana. The brighter guards spotted what he was doing and dove out of range as Yasahiro slammed his electrified palm into the pool of water on the dance floor. Screams of agony filled the air, some low, some high, and Yasahiro looked up on his handiwork with an expectant smile. A hand, cold as death, reached out of the fog and gripped his chin. "Didn't anyone ever tell you ice doesn't conduct electricity?" Yukihana's corpse eyes glittered pink in the menacing light as an ice spire jutted out of her platform and launched him across the room.


	92. Burning Hand

In the confusion of the fire sprinklers and Yuki's fog, Miki and Beki heard the guards calling out to one another.

"We have to get that water off!" One of the guards yelled. From the fog, a figure started to take shape and Miki swore. Someone was heading right for the bar.

"Do you think he'll see us?" Beki asked.

"Of course he will." Miki dropped on her knees in front of Beki. "This is going to sound weird but reach down the back of my top." Beki hesitated, her hand hovering close enough to Miki's skin to feel the heat coming off her. She shook her head and stuck her hand down the back of the corset; they had come too far together for Beki to get weirded out now. At first Beki's fingers met with nothing but the curve of Miki's spine. A few inches down, Beki's hand bumped against a hard cylinder.

"Pull it out," Miki whispered. " _Carefully_."

Beki wrapped her fingers around the cylinder and felt the familiar sensation of leather wrapped wood. As she pulled on it, she heard a ripping sound. Miki didn't move, so Beki kept pulling until the weapon was fully extracted. It was a long sturdy knife; the duct tape Miki had been using to keep it in place still dangling from the blade.

"You've been running around with this taped to your back all night?!" Beki hissed as she handed Miki the handle. Miki shrugged. "There aren't many problems six inches of steel can't fix."

Her blade now accessible, Miki braced herself against the filthy floor with one hand and put her knife hand behind her back in a modified racer's starting position. "Get ready to fight."

Beki pressed her back against the bar behind her and crouched. The motion sent waves of pain over her entire body. All she could do was grit her teeth and bear the worst of it. Even though her ribs radiated pain at the slightest motion, at least Beki's head was clearing. The pain from her solar plexus had ebbed so Beki only had her injured ribs to worry about. She would let Miki take the lead on the guard and follow up for a finisher. At least Beki knew she could do that right.

The guard leapt over the bar and reached for one of the bottles of whiskey on the shelf. With the striking speed of a snake, Miki lunged and lashed out with the knife. The guard caught her wrist at the last second and he spun her, bodily tossing her right into Beki. He had twisted Miki's wrist, forcing her to drop the knife. He scooped it up as Miki scrambled back to her feet and threw the knife at her. Miki was left with no time to react and the blade cleaved across the inside of her thigh. Her fishnet stockings provided no protection from the attack and parted as readily as her flesh. Blood spurted from the wound as Miki let out a cry of pain. Beki had managed to get back up as Miki collapsed, applying pressure to the sanguine fountain spurting out from between her fingers.

 _That's arterial blood._ As Beki stepped over Miki, an invisible timer began to run down for the Sound kunoichi. The guard saw Beki emerge from behind his attacker and responded by pulling the shelving down on them. Beki threw up her hands and caught it, taking the impact with her shoulders, and absorbing the shock of the blow to her knees as bottles and glasses rained down around her. Shards of glass nicked her skin as the alcohol splashed against the tiny cuts but Beki felt none of it. Digging deep down inside, Beki's adrenaline mixed with the seething anger she'd been carrying around all night in a crucible of self-preservation. With one mighty shove and an otherworldly cry of physical anguish, Beki shoved the shelving back up against the wall. Her skin was smoking and terrifying shapes like tortured souls swirled in shades of crimson and amber in the increasing glow radiating out from under her skin. The guard turned at the sound and stood frozen in disbelief at the sight of the demoness that had replaced the injured girl he had just tried to bury. The bottle of whiskey fell helplessly from his hands and shattered at his feet, covering him in a fine spray of high proof alcohol. The light started in her chest and worked its way outward, slowly engulfing her limbs in blazing tendrils and incinerating what was left of her dress. As Beki stormed towards him the guard pulled a knife but it was too late. The Maiden form had reached her toes, and the moment Beki's feet touched the alcohol pooling around him, the guard went up like a powder keg.

Beki heard the horrible, high pitched scream that only came from people as they burned alive. He raced further into the nightclub, towards the sprinklers and Yuki's fog, but the flames were undeterred. A series of pops caught Beki's attention. She turned and looked at the bar. The pool of alcohol around the guard had connected with the sea of spilled liquor from the fallen shelving just before he went up in flames. The inferno had followed the trail to the bar, swallowing it whole. Beki hadn't noticed the heat as it passed her legs in her Maiden state. She had been too focused on her prey; so focused she forgot her wounded ally behind the bar.

"Miki?!" Beki ran back over to the bar, the flames licking harmlessly at her ankles and knees. She leaned over the side, her heart sinking, convinced she would see Miki's still burning corpse. Where her friend had been laying was a wall of empty flames. _Did she ragdoll in the explosion?_ Beki ran around to the other side of the bar with a glimmer of hope that although grievously injured and horribly scarred, Miki may still be alive. All she could see was the dazzling glitter of the broken glass all over the floor, reflecting the dancing flames behind her. As she searched, Beki noticed that the steady flow of sprinkler water had ebbed to a drizzle. She held out a hand and felt the last few drops of the sprinkler above her as the suppression system bottomed out.

"Over here,"

Beki turned and saw Miki leaning in front of a door marked "Staff". Other than the leg wound, Miki looked unharmed. "Thank God you're okay," Beki heaved a sigh, letting go of the fear that she may have burned her friend alive.

"Barely," Miki glowered. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I…I wasn't." Beki apologized. "I just went into full adrenaline mode." Miki stared her down, a coldness creeping into her green eyes. Her lips were tightly pressed together, which when combined with the paleness of her anemic flesh gave her the look of a statue.

"Whatever," Miki shook her head. "There isn't time to talk about this now. I need to do something out of my leg or this nightclub is going to be my pyre." She gestured to the injury. She had commandeered someone's purse strap as a makeshift tourniquet but the wound was still weeping. "I've lost a lot of blood. There's normally a good first aid kit around here; it might have wound seal powder in it. I need you to help me find it, then we can find you some clothes."

Beki followed her into the bleak, nondescript locker room. "Shouldn't it be out in the open, on a wall or something?"

"It should, yes," Miki sighed. "But I don't have that good of luck." She settled down on the bench along the wall and laid down. "Phew…you can power through a lot, but blood loss…You can't soldier on when you've lost a pint or two."

Beki felt around on the floor near the shelf Miki had pointed at. The staffroom was as dim as the rest of the nightclub and Beki hoped she wouldn't find anything sharp. Her hand bumped a box that rattled on contact. She fished it out, the sight of the red cross on the lid confirming its contents. "I found the kit."

"Wound seal, ASAP." Miki closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "Lizard skin wouldn't be so bad right now…"

"What?" Beki shot her a strange look as she searched the box.

"Nothing," Miki shook her head. "Just thinking I could use some augmentation right about now."

"Uh, Miki, bad news." Beki closed the first aid kid. "No wound seal."

"Shit." Miki sighed. "That leaves us only one option then. I need you to touch me."

Beki blinked in surprise, a slight flush creeping into her cheeks. "Um, I mean, I've always been the type to fulfill a final request but is that really how you want to go out? I'm not going to know what I'm doing with a girl-"

Miki wrinkled her nose. "No, you idiot! Put your burning hand on my wound and cauterize it!"

"OH." Beki laughed uncomfortably. "I guess I've been hanging around my mom too much. I just assumed-"

Miki took off the tourniquet and grabbed Beki by the hair. "Listen, naked tits. I'm going to die if you don't shut up and save my life!"

"Okay okay!" Beki stepped back and rubbed her hands together. "Come on come on come on- "

"HURRY DAMMIT!" Miki bit down on the leather purse strap tourniquet, completely unfazed by the fact it was covered in her own blood.

"Stop yelling at me!" Beki stormed, the fire inside her coming to life and illuminating the room.

Miki gave her an exasperated look and rolled her eyes as she leaned back on the bench, readying herself for the pain to come. Beki took a deep breath, leaned in, and pressed a searing hot hand to the inside of Miki's thigh. Miki screamed despite the strap and half sat up, gripping the sides of the bench to force herself to remain still. The acrid scent of burning flesh filled the room and her skin sizzled under Beki's fingers, the fishnet curling away from the heat and the dried blood flaking away like cinders. After a few moments, Miki started to slap at Beki's chest.

"Okay, you got it!" She squealed. "Stop!"

Beki pulled away her hand as Miki let out a string of curses. She collapsed back down on the bench, smoke rising from between her thighs.

"Did it work?" Beki asked timidly.

"I'm not bleeding anymore, but between that and the blood loss there's a good chance I'm going to slip into shock." Miki panted.

"How will I know if that happens?" Beki scratched self-consciously.

"Don't worry, the machines will tell you." Miki waved dismissively. "You'll hear an alarm- "

"Miki, what machines?" Beki raised an eyebrow.

Miki blinked, seeming incredibly confused. "What…?"

Beki went to run back out in the nightclub to grab her mother but remembered her nakedness. She fished through the lockers until she found a spare shirt one of the men had left there. He was much larger than Beki, so the button up shirt was long enough to be a dress on her. Beki ran out into the nightclub as she rolled up the sleeves on the shirt. "Mom?!" She cried out.

A moment later, a shape came barreling towards Beki out of the smoke. Yuki flew through the air and crashed into the table beside Beki. Her hair was fading from white back to black. She was covered in sweat, grime, and bruises. Yuki's clothes were torn and she was bleeding from a few cuts on her arms and legs. Yuki rolled her head to the side and looked at Beki. "What is it, sweetheart?" She said through ragged breaths.

"What happened?! You were winning a minute ago!" Beki looked into the smoke for possible attackers.

Yuki forced herself back up onto her feet. Somehow, she was still stable in the high heels. "Someone shut off the water and started a fire. There's no moisture in here, Beki. I'm running off my own steam and I've been fighting multiple enemies. I'm an assassin, not a tank. I can't handle this much sustain."

"Miki's in really bad shape." Beki looked towards the staff room. "I just closed a wound on her leg. She lost a lot of blood."

Yuki heaved a sigh. "Great. So I've got to hold out a while longer." She rolled her shoulders, which popped several times in protest. "Go grab your invalid Sound kunoichi and get the hell out of here. I'll catch up once its clear."

"Can you go on by yourself?" Beki surveyed her mother. She had never seen Yuki in such bad shape. Gone was Yuki's composure and cocky attitude. The woman looked like a wrung-out towel. "This isn't your way of sacrificing yourself, is it?"

Yuki looked at her daughter and shook her head with a small smile. "I'll be just fine. I can't play offense and defense at the same time, though. You and Miki are a liability to me. Grab her and get to safety so I can concentrate on finishing these bastards." Beki was uncertain, but as Yuki spoke a small spark of her usual confidence crept into her eyes. "It'll take much better men than this to defeat the Yukionna."

"Alright." Beki sighed. "If you say so." She watched her mother bound back into the smoke. _I really hope you aren't lying, mom. I'm not ready to be an orphan again._ Beki slipped into the staff room to find Miki sliding in and out of consciousness. "Okay, Miki, time to go." Beki gingerly picked her up and carried her bridal style out into the nightclub. The sounds of battle were still raging in the smoke, although it sounded like only a few shinobi were left. Beki slipped out the door without incident and headed for the stairwell.

"Wait," Miki grabbed her collar. "Down…we have to go down." Beki looked around the room. There was another stairwell in the corner, half concealed behind some crates. "Smuggling tunnel Nakano uses…"

Beki followed Miki's directions and cautiously descended the stairs. She found herself in a long cold tunnel hewed from the stone. A small dock with a lone row boat were at the end of the stairs, rocking gently in the water. Several crates and casks littered the space; the only organized area was a desk with a logbook at the end of the dock. Beki shrugged and walked towards the row boat. "I guess this is our ride."

Miki didn't protest as she was set in the small craft. There was a far off look in her eyes and she was shaking slightly. Beki went to unbutton her shirt to cover Miki with it but spotted a heavy coat slung over the desk chair. She grabbed the jacket and laid it over Miki gingerly. Her shaking didn't cease. "Hey, Miki?" Beki carefully climbed in the boat and sat on the bench looking down on her. "If we get out of this, could you teach me some medical ninjutsu? I really suck at it and somehow I always seem to need it."

"Sure…" Miki shuddered, her voice dreamy. "You have to start on body disposal, though. That's where everyone starts. You can't heal someone if the sight of their insides makes you puke…" Her voice trailed off and Beki heard her muttering something about a morgue and practicing on failed experiments. Miki's voice faded away. Beki's eyes turned to the stairs as she prayed that the next person to come down would be her mother.

…

The last ronin Yuki had to kill with a broken bottle. He had lost his weapon and his balance enough that he left an opening large enough for Yuki to exploit. The moment he fell and was no longer a threat, Yuki forgot about him. There was a bigger prize in the smoke.

Yasahiro emerged from the mire, spinning the short sword that was responsible for most of Yuki's cuts. She held out her hand and willed an ice spike to form. The air around her hand cooled, a small wispy strand of ice danced listlessly for a moment, then evaporated.

"Look at that," Yasahiro chuckled. "All out of ice, my sweet. After such a big show of power, too. If you had actually gone to the academy like a real shinobi, you would have learned not to burn through everything at the start."

Yuki licked her lips and his smile broadened. "Always so stubborn. Why don't you admit defeat and let me give you a hero's death? I'll make it quick and clean, just like I did for my brother. You'll be together again in hell, thick as thieves. Isn't that what you want, Yukihana?"

"I want you to shut that pretty little mouth of yours," Yuki scoffed. "You've always been in love with the sound of your own voice."

Yasahiro lunged, his sword at the ready. He was exhausted and that fact was reflected in his sloppy form. He swung wide as if it were a club. Yasahiro knew that his form was poor, but he was up against an unarmed opponent. Yuki was nothing without her ice powers.

As the attack approached, Yuki slipped back to her muscle memory from so many years of training with Seiichiro, dropping low beneath the swing. As soon as the blade passed over her head, Yuki pivoted and grabbed the side of his head and his sword arm. Before Yasahiro could react, Yuki opened her mouth. With the last of the moisture in her mouth, Yuki formed a set of sharp ice fangs and bit down into the soft flesh of his neck. He let out a cry of surprise as she tore the flesh away with her teeth. Blood spurted from the wound and he stumbled, feebly pressing his hand against his neck. Yasahiro looked at her as she spat out blood and meat, his eyes wide in surprise. He opened his mouth and his lips quivered. Before he could complete his thought, Yasahiro collapsed onto his knees and then crumpled into a lifeless heap on the floor.

 _It's over now, Seiichiro. Your death is avenged and our daughter is safe._ Yuki reached down and fished in Yasahiro's pocket for the handkerchief he always kept on him. She wiped his blood from her chin and dropped it beside his body. Every cell of Yukihana's body felt like it had been squeezed dry. The fire was still burning merrily, which brightened the red vault considerably. She sloshed across the floor, her stilettos creating complicated ripples in the water as they bounced against bodies and debris. Yuki knew she should have been more alert, that enemies may still be in the wings. She was absolutely spent, however. A genin right out of the academy would be enough to finish her off but it didn't matter. Yuki's goal had been accomplished; everything else was icing on the cake.

The smoke floated out the door of the vault and up the ceiling of the stairwell. Yuki's vision cleared and breathing grew easier, but the tang of ash and blood still hung in her mouth. Too weak to search, Yuki closed her eyes and felt the world around her. She listened to the soft crackling of the fire, the dripping of the spent sprinklers, and through it all she heard running water. The sound echoed, as if in a cavern, and it sloshed against plinking metal. Then, so softly Yuki thought she had imagined it, she heard the mumble of her daughter's voice. Dragging her heels through the flood, Yuki headed for the sound. She found the hidden stairs in short order and descended them.

Beki let out a sigh of relief as Yuki came into view. "Thank God you're okay. I thought you took the hero's way out."

Yuki shook her head as she descended the steep metal stairs, rail in hand. Her heels caught from time to time in the grating, forcing her to pause and negotiate them out.

"Just leave them," Beki arched an eyebrow. "You're out of the club."

"I might have to walk into town," Yuki puffed as she finally reached the floor. "It'll look suspicious if I'm barefoot."

Beki gestured at Yuki's war-torn club attire. "Being barefoot is the least of your worries. You look like you just escaped a domestic assault." She reached up, carefully standing with one foot on the dock and one in the boat as Beki helped her mother into the craft. Yuki lost her balance and plopped down hard, Beki's quick seizing ahold of the dock railing the only thing keeping them from capsizing. A small amount of chilly water sloshed into the boat and stirred Miki. She moved aside in the bottom of the boat enough for Yuki to find a place to put her feet, then promptly lost consciousness. Beki looked expectantly at her mother whose tight face only responded with a small frown. "What?"

Beki gestured at the boat. "Well, you know…let's get going."

"Sweetheart," Yuki leaned back against the back wall of the craft. "I haven't had to fight like that since long before I went into the ice. I…I'm spent. And your friend here- "Yuki nudged Miki with her foot, accidentally catching her breast. "No way." She leaned forward and squeezed Miki's breast.

"What the hell, mom?!" Beki swatted her away, rocking the boat dangerously. "She's unconscious!"

"I know, but come on! They're real!" Yuki gestured to Miki's form. "Feel them! I am so unbelievably jealous right now!"

Beki rolled her eyes and took up the oars. "I guess we can't expect Miki to pitch in considering how many pints of blood she's lost. Just…try not to molest her, please."

"Do you know what I could have done with breasts like that? You wouldn't be the daughter of an ambassador. Your daddy would have been the king!" Yuki scoffed. "I mean, I guess it wouldn't have been fair for me to be tall, gorgeous, and have an out of this world rack."

Beki puffed. "Can you not break my concentration? I'm tired too."

"Look at those shoulders. All that kanabo practice-this is what you were made for, Beks." Yuki reached into the pocket of her skirt and fished out a pack of soldier pills. She popped open the container, held it above her head, and rained them down into her mouth like candy.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Beki's eyes widened.

Yuki gave her a confused look. "What do you think? I'm running on fumes here. If anyone tries to attack us I've got to have enough in the tank to respond."

"You can't just guzzle those!" Beki shook her head. "You hog down too many of those and your heart will leap right out of your chest!"

Yuki paused and considered the container. "They used to tell us to pop one of these whenever we needed to." She shrugged. "They haven't killed me yet," She chuckled as she downed a few more.

"They'll make you fat." Beki looked away as she said it, her voice in a mocking sing song.

Yuki let out a small gasp and clamped the container shut. "They didn't tell us that either!"

Beki sighed. "Where are we going?"

Yuki considered the cavern. "This probably leads to the outskirts of town. We'll need to sneak back in to get some supplies," Yuki ticked off the items on her shaking fingers. "Clothes for you, medicine for Tits here, and rations for the return trip home."

"You'll go into town and I'll watch Miki?" Beki cocked her head and Yuki nodded.

"I'm not too worried about her kidnapping you or anything with that leg wound." Yuki wrinkled her nose. "What is that smell?"

"Burning flesh," Beki laughed uncomfortably. "I uh…I cauterized the wound."

Yuki blinked. "Good thinking."

"It was her idea," Beki shrugged. "I was too busy losing it because I had almost burned her to death."

Yuki scratched her chin thoughtfully, black hair clinging to her sweaty face. "When the Maidens come out, there's collateral damage. Always has been."

Silence fell over the group as they exited the cavern into the night. Smoke from the burning nightclub cast the sky in a gray haze, fogging out the moon and stars. The night had a yellow hue to it from the glow of the blaze reflecting off the low hanging smoke. Yuki closed her eyes and tried to recover some of her strength for the task ahead to the sound of Beki's rhythmic rowing. After a while, Beki found a copse of tall rushes to park the rowboat in. The soft thud of the boat grinding onto solid ground roused Yukihana. She opened her eyes, shook her head, and let out a sigh. "Okay. I'm going to head into town and see what I can get us at…." She squinted out at the horizon. "Five in the morning?"

Beki shrugged. "Good luck. What's the backup plan?"

Yuki climbed out of the boat, carefully avoiding getting her shoes covered in mud. "If I'm not back here in the next two hours, take Tits and get out of town. Find her some medical attention and send a hawk to Ishida to charter an escort for you back to Konoha." She grinned weakly. "Not that I'm going to fail."

"Never." Beki smiled back as she watched her mother disappear into the reeds. As her footsteps faded, Beki was left alone with the soft sloshing of the water and the whispering of the reeds for company. It was unsettling despite the soothing sounds and rocking of the boat. She was in a strange town, physically spent, and probably being pursued by ronin. One of which was lying unconscious in her boat. A tiny voice in the back of Beki's mind told her to follow her mother, her source of safety. Her hiding place was not good enough, any moment burly guards bloody from the fight would come exploding through the grass with murderous intent. Beki bounced a knee to release some of her nervous energy, unconsciously stirring Miki back to reality.

Miki rose slowly, a fuzzy half-asleep expression on her face. She considered Beki, then their surroundings, and the light slowly came back into her eyes. "We made it."

Beki nodded. "Mom's in town getting us supplies."

Miki nodded, wincing as she adjusted. "I'll need them." She looked around. "This is our best hiding spot?"

"There's no cover or higher ground. The reeds are our best bet to stay concealed till she gets back." Beki puffed up her cheeks and exhaled. "I don't like it either, but it's what we've got."

Miki shrugged. "I've had worse." She adjusted in the boat so her injured leg was elevated up on the side. The coat Beki had covered her with became her blanket as Miki shivered in the early morning, a chilly breeze coming off the water. Miki ventured a hand out from under the jacket to take out her hair claw and shake out her long wine-colored locks. She ran her fingers through the tangles as Beki watched. Beki raised a hand to her own hair, which had collapsed during the chaos of the night's events. The strands crinkled in her hands like foil, the layers of hairspray giving it the texture of dry straw. "Do you think this water is super gross?"

Miki cocked her head so she could see down into the river. "Doesn't look so bad. You aren't going to wash your hair out here when its so cold out, are you?"

"I've got a built in drying system," Beki grinned sheepishly as she leaned over the side of the boat. Her weighed-down platinum hair fell into the water like a brick. Beki watched as it slowly released from its artificial clumps, the gentle current carrying away the cloudy residue of the leftover glitter and hairspray. She worked her mane with her fingers until it felt like normal hair again, then wrung it out over the water. While it was still soaking wet, Beki weaved it into her usual braid and started the process of heating herself up. Outside of battle, that usually included remembering something embarrassing or infuriating. Beki glanced at Miki, who was casting her a look like Beki had asked to cop a feel. She then remembered how minutes before her mother had done just that, without the asking part. Or the Miki being conscious part. Within seconds, Beki was hot enough to hear her hair sizzling as the flush crept into her cheeks.

"We need to talk." Miki's voice had an unusual authority to it, its friendly tone completely absent.

"About what?" Beki tugged at her braid self-consciously. _Was she conscious when mom grabbed her boob?_ _Or is this going to be about the whole almost burned her alive thing?_

Miki took a deep breath and held it for a moment as if searching for the right words to say. "You need to be really careful with that firepower, Beki."

 _It's the almost burned her alive thing._ "I am really sorry about that whole bar thing; when the Maiden gets triggered its usually when I'm under a lot of distress and- "

"I don't care," Miki waved away Beki's excuses like flies. "I've had much worse done to me, believe me. That power is new to you and you act like it. You let it consume you, grab ahold of the reigns and drive you wherever it wants to go. Do you know how much of that I see in the Sound Village? How many not so bad people suddenly get incredible power and turn into colossal, selfish assholes? That's at least 30% of the village."

"What about the other 70%?" Beki cocked an eyebrow.

"They were assholes already." Miki shifted under the blankets. "Power like that eats you up inside, so you're left with this hole where something used to be. People don't do well with holes on the inside, Beki. If you suffer a loss, physical or metaphorical, you try to fill it."

Beki thought of her mother. "Like drinking a lot or smoking?"

"If only. My experience is that the hole feels like a vulnerability, which in turn makes people seek more power. They throw more of themselves away trying to stuff something in that hole they made in the first place." Miki explained.

"So, you're worried I'm going to get carried away and really hurt someone," Beki sighed.

"No," Miki let out a small, humorless laugh. "People get hurt all the time on accident, powers or no. I'm worried you're going to hurt people and not _care._ "

It was Beki's turn to shuffle uncomfortably. As much as she wanted to claim that wasn't possible, she remembered not caring at all about Miki. All she wanted was to lash out, kill their assailant at any cost. "But…how do I do that?"

"Don't let it control you. You're using the power, its not using you." Miki shuddered. "I hope your mom brings us coffee or something. I've got nipsickles."

Beki stifled a laugh. They were still technically supposed to be "hiding". "If she thought to get us coffee, she probably drank all but like, three sips."

Miki rolled her eyes. "I hate that. My boyfriend does that all the time. He's such a cocky bastard he'll rip something out of my hand en route to my mouth and scarf it down."

Beki's eyes widened along with Miki's grin. "How do you put up with that?"

"He's Orochimaru's right hand man," Miki blinked. "I haven't mentioned that before, have I?"

"Uh, no?!" Beki balked. "That seems like that should have come up before!"

"I guess half the time we've been together I _might_ have been trying to abduct you, so that's fair."Miki shrugged. "My bad." A strange look came over her face and she let out a sigh of frustration. She looked at the hand shaped mark on the inside of her thigh and swore.

"What, is it opening up again?" Beki leaned in closer to steal a look.

"No," Miki sighed. "I'm just going to have to think of how the hell I'm going to explain this to my boyfriend."

"There was a metal statue that was on fire. You fell on it!" Beki suggested.

Miki threw her an annoyed glance. "With my crotch?"

"Fair point." Beki bit her lip. "I mean, is he the kind of guy that might let it slide if you were fooling around with a girl?"

Miki paused. "Maybe, but we aren't talking about a suspicious bite mark here. It's a damned handprint shaped burn!"

Beki threw up her hands. "My job was to cauterize your wound, not provide an alibi."


	93. Hush Money

**Hi everyone! It's been a while. Tallman and I were busy with family and friends visiting over the holiday and all the aftermath that follows. I was writing consistently during my small bits of free time here and there but I had no time to edit. This is good news in that although I haven't put anything up in a while, I have about 35+ pages of content waiting to be edited and posted. Thank you so much for your patience and I hope you all had a happy new year. One more plug before I go- Tallman is going to be working on two projects from now on. Ever since Naruto and Hinata got married in the canon, its been hard for him to write Love, Hinata. It kind of felt like a pointless exercise for him to write a cutesy love story when people can just watch the movie. He's not going to abandon the project but he's thinking about updating the premise. He's considering making it more of an adult content story featuring their dating life, which is not covered in the canon. If you have any thoughts on it, go ahead and head over to his page. He put up a post about it. Feel free to PM him your thoughts on this new direction. While he's collecting the feedback and working on the first few chapters of the new and improved Love, Hinata, Tallman will also be working on a side project called the Song of the Sound. This one is an OC based story set in the same universe as Love, Hinata. This story gives Tallman more chances to be creative with his writing because he doesn't have as much canon to worry about and to play with adult themes. So this is the part where I would usually ask you to review and PM me on your thoughts about my story (which you are always still welcome to do and I've got a reputation for replying quickly because I have no life, hahaha). Instead I would encourage you to go check out his new story and give him some support. People love Tallman's work so much that writing has almost become an obligation for him. He's really starting to get back into it, but like I know thanks to all your love and support through my development as a new writer, a little encouragement goes a long way. So please, head over to Tallman0029's story and show him he still has people that like his work as a writer. Thank you! Love, Ponchoninja x3**

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Yuki walked towards the checkout at the drug store she'd stumbled into. She'd picked out bandages, sterilizing wipes, mild painkillers, and salve. Near the counter they had a fridge with a clear door full of all different kinds of novelty beverages. Yuki recognized one of the bottles as a hangover recovery drink the girls at the strip club used to use. She shrugged and threw a couple of the dragon fruit flavored ones in her basket. Being physically beaten up and an adrenaline crash felt surprisingly similar to a traditional hangover. There were a few people in front of her but they blessedly spared her no looks. Yuki's clothes were battle worn, although to a passerby it might look like she'd just come off a night working her corner. The mesh of her blouse was sliced open in several places, the blades having grazed her skin as well. There was a deep rip up the side of her already scandalous skirt and her hair was an absolute mess. She checked her reflection in the mirror above the register. Yuki couldn't help but repress a small smile; her efforts had paid off. Her worn in makeup did make her look like a dead hooker extra. As Yuki's eyes wandered from her own visage in the mirror to her surroundings, she caught a hooded black eye staring at her.

The moment their eyes locked, Kakashi spoke. "Are you breaking up another crime ring or did the cash get a little tight so you fell back to stripping?"

"Nope," Yuki grinned. "Hooking this time."

"I don't smell enough desperation on you." Kakashi sniffed, then coughed. "Good God, did someone try to burn you for a witch? You reek of smoke."

"Shhhhh," Yuki looked around. "There was a big fire last night. Everyone around here probably smells like smoke."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "You _were_ working again."

"Well, what about you? What are you doing here?" Yuki blinked innocently. "This is a little far from Konoha, isn't it?"

"I was here for a book signing, which was summarily canceled thanks to the fire that almost swallowed a whole city block last night." Kakashi looked at the contents of her basket. "Which you of course would know nothing about?"

"Can we talk about this later? I uh…" Yuki dropped her voice. "I kind of left Beki by herself. I need to get her some clothes."

"Of course. Where there's smoke, there's a girl that spontaneously bursts into flames." Kakashi sighed. "I'll keep it to myself."

"I owe you one," Yuki grinned as she stepped up to the counter.

…

Yuki came down the hill and through the reeds looking like a godsend. She had changed into more comfortable looking travel clothes: a baby blue fleece pullover, gray leggings, and pewter hiking boots. There were a couple of large paper bags from a clothing store on her arm, followed by a couple of smaller ones from a drug store, and balled up in her hand was a rolled-up paper bag with food. Beki could smell something sweet in there and realized how horribly hungry she was. But the real prize was in Yuki's other hand: a drink caddy with huge steaming travel cups of coffee. Beki hopped up on her feet and started taking bags from Yuki and setting them in the boat. Once her burden had been lifted, Yuki took up a seat at the prow. Miki sat quietly observing.

As Beki went through the bags it was obvious Yuki had separated them out by person. Beki handed the drug store bag with burn cream and the clothes bag with smaller clothes to Miki. Beki wasn't as curvy as Miki but her shoulders were broader and she was taller. That being said, Beki was going to have to see Miki squeeze into a pair of medium sized pants to believe it.

Miki stripped off the remnants of her fishnet stockings and started to clean herself off with the baby wipes Yuki had thrown in. It wasn't an ideal medically sterile environment to be working in but Miki had dealt with far worse. Once her wound was properly attended to, Miki took out the clothes Yuki had bought her. To her surprise, one of the first things she saw was a backpack stocked with rations, water, and a few spare pairs of socks and underwear.

"I figure you aren't planning on coming home with us," Yuki sipped her coffee. "I don't know how far you have to go and I don't want to know. Regardless, that'll start you off."

"Thank you," Miki furrowed her brow. "You didn't have to-"

"You would never think it but I am a responsible parent," Yuki cocked her head. "My daughter burned your leg and now you have to walk home on it. The least I can do is make your journey a little more comfortable."

Miki didn't mention Nakano's ledger tucked safely in the back of the backpack. That secret was between her and Yuki, and as promised Beki's mother had kept her end of the deal. It was a courtesy Miki wasn't accustomed to. Beki had already begun to change, out in the open, with no regard for modesty. Miki supposed that when your clothes burned off on a regular basis you would have to get over any modesty you had. She shrugged, figuring she was amongst other women. She laid out the contents of the clothes bag. First, she tugged off what was left of her uniform and stuffed it in the empty clothes bag. Miki had to wear that dress so tightly she couldn't wear a bra. The second her large breasts were exposed to the air Yuki swore.

"They're real!"

Miki looked up and sighed. "Yes. Unfortunately."

"I swore you must've had a box of tissues under each of them but sure as shit they're real." Yuki shook her head. "Some girls get all the luck."

"If by luck you mean your career as an infiltrator destroyed, yes, I was lucky." Miki said as she pulled a sports bra over her head and unceremoniously stuffed her breasts up inside it one at a time. "I used to be a twig. I could slip in and out of anywhere unnoticed, a scrawny girl hardly catches any attention. But these bastards…" Miki sighed. "They've brought me nothing but grief."

"So, you're reduced to cocktail waitressing for Orochimaru," Yuki sipped her coffee. "At least you've got that on lock. He doesn't have a lot of good looking people working for him. I've killed enough of his employees to know that's the general rule and you're the exception."

Miki shrugged. "Thanks. I guess." Yuki had smartly grabbed a large sports bra for Miki. It was on the small size, compressing her breasts almost as much as her bindings usually did. It was funny to Miki, how her body's natural state was so uncomfortable for her. She was so used to what she looked like, bound up and packed in, that seeing her body's curves always made her feel like a freak. Even stuffed away, her breasts drew unwanted attention and a lot of it. Then there were her wide hips. The way they forced her to walk, especially in heels, had dropped jaws since puberty hit her like a dump truck. Being naked around people, seeing the way they reacted to her body made her sick. Part of her had always hoped working for Orochimaru they would put her under the knife, strip her body of all its excesses and render her small and unnoticeable again. That was all Miki wanted. To go back to being invisible. A wallflower made a good shinobi, a pinup model did not.

Miki sighed and pulled on a gray long sleeve shirt and then swapped out her old underwear for a fresh new pair. Next was the black cargo pants and blessedly, fresh socks. Miki paused when she reached the boots. Yuki was right on their size, too. Miki shrugged and pulled them on. She had probably checked Miki's heels while she was unconscious. Miki hoped that was all Yuki had checked.

To keep the boat from rocking, Beki had paused her own dressing to wait for Miki to finish. Once she was dressed, Miki picked up the bag with her old clothes and stepped out of the boat. "Wait a second," Yuki held out a cup of coffee to her and fished a bear claw out of the rolled-up paper bag. Miki paused, battling against her trust issues until she finally caved and accepted them with a sigh. "Thank you. I would say, 'see you around', but that's not something we ever hope for, right?"

Yuki shrugged. "See you or not, it doesn't matter. As long as you aren't out to get us we won't have a problem."

Beki grinned, oblivious to her naked state. Miki tried not to stare at how freakishly babylike Beki's hairless, smooth skin looked. She couldn't help but compare, though. Miki saw other women's bodies all the time in the clubs she worked at, but most of those were artificially enhanced. Beki's broad shoulders and narrow waist gave her upper body the triangular proportions of a tortilla chip. Her hips were narrower than her shoulders, too, almost giving Beki a boyish figure. If Beki really wanted to, she could disappear in a crowd. Her problem was her personality was so loud. Beki's voice pulled Miki from her thoughts: "I don't know for sure, but I kind of feel like we keep bumping into each other for a reason, you know? After last night, I don't think either of us would have gotten out of that alive if we hadn't had each other's help."

Miki bit her lip and thought about it. Finally, she gave a small shrug. "You've got a point."

"By the way," Beki said as Miki started to climb onto shore. "You promised me you would teach me medical ninjutsu."

Miki sighed. "Did I agree to this while I was delirious?"

"Yes!" Beki pointed at her. "But a promise is a promise!"

"You do realize most of what I know you would be branded a criminal for using, right?" Miki cocked her head. "A lot of the medical techniques we learn in the Sound aren't exactly…humane."

"But they're effective, right?" Beki asked. "Its unfortunate how they came about, but you've changed my mind about a lot of that stuff. You work for Orochimaru but you aren't a bad person. I'm sure you'd save someone's life with those medical techniques. If the powers are being used for good, I think I can live with knowing where it came from."

Miki shrugged. "Suit yourself. If I'm ever free, I'll let you know."

Without another look behind her, Miki set off down the road. Beki finished getting dressed. Her mother had decided that they would be twinning on the way home. The outfit Yuki had bought Beki was identical to her own, the exception being Beki's sweater was a dusty shade of rose. Beki instantly was grateful she had waited to put her clothes on until Miki left. It was less awkward for her to be naked around her than to be a grown woman matching her unnaturally young mom. Her negative thoughts towards Yuki instantly dissipated the moment she received her coffee and bear claw, however. They headed up the hill wordlessly and out along the road that would bring them back to Konoha.

"So, what did you think of Miki?" Beki looked at her mother.

Yuki shrugged. "She seems nice enough. You know, for a ronin." Yuki sipped at her coffee. "I have to admit I'm impressed that she was able to evade me in that base. I was really on the warpath." She laughed, which Beki found unsettling considering the woman was talking about slaughtering almost a hundred people. "I was literally dragging people out of cabinets and out from under beds, Beks. Huge tits or not, Miki's a talented shinobi."

Beki nodded in agreement. "Its weird I'm friends with her."

Yuki shrugged. "I was friends with people who are internationally wanted criminals, now."

Beki blinked. "Oh, that's right! That whole thing with the shark guy!"

Yuki furrowed her brow. "Shark guy…shark guy…are you talking about Zabuza?"

"No," Beki shook her head. "Kisame? I think that was his name."

"Oh yeah…" Yuki nodded. "That was a while ago. Not who I was thinking of, but good example."

"Why was he so obsessed with you?" Beki cocked her head. "You guys didn't like, date or anything, did you?"

Yuki laughed. "Uh, no. I don't do the sharpened teeth thing. That limits your options in the bedroom."

"Ew," Beki wrinkled her nose. "Still not ready to talk to you about sex."

"Did you ever talk to your dad about it?" Yuki asked.

"Dad tried to sit me down once. It was probably the most awkward conversation we ever had. It was all, 'There's going to be a day when you meet someone, and you'll really like them and want to do….things…and then, you know…things will happen, and just make sure you're safe. And don't ever let someone do anything you aren't comfortable with. And you can always come talk to me and if you're ever scared I'll take care of it.'" Beki shook her head. "I was twelve. There was so many euphemisms I had no idea what he was talking about till much later."

"That's so weird to me." Yuki sighed. "Then again, that should have been my job in the first place. Poor Seii…"

Exhausted by the events of their mission, Yuki and Beki spent most of the trip back to Konoha in silence. Even though they had technically dispensed an illegal form of vigilante justice, both women slept much better knowing Seiichiro's killer had gotten what was coming to him. Yuki opted not to share with Beki the gruesome details of his demise. It was her private joy knowing Yasahiro had been taken down like the weak, pathetic animal he was.

…

Yukihana sat on a park bench, paper in hand and steaming travel mug of tea at her side. It was a nice day; it was a little on the cold side, but the sun was shining bright and there was no wind. Yuki was perfectly comfortable basking there, listening to the happy birdsong in the woods behind her. Hearing the coo of the doves and the songbirds chittering away reminded her of her childhood. The path the bench was set on was a popular one. Mothers pushing strollers, groups of kids, and solitary walkers passed her frequently. Konoha was safe enough that Yuki could almost fully engross herself in the paper and let her senses go numb. There was a part of her shinobi brain she could never turn off, however. Anytime a person was in a position where they were being hunted flicked a switch in their mind forever. When they reached that level of alertness, watching, listening, and moving as if their lives depended on it, it was like they grew an invisible antenna. Yuki's was always up, even when she was asleep, watching and listening for potential threats. That's why she could sense the subtle difference between the people passing her by and someone who was on the approach. In fact, the approach was so different, it was distinct. Yuki already knew who it was and looked up with a smile.

"Look at you, out in broad daylight and fully dressed." Kakashi cocked his head. "I guess you're not working today?"

"Haha, very funny." Yuki's grin broadened. "Ever wonder if I act the way I do because it's the only way to pull your attention from those trashy novels you've always got your nose buried in?"

"If I believed you I would take that as a compliment." Kakashi walked over to the free spot on the bench and sat down beside her. Yuki folded up her paper and turned to face him, her elbow resting on the back of the bench and her chin in her hand.

"Sooo?" Yuki bat her eyelashes. "To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

"I thought you were planning on explaining why you were dressed like a beaten hooker in a drugstore after you started a fire?" Kakashi stayed facing forward, occasionally breaking his vacant stare towards the horizon to shoot her a suspicious glance.

"Oh, that," Yuki laughed dismissively. "I was just setting an old score. Nothing that scandalous."

"What was Beki doing helping you settle a score, then?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Was she running around dressed like a hooker, too?"

"Yes, but she was always supervised." Yuki shook her head. "You make it sound like I'm an irresponsible parent, endangering my child."

Kakashi was quiet for a moment. "It was Yasahiro, wasn't it?"

"You hit the nail on the head." Yuki stopped to watch some kids go running by. They were about ten, that awkward age where half of them is grown up and the other half is still a kid. Chubby faces on long slender limbs, big teeth and ears on little heads. Bad haircuts, acne, and body odor. One of the girls had her long silky mocha colored hair dancing behind her in a pretty braid. Yuki felt a brief pang at the sight of her, a reminder of how she'd missed that phase with Beki.

"So you're all done with that then," Kakashi's voice snapped her back to the present. "Your ledger's clean?"

Yuki kicked at the loose gravel on the pathway. "There's always another score to settle." There was a small twitch in the space between them, a cord being pulled, tension building between them. "But," Yuki sighed. "I think I can let the others go. Years ago, I know for sure that revenge would have been the driving force behind it. I would have wanted to exact my own justice for my husband's murder. I can still pretend that's what it was, that I wanted to hurt people because they hurt me." Yuki looked at Kakashi, sensing the tension slowly relaxing, and playfully kicked his shoe. "Did they hurt me? Yes. Did they kill my husband? Yes. The result of this was that Beki became all I had in the world and they had tried to kill her, too. The people I took out in Getsu, the shinobi I hunted down in Konoha...it was because they came after my kid. If I let them live, that would give them another chance to come after her. I couldn't let that happen."

Yuki looked at her feet. "Don't tell anyone I'm afraid of losing people. It'll kill my carefully cultivated 'aloof bad girl' image."

Kakashi inhaled sharply and shook his head. "See that's the thing. You told me such a dark secret there. I'm just itching to tell everyone that your femme fatale persona has a soft, gooey marshmallow center." Kakashi shrugged. "I guess you're going to have to buy my silence somehow."

Yuki threw up her hands. "You're really putting me in a box here. Let's see, I've got probably about three dollars and a half-eaten box of mints in my purse."

"I'm in the Bingo Book. That means I'm a celebrity, Yuki. You can't buy off a celebrity with your tin of breath mints." Kakashi's voice didn't betray how hard he was trying not to laugh but Yuki could see the ghost a smirk pulling at his mask.

"Shoot, you're right. What was I thinking?" Yuki sighed. "Well, there's this movie I want to go see but Beki won't go with me. Is that okay? Or did you have something _else_ in mind?" Yuki flirtatiously started to raise the hem of her shirt. Kakashi reached over and swatted her hands down before the shirt got anywhere interesting.

"A movie is a good start, but I was thinking you would come meet my dogs." Yuki snorted and Kakashi gave her an incredulous look. "Laugh if you want but I'm the one who has to explain myself every time I come home smelling like you."

"Do I have to bribe your hounds, too?" Yuki laughed. "This is getting expensive. Maybe I should just let my reputation get ruined." She started to rise, pretending to run away.

"Oh no," Kakashi caught the waistband of her pants and pulled her back onto the bench, much closer to him this time. "I've named my price and I'm being more than reasonable. So, when can we get this taken care of?"

Yuki wrinkled her nose. "Friday work for you?"

"Sure." Kakashi put an arm around her shoulder. "My one request is that you don't look like a hooker at the end of the night again. A fresh hooker is fine, or your usual stripper getup. Just remember I have my own reputation to maintain. I work with children, Yuki."

Yuki laughed and leaned into him. "Fiiiine. Take all the fun out of it for me. I didn't even get a chance to do my makeup to look like a had two black eyes."

"If you show up with two black eyes, I don't know you." Kakashi shook his head. "Not taking that heat, even as a joke, Yuki."

"You're no fun." Yuki pouted, contrary to how she felt. It had been a perfect day so far but somehow Kakashi's arm around her made it a little better. Kakashi was the whipped cream on a piece of pie, or the hot fudge in a sundae: he took something that was great on its own and took it to the next level.

…

Beki sat tapping her pen on the table as she read the letter. Hinata watched her friend's face as she progressed through the letter, her expression becoming more intense with every passing moment. She had learned over the years this had nothing to do with the content of the correspondence; that was just Beki's thinking face. Hinata imagined the face would have been even funnier on a younger Beki, with her nose wrinkled and eyes laser focused, a small frown pulling at the corners of her mouth. Someone would have to tell her about it, eventually. Hinata had conspired that it would never be her, otherwise she might miss the spectacle.

Instead, Hinata quietly snuck into the kitchen and began to boil some water for tea. She heard Beki grumbling to herself in the other room for a prolonged period. Ever since Beki started working as the ambassador, she had started to do that a lot. More than once Hinata thought Beki was talking to her and peeked her head in from the other room, only to find Beki deep in thought as she went over some paperwork from Ishida. Hinata finished preparing the tea and stepped over to the table, softly setting a cup beside her friend as she took the seat across from her.

"Interesting news?" Hinata asked.

"Yes," Beki rubbed her eyes and looked up from the letter, finally noticing the tea. "Oh, thank you."

Hinata gave a small dismissive wave.

"It's from Gaara," Beki rested her chin on her hand as she glanced over the neat writing. "You know how I told you we're trying to work stuff out? We've been trying to set up a time for me to stay in Suna for a week so we can finally get some quality time together. It's taken a couple of months, but Gaara finally gave me some dates where he thinks the load will be smaller."

"So, he'll be able to take a week off?" Hinata smiled. "That will be so nice, Beki."

Beki shook her head. "He won't be able to get the week off. He'll still go into the office every day for a few hours just to keep things running smoothly. I don't mind that so much. I know it would be selfish of me to ask him to put his village on the backburner like that. I don't know how to explain this but," Beki sighed. "I feel like this is our last shot. Things between us always seem to go wrong. Lately, in our letters back and forth there's this cold detached silence between us where we can almost forget we're dating, where we get swept up in the work. Then when we manage to get some time together it always goes south. There's usually an obvious culprit: something pops up at his job. This is it. If we can't over the course of a week figure out how to coexist…" Beki looked up at Hinata with a grim and guilty determination on her face. "When we first got together, I had never been in love like that before. I felt like I needed to hold on tight to that love, even when it jerked so hard I had to dig my nails into my palms till I bled. I feel like I've kept making excuses and sacrificing for so long that I've forgotten what it was like to not fight. This is going to sound awful but I'm going to let go."

Hinata brushed Beki's hair back behind her ear. It was clear Beki was feeling tortured by the whole situation, but she also looked exhausted, buried in piles of mail and paperwork. Hinata was immediately pulled into thoughts of Naruto and whether his dreams of becoming the Hokage would affect them in this way. Would she be like Beki, furiously juggling all the facets of her life to try to spend time with her beloved? Would Hinata have to keep a schedule with her husband? As her brows began to knit with worry, she recalled how when Naruto was on his mission, he had sent his clone ahead to comfort her. All her worries disappeared. Naruto may become incredibly busy but he would always be Naruto. He would always find a way to let Hinata know he loved her and to be there for her whenever he could. That realization drew a large amount of sympathy for Beki, however. Hinata could be confident that although Naruto may become busy, she would always have his heart. It was hard watching Beki scramble to hold on to the rope slipping through her hands, desperately struggling against time and distance to bail out a sinking ship. Hinata bit her lip and took her empty teacup into the kitchen. It wasn't her place to say anything but things couldn't go on the way they were. For better or worse, the saga would have to reach its climax. Beki would have to go to Suna and face the Kazekage once and for all. In the meantime, Beki would be tearing herself apart with anxiety over the encounter. Hinata hated watching her friend suffer. There was nothing Hinata could do to help but let Beki know that she cared. She walked back in the room, gave Beki a big hug and a kiss on top of her head.

"I love you, Beki."

Beki turned and hugged Hinata around her waist. "I love you too, Hina chan. You heading out?"

Hinata nodded. "I have to go train with Kiba and Shino today. Will you be home later?"

"I might run to the aviary at some point but yes, I'll be home. Want me to make dinner tonight?" Beki asked.

"That would be nice," Hinata smiled. "Chef's choice."

"Alright," Beki looked at the kitchen. "I'll think of something. Say hi to Akamaru for me."

Hinata gave a soft laugh. "Still haven't warmed up to Shino or Kiba yet?"

Beki shrugged. "We have a truce. I'm not getting peed on or swarmed by bugs, so I can't complain."

Hinata shook her head and put on her shoes. As she walked out the door she cast one last glance at her friend. Beki had reabsorbed herself into her papers. Hinata could almost see her inner light dimming as the smile faded from Beki's face. Hinata sighed, knowing Beki had to go at this alone, and closed the door.

…

Beki felt better after talking everything out with Hinata. Her friend was a good listener but was also the best compass Beki had ever had. If Beki was too far off in her thinking, Hinata had a gentle way of guiding her back on course. Her plans now set, Beki headed to her mother's apartment to start finalizing them. It was later in the afternoon, nearing nightfall, but Beki knew she would be home. Fridays were usually the nights her mother stayed in and read or did calligraphy. When she knocked on the door and Yuki answered, Beki's jaw dropped.

Instead of a towel wrapped head wreathing a facial mask covered face and a bathrobe clad body, Yuki was fully dressed and was wearing skillfully applied makeup. Her clothes weren't fancy, just slightly better than what Yuki would wear to run errands. The makeup job was masterful, too. It managed to enhance Yuki's features without having her look "done up". Her face had a healthy glow, the freckles still front and center attention wise. Yuki's eyeshadow gave her eyes a subtle pearlescence and her long black eyelashes looked longer and blacker than was humanly possible. The loudest, most obvious aspect was the rosy lip gloss. Beki could smell the cherry flavoring from a foot away. There was a soft curl to her hair too, although it was still in its usual ponytail. Yukihana was trying very hard not to look like she was trying very hard. Her whole appearance was carefully cultivated to seem casual but at the same time fully heighten her beauty.

Yuki blinked in surprise at her daughter's flabbergasted expression. "What's with the face?"

"Am I interrupting something?" Beki leaned to the side, peering past her mother into the empty apartment.

"No," Yuki stepped aside and allowed Beki past her. "I'm going out tonight."

Beki gave her a suspicious look. "You don't look like you're working."

Yuki let out a frustrated sigh. "For the last time, I don't strip anymore. I'm just going to the movies."

"To see that stupid drama?" Beki narrowed her eyes. "Who agreed to go see that garbage with you?"

Yuki bit her lip. Her knee jerk response was that it was none of Beki's business, but then again it was. She was Yuki's daughter for one, and if Yuki wasn't comfortable telling Beki about going out with Kakashi that was not a good sign. Secrecy in relationships usually meant shame.

"Kakashi, because unlike you he isn't selfish and cares about my needs as a human being." Yuki folded her arms.

"What are you talking about," Beki rolled her eyes. "We always go where you want to eat and get coffee from your favorite place, not mine."

"That's because you don't appreciate a really good cup of coffee." Yuki scoffed.

"If by 'appreciate' you mean I'm not willing to fork over six dollars for something that should maybe be two, yes, you're right. I don't appreciate it." Beki sighed and waved her hand dismissively in the air, as if warding off the fight. "Never mind. That isn't why I'm here."

Yuki glanced at the clock and nodded. "Alright, what's up, Beks?"

"Before you roll your eyes," Beki held up her hands. "I'm trying one last thing with Gaara. A make it or break it trip to Suna."

Yuki tensed, physically trying to repress the urge building in her eyeballs. "Ahuh."

"I'm going to spend a week in Suna with him. If we can't make this work with me physically being there 24/7, then it's never going to work." Beki took a deep breath. Just talking about it was starting to stress her out.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Yuki scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Do you want me to come along and hang out around town while you're there?"

Beki made an obvious show of looking her mother up and down. "Do you have somewhere better to be?"

Yuki finally let herself enjoy the sweet release of a good eye roll. "No, I just really hate being in Suna. That place is a dead zone for me. It would be like you having to fight in Burned Maiden mode in the middle of a swimming pool."

Beki shrugged. "I don't imagine there will be much fighting."

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "So, is this going to be like last time?"

"If it is," Beki sighed. "Then we go home. And we don't go back."

Yuki raised her hands in a gesture of submission. "Whatever you want. I'll go to support you. To be honest, I don't have much on the calendar."

Before the conversation had a chance to continue, there was a knock at the door. Yuki glanced at Beki as she walked to the door. Beki shot her a sour look in passing.

"We're just friends going to a movie, Beki." Yuki whispered, then opened the door. The second she saw him, Beki laughed. It looked like Kakashi was going for the "not trying to hard" look as well. He wore a turtleneck shirt and a blazer over a pair of jeans. He wasn't wearing his headband pulled down over his left eye like he usually did. Its absence revealed a vertical scar right down the center of his eye. That wasn't the most distracting part of his appearance: that award went to the bouquet of white flowers he seemed just as surprised about as Yuki.

It was Beki's turn to roll her eyes. "Who brings flowers to go to the movies with a friend?"

Kakashi stepped inside as Yuki took the flowers to the kitchen to find a vase. "I was raised to always bring a lady flowers when you take her out." Kakashi stuffed his hands in his jacket pocket and stared Beki down. There was an odd tension building in the room that Beki didn't quite understand but she could feel rising. Her mission accomplished, and her company no longer needed, Beki shrugged and headed for the still open door. "I'll see you later, Mom. You guys have fun." Her mother called out a quick goodbye before Beki shut the door.

Kakashi watched the closed door for a moment before speaking. "Do you think Beki is uncomfortable with us going out together?"

Yuki paused halfway through arranging the flowers. "She didn't seem upset. That's just her sense of humor. She grew up with just her dad, so Beki plays a little rough."

"You aren't uncomfortable with this, are you?" Yuki could feel Kakashi's eyes on her as she finished.

"No," Yuki shook her head. "I would be lying if I said I didn't think about it a lot. I'm always happy that I did spend time with you in the end, though, no matter what I was stewing about beforehand."

Kakashi sighed. "That's a relief to hear."

Yuki laughed as she stepped out of the kitchen. "Sounds like you're the uncomfortable one."

"You have to admit your situation is a tricky one to navigate." Kakashi opened the door for her as Yuki fished her keys out of her bag.

Yuki gave him a wink. "Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor."


	94. Double Dog Dare

**Hi guys, me again. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy**

* * *

Beki had grabbed some take out from the diner her mother liked and walked it back to Yukihana's apartment. She let herself in, put her mother's food in the fridge, and sat down at the kitchen table to eat her own meal. Initially, Beki had thought it best to head back to Hinata's. Then again, this "not-date" seemed like a big deal for Yuki. Beki always had Hinata to go to with her life's big events but all Yuki had was Beki. That's why she sat in her mother's uncomfortable armchair for hours like a worried parent waiting for Yuki to come home.

When the lock finally turned in the door Beki was half asleep. By the time Yuki had crossed the threshold, Beki had adjusted to look like she had been expecting her. Beki cocked her head with a mock look of sternness. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Yuki blinked in surprise. "I thought you went home."

Beki shrugged. "I figured you would want to talk to someone about how everything went." She gestured towards the kitchen. "There's food in there if you're hungry."

Yuki followed Beki's gesture into the kitchen. "Cool. I'm starving." Beki could hear the fridge door open.

"You mean he didn't take you for dinner?" Beki gasped. "The nerve!"

Beki could hear the clicking of the stove. It seemed Yukihana didn't believe in the use of microwaves along with most other electric appliances. "He offered. I didn't take him up on it."

Beki wrinkled her nose. "That bad, huh?"

"No," Yuki stepped into view and folded her arms. "I had already spent hours with him. I was enjoying myself but…" Yuki shook her head. "Is it weird if I say I feel guilty when I have too good of a time?"

"What do you mean?" Beki blinked. The notion was beyond her. There wasn't a single time in her memory that Beki could recall thinking that she was having too much fun and needed to reign it in. Once or twice she had felt sorry for the people around her that they weren't having as good of a time, but never enough to curtail her own enthusiasm. Yuki inhaled and looked like the words got caught in her throat. She gestured once or twice as she looked around the room, eventually backing out of sight into the kitchen. "I feel like I'm cheating on your dad."

"You know he's dead, right?" Beki said. "I don't mean to be insensitive but I can tell you on good authority that Dad wouldn't care. He…he never completely moved on, don't get me wrong, but Dad did occasionally go on dates."

Yuki stepped back into the room, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Who?"

Beki shook her head. "No one important and I don't think anyone got past date number three."

"How long after?" Yuki cocked her head.

"I would say the first one I remember was when I was around ten. Dad thought maybe having a mom in my life would be good for me." Beki explained. "For all I know he could have been seeing people earlier than that, but that was the first one he told me about."

Yuki leaned against the wall and looked at her feet. "So why didn't he ever settle down with anyone?"

"It got harder as he got older. And as I got older." Beki explained. "It was one thing for women to be getting a cute little ten-year-old step daughter and another thing for it to be…well…me as I am now. I've been told I can be rather intimidating." Beki shuffled uncomfortably. "Ultimately everyone Dad ended up dating was either in it for political or monetary gain. There weren't a lot of candidates willing to marry a man who would be gone months at a time and be left to raise his teenage daughter without him."

Yuki stepped back into the kitchen and was quiet for a while. Beki heard her dumping simmering soup into a bowl. There was the clinking of cutlery, a small sigh, and Yuki stepped back into view.

"So the date." Yuki held the bowl in a towel wrapped hand. She slurped up some noodles and continued. "The movie was cute. Not so cute I was embarrassed he went with me but enough that it wasn't something that would bum us out. Then he took me to meet his dogs."

Beki blinked. "I've never seen him with dogs."

"That's the thing." Yuki held a finger. "Did you know, out there somewhere in the world, is a magical place full of talking ninja dogs?"

"Uh, no," Beki furrowed her brow. "Is this from your movie?"

"No, its real." Yuki explained. "And that's what he meant by his dogs. There was something about a blood bond…or a contract…?" Yuki shook her head. "Anyway, he tried to summon the dogs to meet me but I guess they were all busy."

Beki thought about it. "I think Naruto can summon talking toads or something."

"And so can Jiraiya. And Tsunade has a slug and Orochimaru has a snake." Yuki sputtered. "These weird ass Leaf nin and their blood contracts…"

Beki didn't need to ask what her mother meant. In Getsu, the shinobi were raised with a healthy amount of fear of making contracts with spirits. In more than one of the anecdotes she'd heard, the contractor ended up being a demon and devouring its human counterpart in the end.

"So then what?" Beki asked.

Yuki shrugged. "He walked me home and…."

"Aaand?" Beki leaned forward in her seat.

Yuki gave a sigh of resignation. "He kissed me, okay?"

Beki laughed from a girlish excitement she rarely got to feel. "He kissed you or you kissed him?"

"He kissed me! Or… maybe it was a little bit of both?" Yuki yelled out, a light blush burning at the edges of her cheeks. There was a slight humming in her ears, but she was still able to catch Beki mutter the word, "slut".

"Is it really that ridiculous to kiss your date after he walks you home? In my day, you would have been a frigid bitch if you hadn't let him cop a feel!"

Beki rolled her eyes at her mom's crass. "Anyway, you have to tell me! What does he look like under the mask?!"

Yuki wrinkled her nose. "Uh, ew?"

Beki's jaw dropped. "He's ugly?"

"No, you!" Yuki flicked some broth at Beki. "Who the hell _looks_ when they're kissing?! What did your father teach you? That's weird!"

"Oh, come on!" Beki growled. "You aren't telling me you're not the least bit curious?!"

Yuki shrugged. "If we're being honest, I couldn't care less what he looks like."

Beki screwed up her face in disbelief.

"With the lights out, ugly or pretty isn't important. What's important is how the rest of the house is built." Yuki slurped some noodles and then let out a frustrated sigh at Beki's blank stare. "His dick. I'm talking about his dick."

Beki's eyes widened. "Ew!"

Yuki took on a lecturing tone. "Everyone wants to tell you otherwise, Beki, but it's the most important aspect of a man other than having a good heart. His money will run out, his good looks will fade, but a big dick is forever."

Beki flushed. "No, I meant 'ew' as in 'ew, you've already seen that on the first date'."

Yuki let out a small embarrassed chuckle. "Oh, uh, no. Let's just say I've got a feel for the situation and I think he's a promising candidate." She laughed as she heard Beki mutter "slut" again under her breath. "Hey, you had to get it from someone."

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Beki puffed up her cheeks. "I've only been with one guy."

"Yeah, and one girl." Yuki teased.

The flush in Beki's cheeks deepened to crimson. "For the last time, mom, nothing like that has happened between me and Hinata."

"You guys like bathing in the hot springs together too much for me to buy that." Yuki stuck out her tongue.

Beki folded her arms. "For your information I'm always invited for my temperature control abilities."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with these?" Yuki cupped her own breasts suggestively. "Or because you look strikingly close to Naruto when he's pretending to be a girl?"

Beki pouted. "I don't even want to imagine what life is like in your head."

"Everything is sexier," Yuki pondered. "And people get stabbed a lot more than in real life. My hair is always perfect, too."

Beki rose. "Alright, you're home safe. I'll let you get some sleep."

"Oh no," Yuki stepped in front of the door. "Its two in the morning. You're sleeping with momma tonight."

Beki stared her down. "I am more than capable of walking myself home in _Konoha._ "

"I have been personally responsible for enough of the horrors that take place here in the witching hour to not let you out after midnight." Yuki clapped her hands excitedly. "You're my hostage!"

Beki rolled her eyes. "Why are you so excited?"

"Because now I get to force you to help me psychoanalyze everything he said and did the entire night."

Beki thought about it for a minute. "I have to admit that is one of my favorite things to do."

"And help me jump to all sorts of baseless conclusions." Yuki grinned.

"The absolute worst. " Beki smiled back.

…

For a moment, Kakashi battled with himself over whether he should pass Yukihana by or not. They had just gone on a date the night before and although it had gone well he didn't want to appear overeager. Plus, his ego was a little bruised on his hounds bailing on him. Yuki was a shinobi of legend. He had seen her in action, sewing discord and terror amongst her opponents. She had never seen Kakashi in action, however. He had hoped that maybe the sight of his hounds would prove some of his reputation true. But when he looked at her today, there was something different about her. It was unlike Yuki, the girlish, conspiratorial way she was smiling behind her hand, the way it made the corner of her eyes wrinkle. The curiosity drew him in like a moth to a flame.

"Alright, what's the secret?" Kakashi bopped her on the head with his copy of Icha Icha.

Yuki's eyes raised coyly from her book, unsurprised to see him. "So, my daughter and I have decided you have an Oedipal complex."

Kakashi sputtered and shook his head. "What?!"

Yuki blinked. "You didn't know? Anytime a girl goes out with a boy she gathers a committee that completely dismantles everything he does and says that night. Then they form sweeping conclusions about you based on your behavior over a single night."

"No. That has literally never been brought to my attention before." Kakashi chuckled. "Your honesty is refreshing."

Yuki inhaled sharply and shook her head. "I don't know. The committee thought I was taking a bit of a risk on you but I was given permission to proceed." As she spoke, Yuki kept her eyes on her book. Kakashi was hard to look at. So much of him was concealed, a person was forced to find his eyes. Or rather, his eye. Most of the time, Kakashi's expression would appear bored or passive but Yuki knew better. Kakashi was always sizing up the situation, analyzing people's words and mannerisms. It bothered Yuki that Kakashi was perceptive enough that he could read her like a book. She could feel his eyes on her, searching for answers to questions Yuki didn't know he was asking himself.

"Hey, Yuki," Kakashi cocked his head. "Do you think it would be pretty crazy if we went out again tonight?"

"Absolutely," She laughed. "Who goes out on two dates in a row? Desperate people, that's who."

Kakashi put his hands in his pockets. "What if I dared you to do it?"

"Psh," Yuki scoffed. "What are we, children?"

"I double dog dare you to do it." Kakashi's voice was completely level, his expression unreadable.

Yuki looked up from her book and stared him down. "Asou Yukihana has never backed down from a double dog dare."

…

Beki stood expectantly, kanabo in hand and decked out in full armor. She cocked her head in confusion. "Training is off today?"

"Yeah," Yuki smiled. "I, well, I made plans for tonight."

Her daughter's eyes widened. "Are you plotting a murder?"

"Not tonight," Yuki shook her head. "I'm just going out."

Beki narrowed her eyes and dropped her voice to nearly a whisper. "You slut! You literally just went out with him last night!"

"I don't have to follow your dumb teenage rules, we're adults!" Yuki hissed back, matching her daughter's low volume. "We can do whatever we want! Besides, he double dog dared me."

Beki rolled her eyes. "What are you? Five?!

Yuki kicked at the gravel. "I'll have you know, I may have agreed to run away with your dad based on a double dog dare."

Beki let out an exhausted sigh. "I'll just go ask Gai sensei to train me."

"There you go," Yuki clapped her daughter on the shoulder. "That's a good use of your time. Say 'hi' to Neji for me."

At the sound of his name Beki let out an involuntary sigh. "I will. If he looks at me."

Yuki blinked. "What's up?"

"Forget about it." Beki shrugged off Yuki's hand. "Have fun on your date."

…

Yuki woke up the way she had risen from the dead. The sleep had been so deep that Yuki didn't know where she was for a moment. Her body initially didn't respond when she tried to move because her muscles were so relaxed. The room was dark despite the morning light creeping through the curtains. Yuki took a delicious stretch, her back and shoulders popping several times and curling her toes. It was then that she noticed the weight readjusting beside her.

A long and slender back rippling with muscles hovered inches away. The sheet was haphazardly draped across the man's waist and he had his pillow over his head. Yuki sat up to get a better look at him and her head swam. _Oh,_ she took ahold of her head, glancing down at the pillow over the man's face. _I drank too much last night._ From her new vantage point, Yuki noticed the odd red tattoo on the bicep of the man's left arm. A few knife scars marred the otherwise perfect body on his front and sides, but his back was unmarked. _No one's ever snuck up on him, then._ Yuki listened to the soft breathing beneath the pillow and watched the rise and fall of his chest. From the soreness of her abs and somewhere…deeper inside of her, she knew that the pair had more than an innocent sleepover. Who was he? Yuki's stomach dropped as she searched the sleeping form and found nothing familiar.

Left with no other reassuring evidence of who her mystery paramour was, Yuki reached up and lifted the pillow just enough to peek at his face. Her jaw dropped. She had no idea who it was. The man was incredibly handsome despite the scar over one eye. She also couldn't help noticing the cute mole to the side of his soft kissable mouth. The man noticed the absence of his pillow, or maybe he sensed her eyes on him, but his eyes fluttered open.

"…Yuki?" His voice was incredibly familiar, but in the fog of Yuki's hangover she couldn't quite place it.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but…" Yuki tucked her hair behind her ear and squinted at him, desperately trying to latch onto the familiar voice. "Who are you?"

The man let out a frustrated sigh. He rolled onto his back and sat up so they were face to face. "Yuki, it's me. Kakashi."

Yuki inhaled so sharply it almost sounded like the squawk of an extinct creature.

"What?" He winced at the grating sound, his annoyance plain in the bite of his tone.

"Nooooooo!" Yuki threw herself back on the bed. "I didn't want this to happen!"

Kakashi frowned. "You mean you didn't want to sleep with me?"

"I mean yes, I physically wanted that but I'm in the middle of a damned holy war with myself and thanks to you, now I'm losing!" Yuki slammed her fists into the bed beside her.

"Forgive me for being short, but could you attempt to make an ounce of sense?" Kakashi held his throbbing head.

"I have been with one man my whole life, since I was sixteen years old." Yuki looked over at him. "I just found out he died. This…this is selfish of me. Its disrespectful to my husband's memory and…" She shook her head. "It isn't fair to you either."

"What do you mean, Yuki?" Kakashi remained sitting up, looking down on her as she threw her tantrum. "We've been dating. You didn't think that we'd eventually end up here?"

"I was just looking to have a good time with you! I had no intention of actually falling for you, Kakashi!" Yuki covered her eyes. She couldn't stand to look at him. All her shame, all her self-loathing was welling up inside her. A lump formed bitterly at the back of her throat and Yuki struggled to hold back the floodgates. Kakashi was silent. She could almost feel him searching for the words, his weight gently shifting on the bed beside her. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke at last. "Yuki…"

The gentleness in his voice set Yuki over the edge. Her shoulders heaved with silent sobs and she turned away from Kakashi in shame. Kakashi was still for a moment before speaking again. "You can't blame yourself for wanting to be happy, Yuki. You woke up in a world that had moved on without you. You lost thirteen years of your life and your husband as well. I can't imagine what that must be like for you, but I know that you deserve some happiness."

Yuki felt the guilt and despair clawing at her heart. She wanted to lash out, to tear something else down. She wanted this heavy pain out of her chest. She opened her mouth to tell Kakashi off, but his facial expression stopped her cold in her tracks. He was facing her, but with a faraway look in his eyes as if he wasn't really seeing her, but something in his mind. Kakashi lifted one arm and held it to Yuki's bare chest. He placed his palm between her breasts and held it there.

"Your heart is still beating. You're still alive to feel the pain of losing Seiichiro. You could have come out of that ice and frozen yourself off from the rest of the world. Instead, you reunited with your daughter and you are doing your damnedest to raise her as well as you can. Don't you think that maybe you are allowed to seek out some joy for yourself?"

Yuki looked at Kakashi as her eyes filled with tears. "B-But Seiichiro…"

Kakashi cut her off with his hand. "Would have wanted you to take care of his daughter. Which you are actually doing quite a good job of."

Yuki's lip trembled slightly and Kakashi couldn't tell if it was from another sob or the slight semblance of a smile. "Do you-do you…really think so?

Kakashi allowed himself to laugh softly. "Of course I do. Your daughter periodically catches on fire and parades around town with naught but cinders on for clothing. And I would be underexaggerating to say that she has an attitude about it, too. Most parents would want to run far, far away from responsibility like that. But you ran towards it. You're a great mom." Kakashi reached out and laid an arm across Yuki's waist. She didn't resist so Kakashi pulled her closer so that her head rested upon his chest.

Yuki had stopped sobbing and was breathing softly with her eyes closed.

Kakashi cupped a hand at the back of her head and pulled her gaze to meet his own. "And you know what? I didn't know Seiichiro as well as you did. He seemed like the kind of man who would break all rules and customs to do what he felt was right." Kakashi placed his hand under Yuki's chin and looked deep into her eyes. "Ask yourself one thing. Do you think he would want you to be happy?"

The moment the words left Kakashi's lips, Yuki knew he was right. Seiichiro had always gone out of his way to put Yuki's happiness before anything else. Truth that it was, it didn't make it any easier for her to swallow her guilt and accept it. She heaved a sigh and nodded "Yes. More than anything." The moment she finished speaking the tightness in her chest released and the sobs died down to nothing. "Crazy bastard."

Kakashi smiled, sensing the change in her mood. "What was that?"

Yuki pulled away and wiped the last tears from her eyes, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. "You don't understand! I was betrothed to Seiichiro's brother! He literally tossed his family and inheritance out the door to run away with me." The smile started to fade as Yuki began to sink into the bittersweet memories of their past.

Kakashi broke her out of her thoughts with a playful poke in her side.

"Ouch!" Yuki cried out in mock pain.

"What would make you happy right now, this very moment?" Kakashi asked with a smile that gave her butterflies.

"To see my daughter grow up, to claim her birthright as the head of both clans, awash in riches and bathed in the blood of her enemies." Yuki looked up at him coyly, expecting a frown of disapproval. Instead, there was something in the way he was looking at her, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes that demanded a flirtatious response. "But being with you is a close second."

Kakashi pulled her closer. "We can work on one of those right now."

Yuki turned towards him and shoved him in the shoulder. "You're just trying for a double play, you con artist!"

Kakashi laughed. "Is it so wrong to want to try it sober?"

Yuki threw him onto his back and climbed atop his waist. "I don't put out twice on the second date." She leaned in close to him and pressed her lips against his. "That's all you get, I'm afraid." She sat back on the bed, the mood far too intimate for her liking. All the emotional exposure had left her craving a physical barrier to make up for her emotional nakedness. "Now, if you were a _real_ gentleman, you would go find me my robe."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "This is your apartment. How am I supposed to know where you keep your robe?"

Yuki stared him down and put her hands on her hips, daring him to keep playing dumb. Kakashi sighed, got out of bed, and grabbed her fluffy white bathrobe off the back of the bathroom door. "Here you are, your highness."

"I'm an heiress, not a duchess or a queen." Yuki puffed as she threw on her robe. "A simple 'my lady' would do just fine."

Kakashi furrowed his brow, a sly smile on his lips. "Did you miss the sarcasm?"

"I elected to ignore it." Yuki looked up at Kakashi as he prodded around the room looking for his clothes.

Yuki climbed out of bed and picked up the shirt Kakashi had tossed on the floor the night before. She held it up, ready to hand it over to him when she noticed a few splash stains. "Oops."

Kakashi held up his pants, which bore the bottom half of the splash pattern. "That's unfortunate." He signed and reached out to take the shirt.

"If you are okay going commando for a bit, I can wash these for you." Yuki offered.

"You don't have a washer and dryer, Yuki." Kakashi chuckled. "Am I supposed to sit around your apartment naked while you run down to the laundromat?"

"You forget," Yuki snatched the pants out of his hand. "I grew up on a shrine. Only the weak have washers and dryers when they have a perfectly good sink and a clothesline to use."

"Oh, my mistake." Kakashi threw up his hands in mock apology. "Let's not get you started on the how indoor plumbing and the death of the gaslight are the fall of civilization."

"Here, Mr. Bashful." Yuki opened up her closet and pulled out the only other robe she had. It was cream silk printed with enormous pink cabbage roses. Kakashi looked at the robe then at Yuki, cocking an eyebrow in disbelief. "Like you always point out, I never have company. I don't have random men's clothes lying around my apartment. Your options are to take the robe or walk around with a towel around your waist."

Kakashi slipped on the robe with a frustrated sigh. At the feel of the fine silk, he blinked in surprise. "This is surprisingly comfortable."

"Of course it is," Yuki scoffed as she headed for the kitchen. "I picked it."

Kakashi followed her into the kitchen. He watched as she plugged the sink and filled the basin with hot water. After a moment, she looked up at him expectantly. "What?"

Kakashi gestured at her cannister of coffee beans. "I was wondering if I could go ahead and make us some coffee. I wanted to make sure that I didn't have to go out back pick the beans myself."

"Shut up," Yuki groaned at his cocky smile. "The pot's on the stove."

"You don't even have a modern coffee maker!" Kakashi sighed. "Let me see if I remember how my _grandfather_ made coffee."

"Keep mouthing off and I'm going to tie dye your clothes." Yuki raised her eyebrows and tried to fight back the smile tugging at her lips. "I'll do it! You know I will."

Kakashi chuckled and started to prepare the coffee. He was giving her a lot of flak, but the truth was he'd used stove top coffee makers plenty of times. They were handy during the blizzards Konoha had from time to time that sometimes knocked out the power for days. At the first hint of the smell of coffee, he smiled. This was going to be so good even Yuki would have a hard time complaining about it.

"Are you a breakfast person?" Yuki shook her hands over the sink, the droplets splattering against the damp bubbles of his soaking clothes. "You're welcome to whatever I have but I usually just opt for an early lunch."

Kakashi reached over and took a banana off the bunch sitting on the counter. "This is fine, don't worry. I've had worse hospitality." He smiled as he peeled it, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Yuki opened her mouth to protest, knowing there was some snide remark on the tip of his tongue. Before Yuki could stop him, he finished his thought. "I've been imprisoned and tortured before."

An idea came to her as she drowned in the sea of her frustration, one so tricky she had to stop herself from laughing aloud. "Hey, Kakashi?" Yuki asked, cocking her head innocently.

"What Yuki?" He took a bite of his banana.

"Is this cold?" Yuki reached over and pressed her first two fingers to the small of his back. It sent a jolt of intense cold up his spine and Kakashi jumped as if burned. He squared off with her, staring her down. Wordlessly, he reached over and touched her side. At contact, Yuki was given a small but powerful shock. She squealed and swatted his hand away. "Hey!"

"Hey yourself!" Kakashi took the pot of coffee off the heat. "You started it."

"Mine was fun. Yours was mean." Yuki rubbed her side and grudgingly fished two mugs out of her cabinet.

"And vice versa. Perspective is a funny thing, isn't it?" Kakashi watched her shrink back from his logic and he chuckled. "Where's your creamer?"

…

"So, let's be honest here," Yuki set Kakashi's cup of coffee in front of him. "Do I need to go get checked for anything?"

Kakashi cautiously picked up the mug. "What do you mean?"

"How used is the wagon I just took for a test run? Did I pick up lice from the cushions, that kind of thing." Yuki sat down across from him, her pajamas drooping so low as to endanger exposure.

Kakashi sheepishly took a sip of the coffee. "It was a new wagon."

Yuki had steeled herself for a jaw dropping number and perhaps a burning, itchy future for her one night's indiscretion. The moment Kakashi finished speaking, however, her jaw was dropping for another reason. She threw her hand over her mouth and inhaled sharply, making the same screech from earlier.

Kakashi winced. "Can you stop making that pterodactyl noise?!"

" _You're a virgin!"_ Yuki whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Kakashi sighed with frustration.

"I can't believe it!" Yuki shook her head, her mouth still open wide but in an ear to ear grin. "You're such a pervert, though! I would have bet big money that you were a man whore!"

"I don't want to hear it from a part time stripper who allegedly only ever slept with her husband." Kakashi shot her a coy look. "I bet you were using that money to put yourself through medical school, too."

"Psh," Yuki laughed. "Don't you know it." The smiles slowly faded as the weight of Kakashi's revelation hung in the air. "Seriously though, that…makes me feel a lot better about all this."

"How do you mean?" Kakashi took a sip of the coffee. He smiled. It was good after all.

Yuki shrugged. "I know I come off as this vixen type, right?"

"That seems to be the consensus about you, yes." Kakashi nodded.

"I've never really been the casual type, though. I'm glad you aren't either. That makes this situation feel like it means something." Yuki tapped her cup on the table.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "What does it mean, then?"

"Oh no," Yuki shook her head. "We aren't talking about my feelings anymore. We already did that and I'm embarrassed enough." She took a sip of her coffee. "Let's just leave it at I feel safe with you in a lot of ways and that isn't easy for me."

Kakashi cleared his throat, trying his best to look dignified in a woman's bathrobe. "Now that this is all in the air…" He watched the way Yuki avoided eye contact by pretending the contents of her cup were fascinating. "Where do we go from here, Yuki?"

"I mean, I don't have any plans so if you just want to hang around all day, that's fine by me." Yuki sipped her coffee. "There isn't really anything to do, though. It would be terribly boring for you."

Kakashi gave an exasperated sigh. "Not me. Us. Where do we go from here? You're telling me you aren't the casual type, so I'm going to assume that means you don't want us to just be friends with benefits."

"No, that would be weird." Yuki looked up at him. "You don't want to move in together or anything crazy, right?"

"Yuki, I don't want to push you into something you aren't comfortable with. I've got nothing but time, so we can do this at your pace." Kakashi watched for Yuki's tells. She was clearly nervous but not from having to come up with a pleasant faced lie on the spot.

"I don't know, Kakashi. I like us like this. If we could just keep spending time together for a while that would make me happy. I enjoy being with you and as much as I hate to admit it, last night was really good for me." Yuki explained. "I guess I'm trying to say I'm okay with us moving forward but let's go at a snail's pace until I can sort through the rest of my widow guilt."

"That's fine with me." Kakashi reached out and took ahold of her hand. "I want to be here with you. I wouldn't be here in your bathrobe if I didn't."

Yuki smiled. "Me too."


	95. Crushed

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter. Thank you to those of you who PM and review! It makes my day to hear from you guys. The feedback is always helpful and conversation's always welcome.**

* * *

Beki hesitated at the edge of the field. _You're being stupid, Tsukimori._ Gai sensei was the friendliest, most welcoming sensei in the Leaf. Beki had only been in the village for a few weeks when he offered to let her join them to train anytime. He had consistently been true to that offer, stepping up and taking her into his pod whenever she asked. Today, though, watching Team Gai on as they trained, Beki couldn't ever remember feeling so unwelcome. Neji, Lee, Tenten, and Gai were laughing and having a good time. Lee was going at it with 120% as always, destorying equipment or looping his teammates into his activity against their will. Neji was getting manhandled and doing everything in his power to avoid Lee and Gai's embraces. Tenten was up to her knees in their antics, the only voice of reason in the group, trying to keep things on an even keel. Normally Beki would be chomping at the bit to hop into the fray, wrestle with Lee and bring out Tenten's fun side by getting her to surrender to the chaos. Gai would tell her what to do and Beki would fail miserably but make a good show of it so everyone would get a laugh. Then Neji would yell at her for being reckless or something. But that didn't happen anymore.

The kanabo felt heavier than usual. Beki adjusted it across her shoulders and tugged at her braid self consciously. The moment she stepped into the ring with them, the balance would shift. Neji would withdraw emotionally and become aloof. Lee and Gai would step up the crazy to try to lure him back into things, which would set off Tenten even more. _This was a stupid idea. I'm just going to go for a walk instead._ Just as she turned to walk away, Beki heard someone call her name. _Busted._

"Beki!" Lee practically screamed. "Are you here to join us for training?!"

Beki put on the best smile she could, which she already knew was going to be a weak one. She turned around. "Yeah, I mean if you guys have room for one more. I get it if you can't-"

"Of course we have room for one more!" Gai beamed, the light catching his too-white teeth just right. "We were just about to start a hike. As long as you have feet, you can participate."

A small, irrational part of Beki's brain briefly considered "dropping" the kanabo on her feet until the rest of her brain smothered it to silence. "Sure." As Beki approached them, she noticed Lee and Gai looked geniunely happy to see her. Tenten had a smile on her face but it was slowly melting with each glance she cautiously stole at Neji. Beki made a point of keeping her face passive as she strapped the kanabo to her back. Neji, for his part, seemed to be looking everywhere but at her: Lee, Gai, Tenten, the forest, the grass, the top of Beki's head when his gaze had to pass over her.

"Today's hike is going to be at top speed." Gai folded his arms and turned his attention to Beki. "Will you be able to keep pace in your armor?"

"Speed has never really been my thing but I'll do my best." Beki grinned.

"Is it because you aren't wearing anything under the armor, Beki?" Lee asked innocently.

Tenten smacked his shoulder. "Lee, you can't casually ask a girl if she's going commando."

"I was just going to offer her a pair of tights," Lee blinked.

"That's okay," Beki shook her head. "Speed training in the armor would probably be good for me."

Gai laughed. "That's the spirit!" With a wave, he gathered the group closer and explained their route. Then Gai took off like a shot, Lee close behind him. As the rest of the group started running, Beki did her best to match Neji's pace. Maybe over the course of a long run he would soften up and talk to her. It had been so long since Beki had been close to Neji that the feeling of the warmth coming off his skin and the smell of him was making her heart race. Beki was terrified she would make the problem worse, that anything she did or said would push him further away. She desperately wanted to take ahold of him and shake him. Beki wanted to beg him, to say that she knew something was wrong between them and that she would do anything to fix it. Neji had been there for Beki through everything, big or small. He helped her when she first came to Konoha when she didn't know where anything was. Neji introduced her to his team and was responsible for the slow but steady growth of her circle of friends. Whenever she was in a crisis, like when her father died, Neji showed up without fail. Sometimes, he seemed to materialize out of nothing like a guardian angel.

Lee and Gai were off far ahead, their voices heard but their words jumbled by the distance. Tenten was keeping pace with Beki and Neji. She hung a little behind them in an attempt to grant them some privacy. The silence between Beki and Neji seemed infinite, an ominous oppressive thing. Then, Neji started to put physical distance between them. He slowly picked up speed. Beki did her best to match it, to mimic his long quick strides, but she couldn't. Beki knew her limitations yet she desperately pushed her boundaries, desperate to maintain a physical proximity to Neji. If Beki had lost out forever on his emotional comfort and companionship, then she at least wanted to be physically close to him. All she needed was to glean some strength off those memories. Beki would be okay so long as she could pretend they were still okay and that if she got in trouble he would come swooping in to save her like always. Like she needed him to. As the moments stretched into minutes and Neji's pace had picked up almost to match Gai and Lee, Beki's heart sank. She was a kid standing in the street with an empty cone, staring at the ice cream melting at her feet as if somehow magically by wishing hard enough, it would materialize good as new back into her hands.

Beki swallowed hard at the lump forming in her throat and bit her lip to chase away the tears. Tenten filled the hole Neji had left beside her, softening the blow. Beki knew Tenten was much faster than she was. Tenten was just too good of a person to leave Beki straggling along behind them like a popped balloon. After several minutes of silence, Tenten finally spoke.

"Just so you know, he hasn't said anything to us about what happened."

Beki sighed. Her expression looked angry but she was one bad question away from crying. "If I'm being honest, I don't really know what happened either. Things were weird and a little distant for a while but now he isn't even talking to me."

"That's really unlike him." Tenten echoed Beki's sigh. "He's been a little more withdrawn around us than usual, too." Tenten glanced at Beki and looked her over cautiously. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Shoot." Beki had resigned herself to the strong possibility she was going to end up crying in front of Tenten for the second time. At least that was better than the boys seeing it. The idea of Gai trying to comfort her was terrifying. He would probably stick Beki and Neji in a "get along" shirt and make them spend the day like that.

"Did the two of you get into a fight or something?" Tenten asked.

Beki shook her head. "Not really. It wasn't a fight. There was a misunderstanding between us and as far as I could tell we worked it out."

"I can tell you it isn't." Tenten gazed at the back of Neji's head. "The way he's been acting, I thought you cut him off or something."

"It's the opposite. I can't even get him to stand near me anymore, let alone talk to me." Beki strained to keep up the pace with her full armor on. It didn't help that the kanabo was slapping up against her lower back as she ran. Beki already knew she was going to have bruises from this little romp.

"Is there something Lee and I can do to help?" Tenten glanced at Beki, who shook her head in response.

Beki rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Tenten? Do you know any good jokes that would break the ice?"

Tenten winced. "You know, Beki, Neji doesn't laugh a whole lot. The only time I have ever seen him laugh is when he's with you."

A strange feeling came over Beki at Tenten's revelation. Neji only laughed when Beki was around? It told Beki everything she needed to know. Whatever was going on, Neji was hurting and he needed her for once. "Here," Beki pulled the kanabo off her back and shoved it into Tenten's hands. "Take care of that for me."

Tenten blinked in confusion. "Beki, what are you going to do?"

"I told you, I'm going to go tell him a joke!" Beki dropped her head and took off at a full sprint. They were finally headed somewhat downhill, so Beki was able to pick up speed. She came down the hill after Neji like a runaway train. When he looked over his shoulder to locate the source of the heavy footfalls, it was already too late. Beki collided with him at full force, tackling him to the ground. The two of them rolled a couple times with Beki ending up on top of Neji, pinning him down.

"Beki, what the hell?!" Neji struggled but she kept him pinned.

"A man goes to a zoo with only one animal in it," Beki panted. "Which was a dog. It was a shi tzu."

Neji went deathly still. "Did you run me down like a ronin, tackle me to the ground, and fracture my ribs to tell me a crappy joke?"

Beki stared him down. "I would have told you earlier but you ran away."

Neji closed his eyes and put his hands over his face. There was a shallow up and down movement to his chest. For a moment, Beki thought he was crying. She jumped off him believing that she he'd been seriously injured. Neji rolled up onto his hands and knees, shaking his head as he rose up onto his feet. He was laughing. "You are actually insane, Beki."

Beki's heart soared at the sight of his smile. Or was it because he was talking to her again? Either way, Beki was ecstatic. Seeing her opening, she dove in and threw her arms around him. Neji winced and gingerly put his arms around her, lacing his fingers through her hair. Beki breathed deeply, not knowing the next time she would get a chance to be this close to him. Her anxieties slowly drifted away and a calm broke over her. It felt like a physical weight had been lifted off her chest. There were words at the tip of her tongue, something her heart wanted her to say. Beki didn't know what it was but something desperately wanted out. As she groped for them with her face to his chest, Neji patted her back and let her go. "Come on. We don't want to lose sight of Gai and Lee."

Beki blinked. "Wait…Gai sensei said we're going to get a reward at the end of this hike. Are we headed for that curry of life place you told me about?"

Neji grabbed her by the back of the neck and looked her dead in the eye. "Yes. And no matter how much they goad you, do not, under any circumstances get the curry any hotter than mild. I cannot carry you home in your armor and nothing is less dignified than being carried home by Gai sensei."

Beki chuckled, happy for the contact. Tenten caught up to them, completely out of breath. "Beki! How do you do anything with a damned tree strapped to your back?!"

Beki shrugged and took the kanabo out of her hands. "You kind of stop noticing it after a while."

"Yeah, and then you take out an unsuspecting passerby with it when you turn around too fast," Neji called over his shoulder.

"I told you I was sorry!" Beki cried out, running after him. "Why haven't you let that go yet?!"

Tenten ran up along side Beki and gave her a smile, quietly mouthing "thank you". Beki smiled and shook her head. Maybe things were finally going to go back to normal.

…

A few weeks later, Yuki had finally released Beki from an especially grueling training session. Part of Beki wanted to head right home but she knew better. The moment Beki crossed the threshold and peeled off her armor, she would be useless for the rest of the day. Instead, she pushed past the pain and headed into town.

By this point Beki had gotten used to running her errands alone. Although her mother was usually by her side, Beki couldn't stand taking Yuki on errands. The woman was constantly engaged with a war on the present, haranguing Beki with tales of how products had cheapened quality wise, sizes shrunk to less generous portions, and skyrocketing prices. Those reactions were contained to places Yuki had no choice but to buy from, like a drug store. When it came to anything else, like clothes or shoes, Yuki spent the whole time scoffing and browbeating Beki about why she didn't just "trust" Yuki to take care of these things for her. There was no denying the quality of Yuki's gear and her taste, but Beki wasn't going to sit around for three months waiting for a completely customized pair of training shoes.

Earlier on, Beki had the pleasure of either Hinata or Neji's company on her errands. Naruto's reappearance had eaten up more and more of Hinata's time, and understandably so. Beki held no grudge against her friend. And although Neji was finally talking to her again, Team Gai was out on a mission. Once in awhile, Beki would stumble across another familiar face in a shop, like Sakura or Chouji, and visit with them for a few minutes. Today Beki didn't bother to look. She just wanted to grab her items, pay, and get home.

The shop she entered was a long narrow thing, with huge paned windows on the front of the store. Beki liked it because the shop keepers never gave her a hard time about coming in the store in her armor. Its bulk sometimes resulted in a cleared shelf if Beki turned too quickly; she'd been politely asked not to return to few places unless in plain clothes. Here, the aisles were wide, catering to the shinobi clientele. Beki headed right for the pain aisle, where she proceeded to gather her usual stock of sore muscle balm, chafing cream, and headache medicine. Afterwards, she stopped by the beauty aisle and debated over two varieties of eye cream- her late nights reading paperwork and the mental burden of their contents kept her up more often than not. The bags that were settling in made her look more cadaverous than normal. She was so absorbed in the active ingredients that she barely registered the arms wrapping around her torso.

"Nee san!" Konohamaru's voice ripped her from her thoughts.

"Oh, hey buddy." Beki ruffled his hair with her free hand. "It's been a while."

He looked better than the last time she had seen him, less depressed. The color in his skin was good and the light was back in his eyes. There was a little bit of reservation in his smile though; the irrevocable cost of innocence lost. Beki tried not to frown at the thought of how it would never get any better, either. "What are you doing here?"

Konohamaru tugged at his scarf self-consciously. "I saw you come in and you didn't look busy. I just wanted to say 'hi'."

Beki grinned at him, despite herself. She leaned forward and clonked her forehead against his, their noses bumping. "Hi."

He beamed at the attention, a slight flush coming into his cheeks. "So what have you been up to, Nee san?"

Beki shrugged. "Just the usual stuff. Training a lot, doing paperwork," She paused. Usually she had something interesting to report. There was the whole murder-her-uncle expedition, wherein she nearly killed the Sound kunoichi she'd befriended and summarily gotten her ass whooped. Beki thought it would be better to keep that information out of circulation. There was a distinct lack of interesting developments in her social life, too. Beki could feel Konohamaru's expectant eyes. Without anything else to add, she shrugged and smiled at him. "How about you?"

Konohamaru immediately exploded into story mode. His eyes widened as he desperately spilled the contents of every mission he had been on in the past month, his facial expressions and impressions of people conducted with all seriousness. It took everything Beki had not to laugh in amusement. Through the jumble of his words, as they approached the counter, Beki noticed something was off. Or rather, she felt it. Her eyes caught up to her subconscious and she saw how everyone in the store drifted towards the paned glass windows. There was an electricity, a scent in the air had changed. A familiar chill crept down her spine, a sensation that in the past would have triggered the Drowned Maiden to emerge. She tentatively took a single step closer, noticing how everyone's necks were craned straight up towards something hovering in the sky.

Beki tossed aside her basket, keeping her face completely neutral as she grabbed Konohamaru's arm and headed for the emergency exit. He looked up at her with confusion on his face, his eyes darting between her, her discarded basket, and the other people in the store. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Beki shook her head, her hair standing on end even within the furnace of her armor. "We need to get out of here."

As she opened the door, which surprisingly set off no alarms, a large sudden cacophony of cries stole from the throats of the shoppers. Then, like the ghost of a whisper, Beki felt something she hadn't in what seemed like a lifetime. Cold fingers crept down from her skull along her spine, wrapping her body in a terrible sensation of foreboding. She looked down at her braid, half expecting the hair to be black as ink. Her subconscious was trying to warn her of some impending doom and this was the best way to catch her attention. Heeding her body's warning, Beki broke out in full sprint, dragging Konohamaru along behind her. Suddenly, the sky filled with a cold, horrible light, and it sounded like a bomb went off in the distance. Beki turned her head as the shockwave raced to meet them, slamming into the building they had just left. It had all happened in seconds, yet time seemed to move in slow motion as the building collapsed, being blown towards them by the explosion. There was no time. Beki knew her limitations and one of them was speed. There was no way she could ever clear the blast in time. Instead, Beki came to a dead stop, planted her feet, and with every ounce of strength in her adrenaline fueled body, Beki grabbed Konohamaru with her other arm and swung. It was a clean, fluid motion, beautiful in its simplicity. The momentum was perfect; an action she had practiced with the kanabo a hundred thousand times. At the perfect moment in the arc, she released Konohamaru. The boy was sent flying through the air, his surprise causing him to tumble head over heels for a moment before he caught his footing. He turned to look at her with a confused expression, his mouth poised to cry out, but time had caught up to them.

Konohamaru watched in horror as Beki was swallowed by the brick and mortar of the store they had just exited. It wasn't just that store. All the buildings around him had been leveled and screams filled the air. People were desperately scrambling to their feet, rushing into the ruins to extract trapped loved ones. Fear turned Konohamaru cold, an iron grip closing around the base of his spine. Then his shinobi training kicked in. As a kid, Konohamaru had learned to count to ten when he was upset. Ten seconds was too long. His new method got him into action sooner.

"One," His voice shook as he took a lead footed step towards the ruin. "Two," His voice grew stronger as he pushed all the terror deep down inside him. "Go!" Konohamaru ran back towards the wreckage. He scooped at bricks around where he had last seen Beki. "Beki!" He cried, his voice trembling despite his efforts to calm himself. There was a soft groan beneath his feet and Konohamaru jumped back, immediately digging towards the sound. He felt the rough bricks tearing up his hands, the sting of fresh cuts. A moment of warmth as the blood dripped from the wounds, only to be immediately staunched by bits of plaster and dirt. After a few more bricks, he saw hands laced over hair, statue gray from the debris. Konohamaru kept scooping away the bits of building until a whole head was visible. Beki coughed bodily, puffs of debris kicking up in their wake. She looked up at him, her face twisted in pain. "Hey buddy. You okay?"

Konohamaru nodded, the fear abating somewhat. Cool determination crept in. "Hang in there. I'll have you out in a minute."

Beki braced her hands against the clearing he'd opened up in front of her. She attempted a push up to loosen herself from her burden, only to find herself unable to lift even an inch. As Konohamaru worked, Beki watched as he unearthed a support beam planted squarely across her strong back. He paused, blinking at the sight. Beki tentatively tried to move her legs, to no avail. _I'm paralyzed._ Beki blessed the dirt on her face so Konohamaru didn't see her blanche. The support beam was incredibly heavy, being propped up mostly by the detrius around it. As the wreck settled, however, the beam was sinking. Beki could feel the pressure of it slowly buckling her armor, millimeters at a time. _Forget paralyzed for life, I'm going to be crushed to death_.

Konohamaru attempted to move the beam, struggling under its weight and crying out in frustration when his efforts proved useless. He looked at her with desperation in his eyes. "What do I do, Beki?!"

"Go find help," Beki said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. "I've got the armor on. I'll be fine for a while." It was hard lying to his face. Beki knew he had been through enough suffering in his short life. She wasn't going to let him watch her die. Konohamaru backed away and hesitated. "I can't leave you alone."

"Just go, Konohamaru! There isn't any time to waste!" Beki cried, the urgency in her voice turning him on his heel and sending him off at a sprint. Beki looked around her. The destruction made what she saw in Suna after the Akatsuki attack look tame. Limbs stuck out at odd angles from collapsed buildings. People screaming in pain and crying over the limp bodies of their loved ones. The beam was getting noticeably heavier. Beki was finding it harder and harder to draw air into her lungs. Suffocation was a terrible way to go, the horrible desperate feeling as her body went into survival mode. Adrenaline and fear coursed through her as she gasped for each breath, tears stinging her eyes as she faced her mortality. _Fire won't help me here. Everything I've ever done, all the training I've ever been through, and nothing I have can save me._ The insult of her powerlessness almost eclipsed the panic of suffocating. Almost.

Beki bowed her head and closed her eyes, hurried footsteps in the background bleeding in to the crumble of buildings and the cries of other victims. She focused on the quick shallow breaths she had to take and tried to stay lucid enough to emit a final prayer.

A rush of cold air jolted her eyes open. Konohamaru was doubled over, panting breathlessly beside a panic stricken Yukihana. Beki felt her mother's ice enveloping her protectively, weasling its way between her armor and the beam. Once the frigid fingers had met in the middle of her back, the ice pressed outward, simultaneously expanding the space and thickening to support the opening it created. Beki inhaled sharply, taking huge gulps of air as her armor popped back to its original shape. She immediately began to choke on the dust, spurring a violent coughing fit. Yuki rushed forward and pulled Beki bodily out of the debris, hands searching all over for any other signs of damage.

"Are you okay?!" Yuki practically screamed in her face. Beki's face screwed up, unable to keep back the tears, and began to weep bitterly. "Oh no, oh no," Yuki wrapped her arms around Beki and rocked her gently. "You're okay. Mama's here. You're safe."

"I thought I was going to die," Beki hiccuped between sobs. "I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to suffocate in there."

"Shh," Yuki stroked her head. "Come on now. You're already a Burned and a Drowned Maiden. You can't be a Hanged Maiden, too. You have to leave something for the Tsukiyama to feel special."

Beki pulled away, disbelief twisting her face that her mother would already be cracking jokes. Then she saw the tears streaming down Yuki's cheeks, the half cocked, unsure angle of her smile. Beki had scared her, more than she would ever be willing to admit, and now Yuki was just trying to cover the obvious vulnerability. Instead of yelling or pushing her away, Beki buried herself in her mother's chest. The coolness of her mother's arms around her neck and her physical presence slowly settled Beki down. Once her cries became still and silent, Beki felt another set of arms wrapping around her from behind. Konohamaru had pressed himself against her, his face in the back of her neck. "I was scared too, Beki. I didn't want you to die." His voice was soft. His words were followed by a few drops of warmth falling onto her skin.

Yuki reached up and ruffled his hair reassuringly. "You ran into the right person." Now that she had confirmation her daughter was alright, Yuki could slip back into crisis rescue mode. She wasn't from Konoha and she didn't know most of these people but devastation like this couldn't be ignored. The old, deep seated obligations of her priestess upbringing overwhelmed her more recent, self preserving shinobi attitude. Yuki had no choice but to help, but there was no way she could do that with Beki vulnerable and out in the open. "Can I ask you a favor?"

Konohamaru raised his face to meet Yuki's gaze, snot and tears running freely. Yuki suppressed a smile. Shinobi or not, kids were kids. "Can you get her somewhere safe? Beki's not seriously injured, but she's hurt enough that she shouldn't be out here."

Konohamaru nodded. "Leave it to me."

Beki blinked in surprise and looked around. "I can help, though. I can't just leave people out here-"

"You have no medical training and the abilities you do have lean way more towards destructive than constructive." Yuki pulled her to her feet. "You're a big, scary, strong girl. Go cuddle some scared kids or something."

Beki wanted to protest, to insist on being out there and doing something. For once, though, she didn't mind taking the bench. The experience had shaken her to the core. She nodded and sighed as Konohmaru took her by the hand.

"I'm probably going to get in trouble for this…" Konohamaru shook his head. "But I can't think of anywhere else to take you."

Beki furrowed her brow. The light was starting to hurt. She tentatively reached up and felt around her crown with her free hand. Sure enough she had a goose egg or two forming. "So don't panic or anything but I may have a concussion."

Konohamaru sighed. "Well maybe I can get away with it then. If you've got a head injury they might just yell at me a little bit. I'll have to play up on the 'I'm still a kid' thing, but what else can I do?"

"Are you talking to me or just to yourself, bud?" Beki blinked, trying hard to focus. Everything seemed a little fuzzy around the edges.

"Don't worry about it. Come on." Konohamaru tugged on her hand, leading her towards the tunnel they took him and the other academy students to when the Sound attacked. "If you can, play up the head injury a little."

"Huh?" Beki blinked.

"Yeah, like that." Konohamaru nodded.


	96. Old, Dark Powers

Yuki was engaging like clockwork. She would hear a cry or see a crowd of people, dive in, scaffold debris with ice, pull out bodies, and disengage. At first, she had registered familiar faces: a woman she bought from at the market, a guard she saw on patrol all the time, some of her daughter's friends. After the fourth or fifth building, it all began to blur. She got accustomed to stepping over lifeless bodies. Before she had found Beki, Yuki had checked every face to make sure her daughter wasn't amongst the dead. After that, Yuki figured there would be plenty of time to grieve the fallen. The living needed her attention.

That was, of course, until the swaying hair of a collapsed body briefly caught her eye. "Kakashi!" Yuki cried, much louder than she intended. He was upright, submerged in concrete up to his shoulders. Rebar stuck out from the ruin almost protectively from his limp frame. Yuki could see dried blood caked on his face, his eyes closed against the murky sky. Yuki scrambled over the destroyed landscape until she reached him, repeatedly calling his name.

Yuki, for the most part, was completely immune to cold. It was a natural adaptation, all part of the parcel of the Yukionna. The sensation of being chilled was completely foreign to her, so when her hair stood on end and she shivered, it was as disorienting as the scenery. "Kakashi, can you hear me?" Yuki's voice was practically a whisper, as if she were afraid to wake him from a pleasant nap. In fact, he looked the same way he did when he was asleep. His expression was peaceful and his body relaxed, as if that concrete cage were the softest down in the world. Yuki reached through the gaps in the rebar and touched his face. His skin was going cold. _He's going into shock,_ Yuki told herself. The explosion and dust had dried the air out, so with no moisture in the environment to pull from, Yuki tapped into her own stores of chakra to free him. Her hair turned white. She wrapped her hands around the rebar and tugged hard. It crystallized at the touch and snapped away like dry twigs. Next, she encased one of the concrete slabs in ice, carefully avoiding anywhere it touched Kakashi's body, and tugged it away in one solid piece. Having lost one of its walls, the whole structure began to collapse. As quickly as it had come, the Yukionna subsided and Yuki leapt forward to pull Kakashi clear of the wreck. She wrapped her arms around him and instantly knew the truth. Yukihana had handled enough corpses to know dead weight, the feeling of a stiffening body in her hands.

Gently, the way she would have with a baby, she laid Kakashi down. _There's still a chance,_ she lied to herself. Yuki touched his neck, holding her fingers against his blood caked skin, praying to feel a beat. With her other hand, she dropped the temperature just above his face so low even the ghost of a breath would fog it. There was nothing. The profound sense of loss Yukihana had spent the last year beating back kicked down the flimsy barrier, the walls Kakashi had helped her prop up, completely submerging her in despair. There was a small part of her that was at peace with the loss. The detached priestess she had been raised to become told her that her daughter had been spared, so cosmically it had to come at a cost. As Yuki ran her fingers through Kakashi's hair, so grimy it was more gray than its usual shining silver, she couldn't give a damn about balance.

In some ways this was far worse than losing her husband. Yuki had been lucky enough to find out about his death after the fact, not like now where she had stumbled across Kakashi's body trussed up like a turkey. That was a separate trauma all its own but not the most offensive aspect of the event. With Seiichiro's death, the more Yuki learned about the man he had become, the less it seemed like her husband that had died and the more that it was some distant relative she owed a great debt. He was almost a stranger by the end of it. That loss felt like an old wound or an opportunity missed; a train she had never taken and was left wondering what could have been. This loss was being robbed at the point of a knife. Something pricelessly valuable, a thing that Yuki had worked and suffered to earn and had just purchased being violently torn away from her. The worst part was that Yuki was helpless to stop it. Yuki had managed to defy everything she encountered in her life: powerful shinobi, nature, time itself. But here was death, laughing in her face, reminding her that she was still mortal after all. Reminding her that she could be wounded, first by threatening her daughter and now taking away the man she had fallen in love with.

There was a battle off in the distance; Yuki could hear it faintly. Her instincts were still sharp despite her emotional distress. That wasn't of concern to her now. All Yuki could think about was how she would never hear his voice again. She would never get to play with him or to feel the exciting rush at his slightest touch. Before Yuki had met Kakashi, she had been completely isolated from the world. All her ties to the past had been severed, both in terms of the people she had known and being set adrift in a strange and unfamiliar time. It was in that painful and confusing void that Kakashi had simply stepped into her life as if he had always belonged there. Kakashi had rescued her like a stray dog and she was in love with him for it. _Shit, the dogs,_ she sniffled. _I'm going to have to find a way to break the news to them, unless somehow they already know._

Yuki knew she was being selfish as the tears fell, that she had been lucky to find two perfect men in one lifetime. How awful a person she was to be crying and feeling sorry for herself that she had a chance at happiness and lost it. Others would live and die without ever experiencing a drop of the joy she had felt. _Loss makes us all selfish,_ she thought. Yukihana was exhausted both physically and emotionally. The realization had struck Yuki that she would be sleeping by herself from now on, probably for the rest of her life. War blurred lines and made strange behavior acceptable, which was why Yuki didn't give it a second though when she laid down beside Kakashi. She draped an arm across his stomach and laid her head on his chest, pulling his arm up and around her shoulders. The gesture brought her only a small measure of comfort. It hadn't been the cadaver in her arms that had made her feel safe, it was the soul that used to be inside it.

There were other people that could be using her help. Every moment she was here people would be dying. Yuki figured she had helped enough to earn a break. She wasn't ready to let Kakashi go, to face a life twice as bleak as it had been before him. Besides, Yuki hated looking weak and while she was here with her face pressed to his chest, no one could see her cry.

…

The jounin at the entrance looked furious. Before he opened his mouth, Konohamaru already knew he was in for it.

"What are you doing here?!" He hissed.

Konohamaru gestured at Beki. "She took a hit on the head really hard. I didn't feel okay leaving her by herself."

The jounin looked Beki over. She was an imposing figure in her armor, but any physical intimidation she may usually have was overridden by the fact that a tween was leading her along.

"This location is a village secret, Konohamaru, and you brought a foreign shinobi here!" Before the guard finished speaking, Beki doubled over and threw up in a bush.

"You okay, Beki?" Konohamaru called over his shoulder.

"Yeah Dad, I'm fine," Beki's voice was casual. When she looked up at them, there was a foggy, faraway look in her eyes. "I said, I'm fine Dad. Just let the kid handle it."

The jounin gave Konohamaru an incredulous look. "You expect me to let her in acting like that?"

Konohamaru gave a sheepish smile. "I can always leave her out here with you."

The guard sighed and opened the secret entrance that led inside the Hokage monument. "It's on you, kid."

"Come on, Beki." Konohamaru pulled her along inside, pausing to let their eyes adjust to the dim lighting. The academy students had all been evacuated inside, their teachers standing protectively over them. They gave Konohamaru a cursory glance and then did a double take. "She hit her head really bad and I uh…" He looked at the kids, scared and confused. He opted not to mention that the hospital had been blown up. "This was the nearest safe place I could bring her."

There were a few frustrated groans but they left the pair alone. Konohamaru helped Beki down onto the earthen floor and sat down beside her. Beki had pulled her knees up, dropped her head between them, and draped her elbows over her knees. She was filthy, her body still coated in plaster and rubble. Somehow Beki didn't seem as big as she used to. Konohamaru had always thought of her the way kids always did about their heroes. Beki had been larger than life, always impossibly strong both physically and emotionally. He remembered when he was younger, how she had stood up to the older shinobi all by herself to protect him. The way their faces had changed at the sight of her, the fear she had stirred in killers, had seemed like the feat of a champion. Not to mention how just now Beki had picked Konohamaru up and tossed him like a sack of potatoes instead of trying to save herself. Looking at her now Beki was a girl. A normal girl that was neither incredibly strong or fearless, just an exceptionally good person.

Seeing Beki swallowed by the blast, the desperate fear clinging to his gut while he was looking for her, had brought things into perspective. When Konohamaru had found her and seen that she was pinned he was put in the same position as Beki. Except instead of saving Beki the way she had always saved him, Konohamaru wasn't strong enough. He had to go find someone else. Beki would have died if Yukihana hadn't literally run into him when she did. Sitting beside Beki, Konohamaru couldn't help but notice they were almost the same height now. He was almost as big as she was but Beki still had to protect him. The thought was almost enough to bring tears in his eyes but he swallowed them back. This just meant he needed to train harder and become a better shinobi. That way, next time, he would be the one saving her.

While he was wrapped in his thoughts, Beki had slowly lolled to the side. Konohamaru was pulled out of his planning by the feeling of her head dropping onto his shoulder. He looked down at her face, inches from his own, a flush coming into his cheeks. "Don't let me fall asleep," Beki slurred.

"Okay." Konohamaru adjusted so she wasn't crushing his arm. "Talk to me. I'll know if you drift off if you stop."

Beki closed her eyes and sighed. "Your grandpa was the Third Hokage, right?"

Konohamaru nodded. "Yeah. I want to be Hokage, too. After Naruto."

"You've got a good shot; elected or not, the job runs in the family in a lot of villages." Beki reached out and took Konohamaru's hand, laced her fingers through his, and gave it a squeeze. "You're a good kid, Konohamaru."

Konohamaru swallowed hard but didn't protest that her hand lingered in his. He gave a timid squeeze back.

"Well, future Hokage, you showed me a village secret so I should tell you one of Getsu's," Beki's voice was soft as she spoke, blending well with the low chatter of the academy students and teachers. "Well, at least, it's a secret from the town I was born in. There's a shrine there, to what it was originally dedicated no one knows for sure. An Old God, a tengu, a forest spirit...it's anyone's guess. A few hundred years ago, though, the head priestess and two others were killed defending the shrine, or a spirit, or a lost object. Again, the stories change. It's a place out of time, an ancient thing set way up deep in the mountains. The air is thin and it's no matter the season, it's bone-chilling cold there. The sky above is always gray unless a smoky gold haze sets in. The trees are thin and white like bones, the leaves are drops of scarlet blood on fresh fallen snow."

As she talked, her tone took on a soothing, storybook quality. The words were no longer her own, it was a recording surfacing from the back of her mind, and both of them were just along for the ride.

"No matter how bright it is outside, no matter how many candles you light, the inside of the shrine is dark. An eerie silence covers the place in a blanket, like a sick person is sleeping in the next room and nobody wants to wake them up. Ren and I used to run around and play in those empty rooms, the long echoing halls, the spooky, haunted-looking grounds. But there were places that neither of us played. No one told us not to go there, we could just feel it in our bones not to linger."

"One day, we were coming back from playing in the woods when we found a door set in the side of the mountain. It was old and weathered to the same white gray of the stone around it. We both looked at each other and knew we should run away. There was something about that door, though. So out of place in the middle of nowhere and none of the grownups had ever told us about it. Nothing is more enticing than a closed door to a kid. It isn't till you get older you learn to just leave some things shut tight."

"The door was locked, of course, a giant, complicated padlock and chain secured it. The lock was in surprisingly good shape considering how old it looked. We were ready to give up and head home, to hit the archives and look for an answer, but then Ren noticed the hinges. They were rusted out, brittle with age. We were kids but it only took a couple of hits with a big rock to break them off. Dad always made me carry a long knife on me, just in case, when we went out in the woods. I used it to pry the door open..."

Beki's voice trailed off and Konohamaru gave her a gentle shake. "What was inside, Beki?"

Beki blinked a few times and shook her head. She adjusted, sitting up a little more. "There was this blast of hot air. It whipped our hair around our faces and kicked up the leaves at our feet. It was black as pitch and smelled like Sulphur. Ren and I thought we found the entrance to hell."

Konohamaru swallowed uncomfortably. He was beginning to wonder how much of this story was true and how much was delirious imaginings.

"I wanted to run back. Something wasn't right in there and I knew it. Shrines...shrines sometimes have bad secrets, Konohamaru. They're holy places, right? Places you go to feel closer to God, to help the hurting and comfort the tormented. But sometimes they're there to seal something evil, to placate angry spirits, that sort of thing. Finding an old door in the woods the grownups never told us about and no one really knowing what the shrine was for in the first place...I thought there was a demon down there."

"So, did you run back?" Konohamaru asked. He wished she would take off her armor, or her pauldrons at least. It made it hard to get a good snuggle with Beki when she was wearing a stiff cage.

"No," Beki laughed uncomfortably. "I didn't say anything at the time but when we talked later Ren said the same thing had been happening to her. Something started pulling me forward, like I was wearing an invisible rope wrapped around my waist and someone started tugging on it. I stumbled into the darkness and it led down a steep incline, the stone hewn walls barely wide enough for us to go down side by side. It went on forever, and once the light from the door was gone Ren pulled out a lighter and flicked it on." Beki waved her hand in the air as if seeing it all again. "There were words carved in the walls, old tiny writings. They were too worn to read, too fine a hand for a person to have made with ancient tools. Again, we were weirded out but couldn't stop walking forward."

"After what seemed like forever, which since we were about nine was probably only a few minutes, the path opened up to a gaping void of space. The roof was so high it swallowed up the light. Things crunched under our feet as we walked, like tiny dried out bones or eggshells. We didn't dare look down to see what it was. Finally, we reached the other side of the cavern. Set into the walls were three alcoves, each one with a casket. The creepy thing about them was the caskets were made of glass, or a translucent stone. Each one was roped into the alcove by a garland of sealing tags. Ren and I could see the bodies in them."

"We stopped in the middle of the room and held each other's hands. But our feet dragged us closer. For a moment we thought they were statues because the bodies were so perfectly preserved. The first body was a woman bound in ropes and her face covered with bandages. In fact, she wasn't wearing any clothes in her coffin, just ropes everywhere. Her hair was black and hung down to her waist. Her nails were almost three inches long and filed to points. The second body was dressed but what was strange about her was she was suspended in liquid. Her black hair filled the whole container like a frame, so Ren and I could only make out some of her features. She was pale, and her lips were impossibly red, like she was still wearing lipstick. There was a rag gagging her, too."

"Then there was the last one…" Beki shuddered. "It was full of tar. You could smell it, like it was hot and fresh in there. Before we could get close to that one I started to feel sick. It was like a suddenly came down with a fever. My head swam, my heart was racing, and I broke out in a cold sweat. My legs gave out and I collapsed on the floor. The light from Ren's lighter gave out and I heard the thud of her hitting the ground, too."

Beki's voice dropped a little more. "Then the whispering started. It was like the tiny little flicker of light from Ren's lighter had been warding something off. The darkness swallowed us up, moved back into its domain, and went about its business. The voices were raspy, dry and old, just soft enough you couldn't make out what they were saying. I was trying as hard as I could to move, to do anything, but it was like my body had turned to lead. I called out Ren's name, tried to reach out to her. Without the light, she could have been anywhere in that void. The harder I struggled, the stronger the voices became."

"That's really creepy, Beki." Konohamaru interjected. He was pretty sure Beki was telling him a ghost story. Any second she was going to use some cliché line and try to spook him. Maybe he could steal her thunder and avoid the whole awkward situation.

"It wasn't just creepy, Konohamaru. It was like we were under a spell." Beki explained. "Have you ever been under a genjutsu? How you're trapped in a reality that isn't your own, you're forced to do things you don't want to do, or your body is under someone else's control? It's terrifying. I think… I think what Ren and I found were the real Three Maidens. For them to have that much power, that much presence even after death...it kind of makes me wonder. Why would the three families develop counter styles? Why, if the Maidens were good and just would they have been locked up in some forgotten cavern, covered with protective sealing wards like demons?" Beki's eyes got a faraway look and she grimaced. "Were they even dead when they put them in there? Were they even dead when we found them?"

"Maybe it wasn't the Three Maidens. Maybe it was three bad people. Why else would they lock them up like that?" Konohamaru answered.

Beki shook her head. "I don't know. Every so often I have nightmares about that day. I don't even know what happened after I collapsed. I stayed conscious for a little while, I think, but then after that Ren and I woke up in the shrine. My dad said he had found us out in the woods, babbling to ourselves. Our fevers didn't break for three days. It creeped my dad out because we wouldn't stop talking about 'mother'."

Konohamaru screwed up his face. "How is that creepy?"

"Ren's mom died in childbirth. By that point, my mother had been dead to me for four years. Ren talking about her mother, a woman she never met and no one around her had ever really knew, was strange by itself. As for me, I never called my parents 'mother' and 'father'. They were 'mama' and 'papa'." Beki shook her head. "It probably sounds stupid from the outside but just talking about it raises my bile."

"Did you ever go look for that place again?" Konohamaru was looking to debunk the story. It sounded to him like the two girls had just gotten sick and hallucinated the whole thing. He had been sure he'd seen monsters in his room when he was sick as a kid.

Beki bit her lip and paused, as if fighting with herself on how to respond. After a moment, she exhaled. "Yes. I went back. I've literally never told anyone this Konohamaru, but you have to believe me. All the stuff Ren and I had on us that day, my knife, Ren's bow- we must have left it behind. I really liked that knife and Ren's bow was an heirloom, so a few summers later I worked up the guts to go back. I thought we were just kids and it was all in our imagination. When I found the door again, there were brand new hinges on it and protective seals across the seams between the door and the rock. As I got closer to check it out, I started to hear the whispering again. I was twelve and healthy. I had gotten plenty of sleep, eaten a good breakfast, and had a nice hot cup of caffeinated tea before I went out. It wasn't the whispering of the trees, it was voices, and the closer I got the louder they grew. Right in front of the door, the voices fell absolutely silent. That pull was there again, whatever that power was took over for a moment and I was doing everything I possibly could to get that door open. I beat on the lock, the hinges, tried to pry it open. It made me desperately want to get in there. After a few minutes, my hands were scraped and bloody enough that the pain snapped me out of it. Once I realized what was happening, it scared the crap out of me but I didn't want to let whatever it was know I was afraid. There's really wicked stuff in the world that feeds of people's fear."

A lull had fallen in the conversation from the academy students, their silence punctuating Beki's story. "As I turned and walked away, I felt like something was standing right behind me. The hair on my neck stood up, I could feel someone breathing on me. Then this horrible, raspy voice, right in my ear whispers my name. My real name, which I never use. Before I could even turn around my hair had turned black. There was nothing there, Konohamaru. No footprints behind me, no rustle of the underbrush, but my body reacts to danger on its own. Whatever that thing was, it was evil enough that my body was ready to fight or flee." Beki shook her head and fell silent. Konohamaru was surprised. There was no punchline, no cheap scare to startle him. He had been convinced that this was her big sister way to try to distract him. Beki was exactly the kind of person to tell a kid a scary story to keep his mind off the situation outside. The longer the silence stretched, the surer Konohamaru became that Beki had been telling the truth. That realization raised more questions than it answered. Soon the quiet and the darkness of the cavern became oppressive and he had to speak to chase away some of the anxiety.

"What...what are you trying to tell me, Beki?" Konohamaru asked.

Beki shook her head. "I guess the moral of the story is…" She thought for a moment before continuing. "Konoha is young. Most of the big villages are young. When you're out there in the world, Konohamaru, you're going to find places that are old. Old places have secrets that died and were buried there. I guess I'm trying to tell you not to go digging them up."

...

Yuki had no idea how much time had passed. It could have been hours, days, years. It was like being in the ice again; the whole world around her was blurry and sounded like was underwater. The arm she was laying on had gone numb and so had her mind. That's why when she adjusted and the body let out a small wheeze, Yuki dismissed it. She had also been against Kakashi's corpse so long that her body heat was raising his temperature. There was a small movement above her and Yuki figured that his head had rolled to the side because of the uneven terrain. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her name.

"Yuki?" The word was slurred but the voice was distinct. She leapt up, convinced she was hearing things, but her gaze was met by Kakashi's. He had raised his head and was blinking confusedly. "How long was I out?"

Yuki slid closer and took his face in her hands, convinced she was hallucinating. She raised Kakashi's chin, his bright clear eyes searching hers. "How much of all that did I imagine? I was fighting this redheaded Akatsuki member. Maybe I just hit my head really hard and-."

"You were dead." The words came out raspy and flat, her tone matter of fact, even though Yuki was so overwhelmed with emotion she thought she would faint. Perhaps all the sobbing had worn out her throat.

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm sure it looked bad and you were in distress, but I was knocked out and maybe on the _brink_ of death for a little while there."

"Kakashi, one of my duties as a priestess was performing final rites for the dead and dying. I know how to check vitals. You had no pulse, you weren't breathing, and your body was going cold." Yuki scowled.

"If that's true, then I didn't imagine the conversation with my dad in purgatory." Kakashi sat up further, wincing. "I feel like I was hit by a train." He looked up at Yuki for a reply only to see the flash of her arms as the wrapped around the back of his head and slammed it down onto her shoulder. She embraced him nearly to the point of causing physical pain. Kakashi mustered his strength and reached up, holding the back of her head as she shook.

"If you _ever_ scare me like that again, I'm going to break your legs," Yuki's threat lost most of its umph through her tears.

"Yuki," Kakashi pat her back. "I'm sorry if I-"

"Starting with your toes, one by one, then both of your lower leg bones, then your thigh bone. And if you don't learn your lesson, I'm going to do the same thing with your arms, starting with the fingers and working my way up so you're a complete vegetable." Yuki sniffled.

"That's harsh, Yuki." Kakashi chuckled weakly, which turned into a rasping coughing fit. "I may need medical attention." Yuki squeezed him harder. "Okay, okay. We can stay here for a bit. You are going to have to let go of me eventually, though. Yuki?"

She said nothing. Yuki was too busy crying soundlessly, giving a prayer of thanks that despite the impossible somehow she had cheated death of its prize. Anything was possible for her, nothing was out of reach. Not even happiness.

"Are we safe? Did we win?" Kakashi tried to turn to look around but she snapped his face back in place. He let out a frustrated sigh and pulled her into his lap. "I guess it doesn't matter. I don't think I would have anything left if we were attacked, anyway."

"If he isn't dead already," Yuki's head had leveled, and the crying had finally subsided. Having run out of emotions like joy and grief, Yuki was left with stone cold, single minded determination. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to freeze him slowly, from the bottom up, so he can feel his cells screaming as they die. Then I'm going to shatter him into a billion pieces so he blows away in the wind like the trash he is."

"Okay, Yuki," Kakashi found the strength to wrap his arms around her, half restraint and half embrace. "Let's just stay here then."

Yuki looked up at him, the trauma forcing her to write every detail about him into her memory, just in case. "You're creeping me out with all this staring. And the physical affection." Kakashi ruffled her hair. "It's like you save everything up and dump it all out at once instead of spreading it around like a normal person." She reached up to his face and went to take down the mask. Kakashi reached up and stopped her hand. "What? Worried my beauty was marred?"

"No, moron, I wanted to kiss you." Yuki redoubled her effort but Kakashi resisted as she tugged it down to his chin.

"Yuki, my mouth is full of dried blood," He paused and tasted his mouth consciously. "And maybe a little vomit."

Yuki kissed him long and hard on the mouth, grateful to have another chance. She pulled away with a sour expression and he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Yeah. There was definitely vomit."

"The blood you didn't mind?" Kakashi chuckled.

"Blood is fine. It tastes like iron. Vomit is way grosser." Yuki pulled his mask back up and settled against him, as if they were about to watch some fireworks or a spectacular sunset.

"I don't want to hear about what's gross from a woman who just kissed a 'dead' man." Kakashi pet her affectionately. "Don't think I didn't notice how I woke up. What else did you do to me while I was vulnerable?"

"You'll probably be a father in about nine months." Yuki said humorlessly but her grin gave her away.

"You would assault my unconscious body, you creep." Kakashi kissed the top of her head. "My creep."


	97. Aftermath

Once the danger had passed, jounin came filtering into the shelter and let everyone know they were clear to come out. Konohamaru took Beki's hand and helped her keep her footing as the pair stumbled outside, blinking into the light.

"Okay Beki nee san, let's go find you a doctor," Konohamaru started to tug her hand in the direction all the other injured people were heading. At her resistance, he glanced up at her with dark blue eyes clouded in confusion.

"Pumpkin, I'm okay." Beki chuckled. "I just bonked my head a little bit. It's nothing I haven't done before and the doctors have a lot more to worry about than mild concussions right now."

Konohamaru paused, struggling with himself. She was right but at the same time he wanted to make sure she was okay. While he battled internally, Beki leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. That caught Konohamaru's attention. He snapped out of his thoughts and a flush burned at his cheeks and the top of his ears. "Nee san!"

"You took good care of me today." Beki grinned only slightly down at him. "I owe you one for getting me out of that building and for keeping me awake."

Konohamaru shrugged. "I didn't really do much. Your mom did all the heavy lifting."

Beki chucked his chin. Her hands were rough from the leftover debris and Konohamaru felt her leave a trail of grime near his adam's apple. "If you hadn't found her I would have died. Knowing you aren't the guy for the job and getting the guy who is, that's a life skill, Konohamaru. Do you think I felt bad when my mom told me I would be useless out here? I am the absolute worst at medical ninjutsu. I would get in the way and cause more harm. But, if let's say there were some skulls to crack, then the medics would come running to get me." Beki cocked her head and frowned a little, leaving trails in the plaster on her face. "Except Sakura. I don't think she would need anyone's help in the skull-cracking category. But that's beside the point. You saved my life today, Konohamaru. I don't forget debts easily. You need to get home to your mom now because she's probably worried sick. In the meantime, I want you to think of something I can do for you to say 'thanks'."

Konohamaru immediately thought about asking for a kiss but stopped himself before he spoke. Beki gave those out all the time, plus it wouldn't be very good right now. If he was going to ask for a kiss, he would want one on the lips and hers were covered in brick dust. He needed to ask for something else, something better than a kiss. He gave her a confident nod. "Okay, nee san. Are you sure you can get home okay?" Beki looked more lucid than before but there was still a distance to her gaze that raised some concern.

"Yeah," Beki waved dismissively, releasing a small cloud of powder from her hand. "I'll be fine."

Konohamaru nodded and took off towards home. To his surprise, people were already starting to clean up. The other thing he noticed was that everyone seemed pretty okay. There were people receiving medical attention all over the place, but Konohamaru didn't see a single dead body. Considering how bad today could have gone everything turned out well in the end. Buildings would need to be rebuilt and all that. The people of the Leaf really didn't seem to care. As far as Konohamaru could tell, most people just looked annoyed by the situation. He laughed to himself. Maybe that's what everybody meant when they talked about the Will of Fire. Leaflings didn't get sad, they just got angry.

…

It took Beki much longer than usual to get home. Between the streets being closed off and her memory failing her a few times, it was after nightfall when Beki finally reached Hinata's house. The lights were on downstairs which helped Beki get her key in the door. When she stepped inside, Beki saw Naruto and Hinata facing each other on the couch, complicated expressions etched into their faces. Naruto looked a combination of angry and relieved while Hinata's expression was both guilty and happy.

"Good, you guys made it out okay." Beki smiled as she undressed by the door, leaving her filthy armor outside to clean in the morning. For once Beki had worn some clothes under the armor, for which she was grateful. A conversation was coming and Beki wouldn't have to be naked for the most of it.

"Are you okay, Beki?" Naruto asked. His voice lacked its usual vigor. Naruto was drained of color, his posture slumped and his eyes heavy.

"I'm alright," Beki shrugged. "Minor concussion, nothing to worry about. What about you two?"

"Well, _someone_ ," Naruto cast an irritated glance at Hinata. "Almost got themselves _killed._ "

Hinata bowed her head, a slight flush coming into her cheeks. Beki turned her attention on Hinata, putting her hands on her hips. "What did you do, Hina chan?"

"It might have been a little foolish," Hinata admitted. "I was just trying to protect Naruto from Pain."

"And got herself stabbed!" Naruto stuck out his bottom lip. Beki's eyes widened in fear but Hinata shook her head.

"Sakura found me and fixed me right up." Hinata laughed softly and raised her arms to prove she was fit. "Good as new. Besides, how about someone going full Tailed-beast mode and single handedly taking down someone the whole village couldn't? "

Beki furrowed her brow. "Tailed-beast mode?"

Naruto scratched his head. "You didn't see me out there? The giant orange fox-shaped ball of rage in the sky?"

Beki shook her head. "No. Konohamaru took me to some underground hideout. I don't exactly remember where it was but all the kids were in there."

Naruto sputtered. "Now you know about our secret hideout! Is nothing in this village sacred?!"

Hinata gave Beki a deadpan stare. "We have to kill you now."

Beki rolled her eyes. "So about the beast mode, is that like when the nine tails takes over and you become the fox?"

Naruto shrugged. "Basically."

"Then I'm glad I was locked up. That tailed beast stuff is a little too scary for me." Beki recalled her run in with the One Tail. She hated to admit it but it would be easy for a person to imagine a quiet loner like Gaara losing it and turning into a monster. Beki imagined Naruto going into giant murder monster mode would be much more terrifying. Hinata nudged Naruto with her foot, her lavender eyes dancing with pride.

"Then he talked the man behind it into bringing everyone back," Hinata explained.

Beki screwed up her face. "What are you talking about?"

"All the people who died," Naruto explained. "Nagato resurrected them. Everyone who Pain killed within a certain time window was resurrected."

"That's...insane. You're telling me one shinobi had the power to bring back, what, I don't know, lowball it at fifty people in the blink of an eye?" Beki wrinkled her nose.

"Nail on the head, Beki, with the eye comment. He did it with some new kind of ocular jutsu no one's heard of before." Naruto was slowly sinking into the couch. "I mean, the window didn't cover Pervy Sage, but I'm glad everyone else was able to come back."

"Sorry, Naruto. Thanks for saving everyone's bacon." Beki gave a weak smile. An exhausted silence fell over the room, and after a moment Beki shook her head and headed for the stairs. "It sounds like you two are working it out okay. If you don't mind, I'm going to go wash the plaster out of my hair."

"Goodnight," Naruto and Hinata said in unison.

As Beki headed upstairs and into her room, she heard the pair's soft voices. She smiled to herself. It was kind of fun seeing Hinata in trouble for once. Beki didn't like that her friend had almost died but it was good to know the girl had a backbone when she needed one. Her clothes were probably trash, which unfortunately was something Beki was used to. Her shirt, bra, and underwear had been soaked with sweat, mixed with dirt and plaster dust, and then dried. The garments felt thick and hard, like they had been permanently set that way. She plugged the sink, filled it with hot water, and then set the clothes to soak. Afterwards, she turned on the shower and waited until it was steaming before Beki climbed in. The hot water felt like heaven. Dirty spirals of gray and black swirled down the drain at her feet. Slowly, Beki's skin emerged from its powdery casing. Her body now washed, Beki set about tackling the bigger issue. Her hair. Beki had to grab a wide toothed comb and work out the tangles and hunks of building still clinging to it before she could even wash her hair. Once that meticulous process began, Beki was left thinking about how much she wished Neji were home. Konohamaru had done the best job taking care of her that he could, but he was a kid. Now that everything was over, Beki would have liked getting to sit down and talk about it with another adult. Normally she would have gone to Hinata but judging by the sounds coming down the hall, her and Naruto were doing important "relationship building" right now.

It had been so nice seeing Neji smile again. Beki hadn't realized how much she missed his arms and how safe he made her feel. Her mind slipped back to when she had eaten curry with Team Gai. Neji had gotten this angry look on his face when Beki defied him and ordered her curry hot amidst cheers of praise from Gai and Lee. Then, she remembered Neji's crestfallen look when Beki didn't instantly get taken out at the knees by the hot curry the way he apparently did. Beki laughed aloud in the shower at the sulky faces he had made. The smile lingered while she recalled how Neji had ultimately been right, that the curry had taken its revenge later and locked up Beki's stomach on the hike back in intense intestinal discomfort. Once they had arrived in Konoha, even though he had said he wouldn't, Neji carried Beki in full armor back to the Hyuga compound. Neji had lectured her the whole way back but Beki loved it. It was nice having him talking to her again, even if that mean he was yelling at her most of the time. 

As Beki got out of the shower and toweled off, her heart all aflutter, a small voice tugged at her. _You've felt this way before._ She paused and considered the message. Slowly, like turning on a tap, Beki recalled how she had felt about Gaara when they first started seeing each other. How she hung on his every word and worried incessantly about what he thought about her; every smile and joke had been more precious than gold. When Gaara was gone, Beki had longed for him so much her bones ached. Now she was starting to feel that way about Neji. Was it because they had been so close and then he had pulled away? Or was it because when everything happened with her father Neji had become like family?

It was with these troubled thoughts Beki went to bed, trying to sort out the complicated and unclear web of her emotions.

...

"For the last time, woman, I'm fine," Kakashi swatted Yuki away as he awkwardly sat down at the table in his kitchen. "I'm still not sure how you talked your way in here."

"You heard Shizune," Yuki pouted at the rejection and headed for the refrigerator. "You actually died and came back. The same thing happened to her and a bunch of other people during the attack. You were all revived with some kind of obscure ninjutsu."

"You were right, is that what you want to hear?" Kakashi leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. The initial discomfort he felt when he first woke up had spiraled into all out agony in every cell of his body. The idea that he had died and come back to life seemed much more believable now that even his toenails were complaining. Yuki was busily pulling out vegetables and chicken from the fridge. "I thought you said you didn't know how to cook?" Kakashi stole a glance at her, his eyelids screaming at the exertion. "Is this going to be as bad as that time you tried to make toast?"

Yuki ignored the comment. It wasn't that bad; only the toaster was ruined. They didn't even have to call the fire department. "You're in for a rare treat," Yukihana said as she pulled a few cans from the cupboard. "It's true that generally I can't cook to save my life. I did learn how to make soup, though. The anti-inflammatory properties would do you a lot of good right now."

"The medics pumped me full of pain meds and soldier pills, Yuki. I don't need chicken soup." Kakashi sighed. He didn't want to be rude but what the man really wanted was to lay down in bed and try to sleep off as much of the pain as he could. "Why are you so clingy today, anyway? You usually kick me to the curb as soon as you're done with me."

Yuki shot him an impatient look. "I told you already. You died and it scared the crap out of me."

"Why do you even care, Yuki?" Kakashi adjusted and his shoulder let out a sickening pop. Yuki paused, her knife hovering over celery she was about to sacrifice to the pot. It was obvious what her reason was but she did want to say it. The two of them had only been dating officially for about a month. Even if it were true, Yuki would feel awkward admitting to Kakashi that she loved him. It would make her sound desperate and fragile. Truth be told, even if they had been dating for a year it would be hard for her to say it. Yuki hardly even told her own daughter those three words. So, instead of manning up and putting herself out there, risking vulnerability after she'd had to expose so much that day, Yuki opted for the safe option.

"I care about you, stupid." Yuki looked around. "And as far as I can tell, you don't have anyone to take care of you. No parents, no siblings, no close friends other than Gai. One of your students ran away and the other two are so wrapped up in their own lives, you could have died today and they wouldn't figure it out for a week."

Kakashi winced. "Your bedside manner is legendary, Yuki. Why don't you just hand me that knife while you're at it."

"Don't be a drama queen," Yuki scoffed as she cooked the diced chicken in a pan.

"On top of my body feeling like I'll be crippled for life, you're gently reminding me I'm alone in the world and nobody cares about me," Kakashi laughed, which descended into a fit of coughing that sent knives stabbing through his torso. "Please just kill me now."

"Shh," Yuki had simultaneously been boiling a kettle as she cooked. She fished through his cabinets til she found a mug and kept looking until she found a box of tea. "Wow. Are you just cheap or do you like this trash?"

"You know I'm not home often, right?" Kakashi asked.

"I'll take that as 'you like this crap'." Yuki poured the boiled water over the teabag and watched the clock as it steeped.

"Says the woman who just now starting putting pictures up in her apartment when she's lived in it over a year," Kakashi scoffed. "Despite how often she talks about how well off she is."

"Hey, I had no idea I was going to get stuck in this crap hole." Yuki spat. "I came here to murder some guys and maybe pull my daughter out. You don't have an excuse. I'm guessing this is the house you grew up in and you have contact paper in your drawers older than you are."

"Crap hole?" Kakashi laughed. "I've been to Getsugakure, Yuki, and if you're using that as a comparison you don't have much of a leg to stand on."

"Well, I know back where I come from, we don't have angry terrorists flying in out of nowhere and blowing everything up." Yuki pulled out the tea bag and trashed it before setting the steaming mug in front of him.

Kakashi shrugged. "I'll give you that."

"And we have beaches." Yuki shook her head as she went back to work on the soup. "Here it's like, 'Look! Trees! Oh, more trees! Look at this beautiful, wide variety of...wait, no it's all pines. Sorry, no species diversity here. Hope you like pine trees a whole lot."

Kakashi laughed. "Well I'm sorry you're stuck here in the biggest crap hole ninja village in the world."

"No." Yuki said curtly. "That would be Suna."

Kakashi shook his head and pulled down his mask to obediently begin sipping on his tea. "That soup is starting to smell good."

"I can hear your stomach growling from here." Yuki smiled. "If you aren't feeling well enough to eat all of it, just sip on the broth."

"I think I can handle some chicken and soggy veggies." Kakashi sighed. "I haven't been this beat up in a while."

"You died. How often are you beaten that bad?" Yuki cocked an eyebrow.

Kakashi laughed uncomfortably. "More often than you think."

A comfortable silence fell between the two as Yuki became absorbed in her cooking and Kakashi carefully consumed his tea. At last, the soup was finished and Yuki served them both. "I could only find one bowl so I'll eat mine in this cup, I guess." Yuki shrugged.

"I'm a bachelor and like I said, I'm not home much. I don't have extra dishes for entertaining." Kakashi explained.

Yuki blinked. "But didn't your family all live here?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I think I packed up the extra in the attic somewhere."

"In case you suddenly made friends?" Yuki laughed.

Kakashi raised an exhausted pair of eyes to meet hers. "Again with the going for my gut, Yuki. I don't think I can deal with much more of you pointing out how sad and pathetic I am."

Yuki sighed. "I'm just lashing out at you because I'm furious you died."

"Maybe you could lash out at me later and be nice now?" Kakashi suggested.

"I made you soup didn't I?" Yuki looked at him. "You get soup or sex. Those two things are my way of being 'nice'."

Kakashi sighed. "God help me then. I think I would die for real if you tried option two."

Yuki shrugged and gave him a wry smile. "Wouldn't be a bad way to go, though, would it?"

After they'd finished eating and Yuki cleaned up, Kakashi made his way to the stairs. He struggled to get past the first step and sighed with resignation. Yuki was standing behind him, arms folded expectantly. "Okay Yuki. You win. Could you help me, please?" Yuki stepped forward, wrapped an arm around his back and put one of his over her shoulder. The two made the climb slowly, carefully, needing to pause for a few breaks. Once they finally reached his bedroom, Kakashi stumbled forward and collapsed face first onto the bed. "You can just leave me here." He heard the soft rustling sounds of Yuki undressing and turned his head. "Yuki, I don't want to disappoint you but I don't think I could perform right now."

Yuki sighed with frustration. "I'm staying with you tonight." Down to her soft white lace bra and underwear, Yuki started to strip off his clothes.

"Are you going to assault me again?" Kakashi asked as she rolled him over to pull off his pants.

"Could you just trust me for like, five seconds?" Yuki groaned with frustration, waving his pants. Taking off Kakashi's shirt was excruciating. It set fire from his neck down to his fingertips and all over his chest and back. Yuki ignored the soft sounds of pain that escaped his lips, leaving him in just his underwear. He watched her with concern at that point, but instead of mounting him Yuki rolled him onto his side. She pressed up against him and pulled the covers over them both. "Your back really hurts?" Yuki asked.

"Everything hurts-" Kakashi began but stopped when he felt the soothing sensation of ice pressed against his aching back. It wasn't the way direct contact with ice burned and clung to the skin. It was soft and formed perfectly against his body. "That helps a lot."

"Just try to fall asleep." Yuki adjusted. Kakashi's bed was small, barely fitting the two of them as they spooned. It was narrow enough that Kakashi only had one pillow, which Yuki struggled to share. "I'll ice you for ten minutes at a time. If you want, you can roll over in a bit and I'll do the other side."

To her surprise, Kakashi rolled over as soon as she finished speaking and put his arms around her, pulling her to his chest. Their legs intertwined, Kakashi buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes. Within seconds the exhaustion claimed him. Yuki kept her promise, cooling his sore muscles on and off until sleep eventually claimed her, too.


	98. Apology Sundae

**Hey all, here's the next chapter. Thank you for the feedback! Its been really helpful for these last few chapters. Just as a heads up, I stopped watching the Naruto anime a loooong time ago because of the filler arcs (it was during that massive like, 300 episode stint where the show should have been called Sasuke). I read the manga from then on, which was much more cut and dry. There are things that happened in filler arcs that never happened in the manga. Feel free to bring stuff up when you PM or review, (I go look it up after you tell me about it) but I just wanted to let you guys know why there might be some gaps between my story and the anime canon. I do my best as I'm developing chapters with a definitive canon like the Pain battle (some of the stuff I write doesn't make it into chapters. I was going to do this whole thing with Kakashi's hounds. There was this hole I fell into trying to figure out technical stuff about them, like where they lived when they weren't with him and so on. I might have called Tallman on my lunch break to try to get some answers. The canon doesn't have much to say on the matter, btw. So that's why Yuki didn't end up meeting the hounds a few chapters ago). When it comes to the filler arcs though, I don't think to look for them because I don't know what's happened in them. If there's a filler arc you would really like to see mentioned/included in here and it could fit in with the present timeline, let me know. I'll try to work it in. For example, someone mentioned Neji saved Gaara during the second chunin exams and that's how he became a jounin. That could be a really relevant topic of conversation in the story! Just as a heads up, though, we're coming up fast on the five kage summit. So if you have any ideas, get your suggestions in fast. XO, ponchoninjax3**

* * *

The knock at the door early in the morning was a surprise, even more so when Hinata opened the door to find Neji outside. It had seemed like an eternity since the last time he had come by. Hinata noticed he looked just as shocked by his sudden appearance as they were.

"Good morning, Lady Hinata," Neji glanced around her at Naruto and Beki. The pair were sitting at the kitchen table, elbow deep in Hinata's pancakes. Neji could smell the syrup and peanut butter on Naruto's, and a hunk of Beki's blueberry pancakes hovered on the fork in front of her mouth. The whole group looked like they had a late morning. Both the girls had bird's nests for hair and rumpled nightgowns. Beki was sickly looking as always and Naruto had bags under his eyes. For a moment, Neji considered apologizing for interrupting and leaving. Hinata seemed to read his thoughts and stood aside expectantly for him to enter.

"Good morning, Neji," Hinata said as she closed the door. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Yes, I have, thank you." Neji cursed himself for sounding so awkward. This was Hinata's house. He had walked through that door into this kitchen a hundreds of times. They were family and he was acting like a stranger. He attempted a joke to ease the tension. "I see you still aren't winning any beauty contests first thing in the morning, Beki."

Beki shrugged and took a deep drag on her coffee. Neji didn't catch it, but Hinata glimpsed how Beki winced ever so slightly at his words. She recovered well: "We know you could beat me in a beauty contest any day, Neji. Your title is safe."

"Would you like coffee, at least?" Hinata hovered between the table and the coffeemaker, ready to either play hostess or homemaker based on his response.

Neji shook his head. "Thank you again, but really I'm fine."

Hinata nodded and took her seat beside Naruto. He reached up without looking and affectionately rubbed her back as Hinata poured syrup over her pancakes. The three were all tentatively continuing their breakfast, an expectant silence hanging over the room. None of them were staring at Neji but he knew that he was the person expected to fill the vacuum.

"Well, I came by because I was going into town and I wondered if you wanted to come along, Beki?" Neji struggled to finish the question. He could feel his throat tightening as she spoke and Neji prayed he was the only one who could hear it. Again, Neji's foolish behavior was glaring him in the face. Beki had come into town with him hundred of times, often with less ceremony than this. Yet, here he was, baring his soul, a child with his arms outstretched and not sure if his mother still loved him enough to pick him up.

Beki put down her fork and looked at Hinata. Her eyes slowly widened and she swallowed hard. Hinata gave her an almost imperceptible shrug and brushed some escaped hair over her shoulder to save it from a syrup bath. Beki blinked a few times and cleared her throat as she folded up her napkin. "Yeah, I guess I could go. I don't have any other plans."

It took all Neji's discipline to suppress a sigh of relief. "Okay. I'll wait here while you go change."

Beki rose from the table and put her dishes in the sink. Her movements were slow and deliberate, as if she didn't trust herself not to stumble. She went up the stairs and the silence following her until she closed the door to her bedroom.

Neji could feel Hinata's eyes on him but dared not to look. He laughed nervously and kept his eyes on the tile.

"Can you guys like, I don't know, dial it down a little bit?" Naruto's voice was unexpected and caught both the Hyuga's attention. "I haven't woken up all the way yet and you're making my head feel like it's going to pop."

Hinata leaned over and kissed his temple. "Okay, honey." Hinata rested her chin on her hand and turned her lavender eyes on Neji. "So, why are you taking Beki out suddenly?"

Neji played with a loose string at the end of his sleeve. "I just had some errands to run. Beki runs errands with me all the time."

Hinata shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. I'm going to need you to do better than that."

Neji cast her a quick nervous look. "I…" The lie died on his lips. Neji knew it was fruitless, that Hinata knew him too well to buy the bullcrap he was selling himself. It was healthier to come clean for both of their sakes. "I missed her. I thought I could stay away but I can't."

Hinata activated the Byakugan and almost immediately switched it off. "We still have time. She's trying hard not to make it look like she's trying."

Naruto had quietly finished his breakfast. He took his and Hinata's plates and headed over to the sink, his face still heavy with sleep as he began to wash them. The sound of the plates clinking and the running water helped to sooth the still tense atmosphere. Hinata gave a sigh and adjusted in her seat. "Are you going to tell her what you just told me?"

Neji shrugged. "I don't know, Lady Hinata. I didn't think I was going to make it to your door this morning."

"Just be ready." Hinata folded her arms on the table. "Beki is going to want to know why you avoided her for months."

"I'm going to try to just get everything back to normal-" Neji began but Hinata shook her head and interrupted him:

"That isn't good enough Neji. You broke something and now you're trying to go back and pretend it never happened. Things are never going to be the same again, no matter how slow and carefully you move. You have to make a new normal with her. The burden of this is on you to figure out what that new normal is going to be."

The door opening upstairs drew both of their attention.

…

Beki had debated with herself for some time over whether she should wear her armor. Even though Beki had been desperate for this to happen, for Neji to be part of her life again, she was afraid. Hinata was the best friend Beki had ever had; she was a sister to her. When Naruto came home, unfortunately, that meant a lot of the love and support Beki had been depending on was directed elsewhere. Then Seiichiro died and Neji stepped up to the plate. He had comforted her, protected her, and reached in and pulled her out of her shell back into the real world. Neji was always there when she needed him. He was safety and stability, and then one day he was gone, like a pair of training wheels falling off her bike when she was going down a steep hill at top speed. She hadn't crashed and was now debating whether she should put the trainers back on or not. Beki wasn't sure if she was completely okay without Neji's support but at the same time was nervous about trusting him again. It was getting harder as Beki's situation developed for her to let people in. It was a one way gate and Neji was a cat scratching to be let back in. The armor was a physical manifestation of her internal walls, a way to block out incoming attacks. It was something Beki could depend on to have her back even when she was alone in the world, a way she could get by without relying on anyone. Beki reached out and took ahold of the chest piece. As she raised it off the stand, Beki remembered the first time he took her out after her father died. She had no control over the Burned Maiden and felt like the whole world was against her. Beki was having a panic attack and Neji had pulled her off the road and held her tight, risking being burned to ash to calm her down. Beki put down the chest piece, went to her closet, and put on a pair of black leggings with mesh panels and an oversized baby blue t shirt. After a quick run through with a brush, Beki headed down the stairs as she braided her hair.

"I'm ready."

Neji held the door open and waited for Beki as she slipped on her boots. Once the door had closed behind them, Naruto let out a sigh. "You know, they don't get along so well considering they're friends."

"I think the problem is they don't know what they are anymore." Hinata shook her head, slowly sinking down until her head was between her folded arms on the table. "Its exhausting. I just want everyone to get along."

Naruto blinked. "Is it wrong if even though I just got up and had breakfast I feel like I need a nap?"

Hinata shook her head. "Let's go upstairs. A nap sounds exactly like what I need right now.

…

The pair walked for some time in silence, through the gates and out towards Konoha proper without a word between them. Beki folded her arms self-consciously, feeling vulnerable without the protection of her armor. Neji glanced over and misinterpreted the motion. He wordlessly wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. Beki didn't shrug it off, surprising herself. She was hurt, Beki knew that. That would normally cause her to lash out and reject the contact. For some reason, though, the weight of Neji's arm across her shoulders was comforting. The contact slowed her heart rate and steadied her breathing. Slowly, reluctantly, Beki nestled into the crook of his arm and rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"Is there anywhere you need to go today? Anything you need to pick up?" Neji asked, pursuing the most natural course of conversation.

"Why were you avoiding me?" Beki's voice was flat and emotionless, a complete opposite of what her body language was conveying.

Hinata's words came back to haunt Neji. There was no pretending and no avoiding it; what was broken had to be fixed. Neji dropped his pace until they were moving at a crawl and sorted through his options, what to say and how to say it. Before he could speak, Beki took another turn.

"What did I do, Neji?" Beki's voice cracked and she swallowed hard, fighting back against all the emotions welling up inside her. "I can't tell you how many nights I spent trying to figure out what I did or what I said to make you hate me-"

"I don't!" Neji began, a little too forcefully. Beki jumped at his outburst and started to pull away in surprise. Neji grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her tight. "I don't hate you, Beki. I…I don't have much. I'm a part of a clan but I don't have a family. I have my team and my sensei, but other than that my circle of friendships is tiny. Since you came to Konoha, Beki, you've sort of become all those things. You're my friend. You're my family. And you're going to leave one day and never come back."

"What are you-" Beki started but Neji buried his face in her neck.

"You're an ambassador. You have friends, a home, responsibilities back in Getsu. It's all just sitting there waiting for you to return. Everyday there is less reason for you to be here," Neji explained. "I guess with your teammates coming to visit it dawned on me: I'm going to lose you. By avoiding you I was trying to protect myself."

Beki closed her eyes. "It's all true. I'm ambassador to Konoha now but I could be called back anytime. So why start talking to me again if it's going to hurt you so much if I leave?"

Neji shrugged. "I realized it was stupid. If I wanted to be around you and you were still here but I was avoiding you to make it hurt less...it just made it hurt more."

"Please don't do this again." It was Beki's turn to squeeze him. "I can't handle you hating me Neji. The whole world could hate me other than you and Hinata and I could be fine. How you've been acting lately was tearing me apart. I need you, Neji. Please don't leave me again."

"I promise." Neji held her for a few more moments, savoring the warmth of her skin and the scent of her strawberry shampoo. Being away from her all this time had been like starving himself. It had the same lingering ache as hunger. Neji had been weaker, the world had been less vibrant, and nothing had seemed to draw his interest anymore. He wanted this moment to go on forever. He wanted to hold onto Beki and never let go. Neji wanted to tell Beki he loved her. It was so tempting to have her this close. Maybe he could whisper it, to finally say it but not have to face the consequences. No. No more hiding.

"Hey, Beki?"

Neji pulled away his heart soaring hopefully. He kept his hands on her shoulders as he released her from his embrace, the words sitting on his lips readily. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. Beki was looking away, tears streaming silently down her face. The pout on her face was a childlike, bottom lip jutted out combination of anger and sadness. Neji had hurt her. In that moment it all dawned on him, how her father had died and Neji had stepped up to be her rock. Beki had trusted him. She had let him see all her vulnerable places, let him in everywhere she was weak, and then he had walked away. Nothing would be so selfish right now as to tell her he loved her. Pulling away from her had been for his needs and not hers. Neji didn't deserve putting that on her plate to deal with right now. Neji owed her selfless love and support, and right now that meant keeping his feelings to himself.

"What?" Beki wiped angrily at the tears on her cheeks with her palm.

Neji leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers. "Forget errands. Let's go get some ice cream."

"I just had breakfast." Beki folded her arms.

"Tsukimori Beki, I have never seen you turn down free ice cream." Neji squeezed her arms. "Enemy shinobi wouldn't need to torture you. If they brought you a big enough sundae you would cave, no problem."

Beki rolled her eyes. Neji caught the tiniest smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. It was obvious Beki was fighting it, desperately trying to cling to her bad mood. "Is that what you're offering?"

Neji reached into his pants, pulled out his wallet, opened it and let out an exasperated sigh. "I was going to donate my bonus to the children's hospital, but I guess getting you to stop pouting is just as much a public service."

Beki glared. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Neji put his wallet away and put an arm around her waist, gently forcing her into motion. "No one can stand the sight of you crying. You've worked with most of the kids in this town. If they see you crying, they're going to get upset. We'll have a whole town full of blubbering kids and that just absolutely ruins the scenery."

Beki socked his shoulder.

"What was that for?!" Neji retracted, rubbing the tender spot.

"I'm not going to make this easy for you!" Beki folded her arms. "A sundae is a good start but you ignored me for months, Neji."

He sighed. "What else do you want me to do? Take you shopping?"

Beki jutted out her jaw a little and looked off to the side as she considered it. "That should get you about halfway there."

"I don't want to be in the doghouse forever, Beki." Neji folded his arms. "Where's the cap on this?!"

Beki tapped her foot. "After the sundae and the shopping, you'll still owe me a back rub, a foot rub, and a hair brushing."

Neji threw up his hands. "What are you, a horse?!"

"Deal or no deal?" Beki looked down her nose at him.

To be honest, Neji knew she was letting him off easy. He couldn't help but wonder how much of it was because Beki missed him, too. Everything she picked as compensation were requests to spend time with him. He had to make a show of protesting but to be honest Neji didn't mind a single one of her demands. He groaned and shook his head. "Fine, Beki. Then we're square, understood?"

Beki nodded and began to walk normally. Neji laughed quietly to himself at how Beki slowly picked up speed as they got closer to the ice cream shop. She was practically bouncing up and down as he opened the door. There was a small line despite the early hour. Beki looked around the shop like a little kid, oohing and ahing at the bright and colorful ads for coffee drinks and cakes. When they got to the counter, before Beki had registered it was their turn, Neji began to speak.

"One large sundae, one scoop each of cookies and cream, cookie dough, and mint chocolate chip ice cream with fudge please."

Beki opened her mouth but Neji beat her to it again. "Hold the bananas and extra cherries, please."

"Do you want peanuts?" The cashier asked.

Beki glanced at Neji, her mouth slowly opening. "Yes." He said. Beki closed her mouth, her eyes wide with confusion.

"Am I that predictable?" Beki blinked.

"I'm your friend, of course I know what kind of ice cream you like." Neji shook his head as he paid for the sundae.

"Neji, that wasn't my favorite flavor. That was the whole order and I don't get sundaes all the time." Beki narrowed her eyes suspiciously and leaned in close, whispering conspiratorial: "Can you read minds with your eyes now?"

Neji burst out laughing and pushed her face away. "Every time I think you're developing a brain you remind me you're an overgrown kindergartener."

"With boobs." Beki folded her arms. "And a hunger only sundaes can fill."

When their sundae was ready, the cashier walked it over to their table. Before he walked away, Neji said,

"Could we have one more spoon, please?"

The boy gave him a spoon and Beki gave Neji a look that could melt glass. "Who says you get any?!" Beki grabbed the sundae and slid it protectively over to her side of the table.

"First of all, I paid for it," Neji slid it back to the middle and took a bite of the mint chocolate chip. Of the three, it was Beki's least favorite and therefore the most considerate choice.

Beki picked up her spoon and took a bite out of the cookie dough, just as Neji knew she would. "This is an apology sundae, Neji. Apology sundaes aren't for sharing."

"Second of all, if you tried to eat this by yourself you would get sick. And fat." Neji felt safe enough to poke the bear. In response, Beki began grabbing all the cherries and stuffing them in her mouth. "Hey! Leave some for me!"

"No!" Beki said between chews. "If you're having some of the ice cream I at least get all the cherries!"

It turned into a frantic spoon fight as the two raced to eat all the cherries. Neji moved much slower than he could have, allowing Beki a majority of the topping. He had to put up somewhat of a fight, though. Beki could never go unchallenged without it going to her head. After the cherries were gone, Beki made a point of eating the surface of all the ice cream so she got most of the hot fudge and peanuts, too. Neji let her. He had missed this so much: the bickering, the playing, teasing, and sharing everything with her. He felt so much better and hated himself for ever putting a wedge between them. As Neji watched Beki spitefully eating her ice cream, he had never loved her more. He was finally willing to admit to himself he would never stop loving her. One day, very soon, when the hurts had all healed, Neji was going to tell her. No matter the result Neji was never going to let her go again, even if that meant he would always be stuck just being Beki's friend.

…

After Neji dropped Beki off at the house, he headed down to the training fields to meet his team. Gai and Lee were excitedly discussing some new technique they wanted to try that involved handcuffing their hands to their feet while Tenten stood off to the side sharpening some blades.

"They're in their usual good spirits," Neji said as he walked up beside her, his arms folded and the smallest smile tugging at the corner of his lip. "If only I could bottle that energy."

Tenten gave a small laugh, her eyes following Lee. It was impressive how precisely her hands moved even in the absence of her watchful gaze. It made Neji a little nervous, seeing the way she ran the whetstone over the cutting edge. The slightest misstep and Tenten would be missing a finger. She was more than proficient in her skill, however, and could even set down a finished blade and begin working on the next without looking. "It's nice you can always count on those two to be themselves. Tenten turned her warm hazelnut eyes on Neji, her hands still busily scraping away. "Speaking of good spirits, you're in an awfully good mood today."

Neji, perhaps out of guilt, had kept most of his turmoil over his feelings for Beki to himself. Lee would have been torn between supporting Neji and Gaara. Not to mention how his inability to remain uninvolved would have complicated the situation even worse. Tenten may have been a more mature shoulder to lean on. If Neji had been able to make a decision earlier on whether to pursue the feelings or ignore them, Tenten would have been a great asset. Two years of silence seemed an odd time to come clean. Then again, it was never too late to trust a friend.

"There's something that's been eating at me for quite some time," Neji explained, his grin growing in the telling. "I've finally been able to get over myself and make a decision."

Tenten set down her knife and whetstone. She rested her elbow on her knee and her chin on her hand, a knowing smile creeping onto her face. "About Beki?"

Neji felt heat rush into his cheeks. His first instinct was to deny it but he had made a decision to see this through. "Has it always been that obvious?"

"I wasn't suspicious at first, you know, how you tried to 'help' her and Gaara along on their first date. I honestly thought you were, like Lee, a good hearted but bumbling idiot about girls," Tenten laughed. "But over time all the other little things started adding up. Like how you always found a way to be touching her or at least to be physically close. That and how any time there's been trouble, no one else exists until you're sure she's okay."

Neji cleared his throat uncomfortably and shuffled his feet. "I mean, I guess I am more physically affectionate with her than I am with anyone else…"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "How about when we got home after the village was destroyed? While Tsunade was explaining it, you got all quiet and kind of fell back. I don't think anyone else saw you activate the Byakugan but I did. It doesn't take a mind reader to know where you were looking."

Neji sighed. "If you've known all this, Tenten, why didn't you say so sooner?!"

Tenten laughed. "You always get so flustered about things. Plus, you of all people should know how private you are. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or embarrass you. I figured we're good enough friends that if and when you were ready, you would come talk to me." Tenten gestured to the space between them. "And look, you're ready and you're here so we're talking."

"Tenten, I don't want you to think that I kept this concealed because I didn't trust you," Neji sighed. "I didn't want to bother you with my waffling. To be honest, I have been fighting with my feelings for Beki for a long time. I wasn't sure whether to bury my affections or to pursue them. She's my friend first. I worried that if I made a decision too hastily I could lose her as a friend on top of making an ass of myself."

Tenten nodded, stealing another glance at Gai and Lee. "Not bother us with it? Neji, when things were bad between you two, you were a literal walking raincloud. Telling us your troubles would have been a lot less of a pain than your sourpuss all the time." He winced, an apology on his lips when Tenten held up a hand and shook her head. "Don't worry, Neji. I know what it's like to love someone too thick headed to notice." After a moment watching Lee and Gai sumo wrestling with their handcuffed hands and feet, she shook her head and turned her attention back to Neji. "Tell me if I'm wrong but I'm guessing you've decided to tell Beki you like her?"

Neji sighed and shook his head. "You're the brains of the squad for a reason."

"No, I'm just the street-smart half." Tenten beamed. "You're the book smart one."

Neji returned her smile. "I guess that's fair."

"So when are you going to tell her? Are you going to make a special occasion of it or are you just going to walk up and blurt it out?" Tenten asked.

"Well, I guess in the course of my internal struggle Beki may have been caught in the crossfire." Neji sidestepped as Lee was bodily thrown past him. He paused until Lee had waddled back by before continuing. "I was avoiding her while I tried to sort things out. I hurt her."

"You guys have made up, right?" Tenten furrowed her brow. "Now would be a really bad time to say you like her if you haven't."

Neji nodded. "We're spending time together again but you're right. There's still some wounds healing right now. Once Beki is back to herself I'm going to tell her."

There was a loud splash and Tenten let out a frustrated groan. "That sounds fine, Neji. Let me know how it goes. Come on. We have to go pull Lee out of the river before he drowns."

"I don't know why they thought handcuffing their hands to their feet was a good idea." Neji sighed.

Tenten shrugged. "I know it isn't the safest thing for them. I kind of let it happen because I needed a few minutes to get my work done and it kept them entertained."

"I use a laser pointer for that," Neji pulled the small keychain out of his pocket

Tenten's eyes lit up as she waded in the river. "Where did you get that?"

Neji shook his head as he followed her lead. "I'll pick one up for you."

They leaned down and heaved Lee out of the river. He spit a fish out of his mouth and awkwardly gave them a thumbs up with his hands and his feet. "Thanks! I would have rolled myself out in a moment."

Neji's face darkened. "Gai sensei, where are the keys for these cuffs?"

"Well that's easy-" Gai's smile fell off his face. "They were in Lee's pocket."

Lee blinked. "I think they fell out in the river."

Tenten and Neji groaned in unison. Tenten fished a lockpick out of her hair and set to work on Lee's handcuffs as Neji used the Byakugan to scan the riverbed.

A few weeks later, Beki stood in her bedroom looking down at her duffle bag. Yuki had bought it for her to replace the one they had to abandon in the hotel room when they went to murder Yasahiro. It was a pretty pastel pink. The bag was open on the floor beside her, it's lid open like an expectant mouth. Beki was grateful that on this trip the armor was staying on its stand. A pink duffle bag and travel clothes was cute and feminine. A pink duffle bag and armor that looked forged from hellfire was confusing.

Across the top of her bed were the clothes and toiletries Beki planned on taking to Suna. Her old instincts kicked in initially and Beki had poured through her closet for her best looking, least singed clothes. Then Beki remembered that Gaara had been pissing her off lately, how he had gone from a loving, doting boyfriend to a man married to his job, cheating on it with Beki. This was his last chance to fix things, so Beki edited her wardrobe choices. This was a vacation for her, technically, so her final selections were jogger sweats, leggings, and baggy t-shirts. Beki didn't even bother grabbing a real bra. She threw a couple of sports bras and the comfy cotton ones she slept in on the bed alongside a wad of everyday, decidedly not-sexy underwear. Her hand traveled up to her neck and her fingers traced along the cord she always wore there. The small pendant dangled at the end, mocking her. _Like he'll even notice I still wear it. Gaara probably forgot he gave me the stupid thing._ On the other hand, the pendant was a constant reminder of the boy behind the Kazekage, the small sad redhead with eyes so green they hurt. A boy that desperately needed her love to be whole. It had seemed a lifetime ago that Beki had taken him into her heart to fix all the broken pieces. Lately, it felt like the boy with scarlet hair was a vampire. He had drunk up all the love in Beki's heart and was sucking on the dried-out husk, still hungry for more. A selfish child that broke all your toys so he could keep his in perfect shape. Bile rose in Beki's throat at all the bitter thoughts. She swallowed them back, reminding herself that they were a couple. Some part of her still loved him and in his own backwards, self-indulgent way Gaara loved her, too. Maybe, just maybe, he would finally hear her loud and clear and give Beki what she needed to feel like more than a personal call girl.

For the last week, Beki had half expected a bird to come from Suna with a long-winded apology about why the visit couldn't happen. Surprisingly, what Beki received instead was a confirmation. Gaara had double booked himself for two weeks leading up to Beki's visit to ensure she got the bulk of his attention. He apologized that as Kazekage, he would still have to go in for a few hours in the morning to keep on top of the paperwork. In Beki's response, she informed Gaara that her mother would accompany her to Suna. While he was working, Yuki would keep Beki busy. Her mother had diligently gone to the bookstore and picked up some card games and magazines for them if they were trapped in the hotel room by sandstorms.

Beki checked the clock and let out a sigh. Time had gotten away from her again. She did her best to carefully arrange her clothes and toiletries bag inside the duffel so the weight was evenly distributed. As she trudged down the stairs, clopping her feet like a horse, Beki glimpsed Hinata hard at work in the kitchen. "Hey, Hina chan. Starting dinner early?"

Hinata glanced up, her lavender eyes dancing. "No, I just thought I should send you off with a home cooked meal."

"You didn't have to," Beki grinned as she skipped over to the counter. There was fragrant baby blue bento box artfully arranged to look like a flower garden. She reached in to pluck out a pickled plum when Hinata smacked her hand with a spatula.

"That's for the road!" Hinata slammed the lid down on top of the box and slid an elastic band around it. A little black bunny rabbit adorned the band. Before Beki could protest, Hinata had unzipped the side compartment of the duffle and inserted the bento and a large canteen of water inside.

"Well then where's this home cooked meal you're talking about?!" Beki stood on her tiptoes to see over Hinata. "You can't just promise a girl something like that and be teasing!"

Hinata took the bag and put it by the door. "Sit down at the table."

Beki grumbled and followed Hinata's directions. "You don't treat Naruto like this."

"Naruto does a lot more for me, Beki," Hinata said so casually Beki did a double take.

"Sure he does," Beki grinned wickedly and gave her a wink. Hinata gave her an impatient look as she brought over a steaming bowl of udon noodles. "Yes!" Beki clapped. "You're the best, Hinata."

Hinata sat down beside Beki as she dug into her bowl. "So. How are you feeling about the trip?"

Beki sighed after swallowing a mouthful of chewy noodle. "I really don't want to go. Then I do. It's confusing for me but I have to see this through to the end, no matter how angry or bitter I am."

Hinata supported her chin on her hand. "You're right. You two have to work this out."

Beki stared down into the bowl. "When things were good with us, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Then it seemed like as things changed, as my needs changed, how he treated me did, too. I feel like before I was ambassador, Gaara tried more. Now that I have this job it kind of seems like he expects me to 'get it' and give him a free pass for dropping the ball."

"Do you want to write all that down?" Hinata cocked her head. "Or are you going to remember all this?"

Beki laughed. "Are you kidding? I've been stewing over this so long it's practically a rehearsed speech. All I need is the vacant stare and folded arms for an audience."

Hinata nodded. "Alright. Are you sure you don't want to bring your armor along?"

Beki shook her head. "No. Anyone stupid enough to mess with me on the road will have to deal with Yuki."

The two talked about innocuous things, like how Kurenai sensei was doing, what was going on in the village that week, and how Hanabi was doing. Beki finished her udon and brought the dishes to the sink while Hinata watched her with concern etched in her face. "You're sure you'll be okay?"

Beki gave her a smile as she picked up her duffle bag. "Come on, Hinata. You should really be worried for Gaara, not me."

Hinata rose and gave Beki a tight squeeze. "Come home safe."

Beki kissed her nose and headed outside. "I will. Bye, Hina chan."

…

Yuki was waiting for her at the gates. Her hair had been thrown up in a messy bun and she was wearing oversized sunglasses with brown ombre lenses. She had on a baggy pink shirt and olive-green cargo pants rolled up to halfway up her calf. The gray duffle bag hung effortlessly on her shoulder. Beki swore she looked ready for a glamorous cruise and not a three-day trek into the desert.

"Hey squirt." Yuki sipped on some iced beverage Beki couldn't quite figure out. "You ready to roll?"

"Now you're sounding like a mom." Beki laughed.

Yuki shrugged. "What can I do. My biology is working against me here. So can we head out already so we can get this over with?"

"Don't sound so excited about it." Beki sighed. "God knows I'm not."

"Then why are we going again?" Yuki gave her a confused look. "I mean, if you're just looking for some vacation time I'll book us a couple days at the hot springs-"

"No. I have to do this. It's the grown-up thing to do to face my problems head on." Beki squared her shoulders and began to walk towards the gates.

Yuki blinked and slowly followed suit. "Who taught you that? Your dad? I know I didn't teach you that. It doesn't sound like a very shinobi thing to do. Facing shit head on is how you get skewered, honey."

The journey to Suna was rather uneventful. The weather was mellow, the roads were empty, and mother and daughter had enough to talk about to ward off the nagging paranoia that always seems to set in on long journeys.

"You know, it's still just too weird to me how Reika never trained you." Yuki shook her head and took a sip from her flask. "I mean, it sounds like you hung out at the shrine but they never really worked towards making you a Miko."

Beki shrugged. "I mean, they tried a little. I was just bad at it. The rites and the rituals, cleaning the ceremonial whatever, and dusting the ancient antiques...I think they knew it wasn't for me."

"It doesn't matter that it-" Yuki made air quotes with her fingers. "'Wasn't for you'. You're a Tsukimori, by default they're supposed to be trained to be head priestesses of the shrine. The only time they pass on training a Tsukimori girl is if they don't have one."

Beki chewed on her cheek, to which Yuki reached out and swatted her. "Stop that."

"Maybe dad had something to do with it. Maybe it reminded him of you too much."

Yuki sighed. "I don't know. You're going to laugh at me but a lot of what I do runs on gut instinct and something about Reika neglecting your training doesn't sit right with me."

"She's been training Ren to take up the position." Beki explained. "Maybe it was just good old-fashioned nepotism."

Yuki shot her a sidelong look. "You know the whole story with that, right?"

"What do you mean?" Beki cocked her head. "About Ren and Reika? Not really. No one talks about it."

"Cuz it was messy." Yuki grinned. "Reika was her parents' only child. Her mother was sickly and her father had to work so they dumped her off for the shrine maidens to raise her. Fifteen years later, her mother dies and her dad immediately marries a new woman. A year later, they have Ren. His new wife dies in childbirth. Their dad doesn't want to raise her on his own, so dumps her off with the first child he abandoned."

"What a scumbag." Beki scoffed.

"Yeah. Reika was always super sore about it. So as much as you think it's nepotism, I don't think that's the case. Reika may have raised Ren begrudgingly and with a lot of help from the older, gentler types at the shrine, but she has no love to spare for her."

Beki shook her head. "You know, the more you tell me about her, I like Reika less and less."

Yuki shrugged. "That was my experience with her, too."

Soon, the high walls of Suna came into view.

"I hope to God they finally got a boba place." Yuki groaned. "If you end up marrying this asshat and I have to follow you here, I am opening a boba shop."

"You think you would get enough business? Weren't you the one that said they don't know how to have fun here?" Beki asked.

"No, actually. That one was you." Yuki shot her a wry smile. "I mean, come on. They would all look so much less serious sipping on bubble tea. Can't you see it? Glaring out into the distance, gently chewing on tapioca balls."

Beki blinked. "You know, I think I like your vision for this place."

Yuki threw up her hands. "I don't know why it's so hard for people to trust me! I know what I'm doing!"

"Yes, Yuki, if everyone would just let you run the world we would all be happier for it." Beki laughed.

"Yes! Yes, it would!" Yuki waved her canteen at Beki. "Making other people's decisions is one of my strongest abilities."

"Right up there with beating up pieces of household equipment you can't figure out." Beki elbowed her in the ribs.

"I know buying me the vacuum was supposed to be nice but did they have to put so many buttons on it!?" Yuki growled, her outburst thoroughly confusing the gate guards.

"Um, hello ladies," The first one began cautiously. "Do you have your papers…?"

The second guard elbowed the first. "That's Tsukimori Beki. She's a friend of the kazekage."

"We still have to check her papers, dude. It could be a really good transformation jutsu or something." The first, the shorter of the two argued. "Besides, doesn't she always wear armor?"

Beki held out her and Yuki's travel papers. "I'm allowed to exist off the clock, you know."

The second took a quick glance at them and tossed them back. "Sorry about him. He's a stickler for the rules."

"I know the type," Beki sighed. "Thanks guys."

Yuki blew them a kiss as she followed her daughter through the gates.

"If that was Tsukimori Beki, who was the other girl with her? Her sister?" The first guard asked.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." The second adjusted his collar.

"You didn't check their papers, did you?" The first socked him in the ribs.

"Hey! I made sure they looked right. I didn't like, scour them." The second recoiled to avoid another blow to the ribs. "Look, I was trying to be cool. Did you see how hot her sister was?"

The first guard sighed and nodded. "Yeah. She was pretty hot. We are going to be in so much trouble if they're hit men, no matter how hot they are."

The second guard raised his hand. "If that happens, 100% my bad. If they aren't hit men, then I call the hot sister."


	99. Buckles and Caterpillars

**Hi everyone! Someone brought up a really good question that I thought I would address here. So Yukihana and Seiichiro were the same age but she was frozen in ice at 25. She was in there for about 12 years, which would make her legal age during the present 37. For our intents and purposes, though, Yukihana has the maturity and physical development of a 25 year old. I have been keeping with Tallman's story where all the canon characters start out two years older (so at the start of shippuden all the teens are 17 instead of 15. If you're curious about Hanabi and Konohamaru, at the start of ToTM they were 12-13 and are about 14-15 now). By that logic, Kakashi would be between 28 and 30 in this story. Legally speaking, Yukihana is almost ten years older than Kakashi, but thanks to her stint in the ice he's technically 3-5 years older than her. Its a lot of math (and frankly confusing to explain) so that's why I haven't made a big show of it. Hopefully that makes sense to you guys. If you have any other questions for me, please PM or review. If you're thinking it, someone else probably is, too, or it's something in the canon I can explain really quick. Thanks so much to those of you who have been reviewing! I always love to hear from you and you guys have lots of great ideas for me. Keep em coming!**

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Yuki and Beki headed to the inn, the early morning sun surprisingly strong considering it was early fall. Yuki groaned.

"Of course you had to do this sleepover crap in not-winter."

Beki ignored her as they walked inside. It was the same as last time, the surprisingly cool interior soothing their mood. The girls checked in and headed to their room. Beki noticed her mother must have called ahead in advance and booked them the suite. "Was a regular hotel room too much for you to suffer?" Beki asked.

"Here? Yes. If I'm stuck in this…" Yuki stopped herself from following with the string of expletives she had in mind. " _Place_ , then I deserve to be comfortable. That means a king-sized bed and an honest to God bathtub for me to read trashy novels and drink champagne in."

"Did you boyfriend get you to start reading those or did that habit predate Kakashi?" Beki asked sheepishly.

Yuki opened the hotel door and shot her a dirty look. "Keep my sexy friend out of this."

"Your 'sexy friend'?!" Beki scoffed. "What the hell is that?!"

Yuki shrugged as she put down her bag. "Well, we're obviously more than friends in that things are definitely sexy. I wouldn't say we're in a relationship, though. So there you have it. 'Sexy friends'."

Beki shook her head and headed for the shower. "Do you think they let him know we're here?"

"I don't know, those two didn't seem like the brightest." Yuki laughed. "I mean, if you want you can just hang out here and play card games with me."

"I've spent the last three nights in the wilderness with you. If you make me play marry-f*ck-kill one more time I'm becoming a nun." Beki said as she stepped into the stream of warm water. "Can you pick out an outfit for me that looks like I don't give a crap?"

"I guess," Yuki grumbled. "I don't know why you're so ready to toss me to the curb to go do something that makes you miserable."

Beki gave a frustrated sigh. "Look, it's complicated."

Yuki opened her mouth but Beki interrupted her. "Uh uh. No. No lecturing me. It _is_ complicated. Gaara and I started out really strong. He was kind, gentle, and always considerate. I know he looks really rough from the outside but he was the biggest teddy bear I had ever met. He made me feel really special, like I was literally the only girl for him and that my love meant the world to him."

Yuki groaned. "Here we go."

"But then it was like the longer I was with him, the more comfortable he got." Beki explained. "The less special time with me was. He was less considerate and more expectant of me. He cared less about how he made me feel and yet wanted me to be even more patient with him."

"Okay. I follow," Yuki said as she sorted through Beki's duffle bag with a general look of disdain on her face. "Do you like, go shopping in the defect bin at the store? None of your shirts look like they're cut right. The hems are lopsided."

"My options are kind of limited in Konoha." Beki sputtered as she shampooed the travel dirt out of her hair. "Besides, I've burned up most of my good stuff. It makes it hard to spend money on clothes when I know there's a good chance I'm just going to incinerate it."

Yuki shrugged. "I made all your clothes for you when you were a girl. I could start sewing for you again."

"No thanks, I don't want my mom to make all my clothes." Beki laughed.

"I would do a good job." Yuki said, her voice betraying how offended she was. "It's not like I would put ruffles on the butts of all your bottoms or anything."

"I'm more worried about how many outfits you would try to twin me in." Beki said.

Yuki grumbled. "It would only be like, one or two. You would think you would be more understanding since I missed out on that when you were a girl. You loved matching me when you were three."

Beki ignored the last comment and continued. "Just think about it, though. He's the Kazekage. I can't just decide I don't like him anymore and dump him. There are a lot of political ramifications-"

"F*ck 'em." Yuki spat. "I've got money. You can quit your job, move back in with momma, and then the politics don't matter."

"Are you kidding?" Beki leaned out of the shower. "He could literally go over my head and accuse me of taking bribes or whatever he wanted. Not that, you know, he would do that. If I know him he's more likely to go to the king and make some kind of trade deal wherein marrying me seals it."

Yuki looked up from the suitcase and said with a casual tone and a shrug: "I would murder him."

Beki balked. "Mom!"

Yuki snapped her fingers and shook her head. "No, you're right. He's a world leader. You _assassinate_ world leaders, you _murder_ street thugs. Nice catch."

Beki shook her head and retreated into the shower. "If this is going to work, I need to make it work. If it isn't…I have to be clever, levelheaded, and extremely public about how I do it."

"Or, I assassinate him." Yuki shrugged. "Save you the time."

Beki turned off the water and toweled herself down. "You just like killing high profile targets too much."

Yuki grinned. "Every time I do, that Bingo Book reward amount goes up."

"You've been dead twelve years." Beki scoffed as she dried her hair. "You haven't been in the Bingo Book in forever."

"Well, you know, when high profile people start dying in classic Yukionna fashion, it won't take long before blue eyes here gets herself back in the book." Yuki purred. "If I could break a million, I'd have the page framed and put up in my kitchen."

"You're sick," Beki spat as she lathered herself in lotion. As much as she hated to admit her mother was right, Suna was painfully arid. Beki ran hot as it was, so adding that into the mix dried her skin out. Beki noticed that when her skin was properly moisturized it sort of stretched to accommodate the rapid changes in temperature she was always putting it through. When her skin was dry, however, Beki got little cracks in her elbows and knees that took weeks to heal. She walked over to the bed with the towel wrapped around her and looked down at the outfit her mom had selected. A frown stretched across her face and Beki's eye twitched. "These aren't my clothes."

"Because, like I said, your clothes suck." Yuki folded her arms. "So you're borrowing some of mine."

"These aren't going to fit. You're tiny-" Beki protested but Yuki stopped her with a single gesture to the massive difference between their chests.

"You ever look at my tags, honey?" Yuki raised an eyebrow. "I may be narrower than you but I'm twice your cup size. My clothes will fit, trust me."

"Except for the fact that you've stretched out the boobs," Beki scoffed and Yuki swatted at her.

"Just put it on."

Beki groaned. After she had put on her bra and underwear, she slid on the flowy powder blue top her mom had picked. It had short sleeves that were rolled up. The pants Yuki had set out were a dark gray with a single stripe in the same blue as the top down the outside seam. The pants were made of a stretchy material, thankfully, so even though they were a little baggy on Yuki and tight on Beki, they fit. It almost upset Beki how well the shirt fit considering how different their body types were. Yuki circled her like a hawk, occasionally reaching out to tug a seam into place or to flatten a wrinkle. "This looks better on you than it does on me. You should keep it."

Beki cast her a suspicious glance. "This feels awfully new."

Yuki shrugged. "I buy a lot of clothes. I was in ice for twelve years, Beki. I missed a lot of fashion trends. It's fun for me to play with things and try to update my style."

"You wouldn't happen to have purposely bought this for me and are now trying to pretend this is a coincidence, would you?" Beki stared her down.

Yuki grabbed her shoulders affectionately and smiled. "You're giving me too much credit again. I'm not that smart, Beks." She glanced at the clock and sighed. "Didn't you say Red was going to get off around noon?"

Beki glanced at the clock and nodded. She grabbed her purse and headed over to the door with a sigh. She paused once she reached it, her hand hovering over the door knob. Beki bounced nervously for a moment, inhaling sharply.

"Okay, either you go now or I knock you out," Yuki shooed her out the door. "You're making me antsy and I'm trying to enjoy myself here."

"Sorry," Beki sighed. "I'm going."

It had gotten warmer since the pair had arrived and the sun was viciously bright. Beki fished out a pair of sunglasses from her bag as she walked around. It was an internal struggle: it was too hot to dawdle but Beki wanted to walk to Gaara's office as slowly as possible. Beki hung in the shade, window shopping a bit as she went. When she finally did reach the Kazekage's office, it was almost thirty minutes after their agreed upon meet up time.

The guard posted by the door, a recent security addition since Gaara's abduction, stopped Beki as she approached. Strictly speaking, Getsu ambassadors were always supposed to have their badge of office visible, the same way shinobi always wore their headbands for identification. Seiichiro had always taught her otherwise. He never wore his village's headband or his badge of office. It worked for him because Seiichiro's presence spoke for itself. The purpose of this behavior wasn't pride or self-importance, however. Seiichiro had explained that badges of office were incredibly valuable. If stolen, major damage could be done by a person masquerading as an ambassador with an official badge. Even if it was accidentally misplaced a massive amount of shame followed a figure of state that couldn't keep their eyes on a badge. As for the headband, Seiichiro insisted it threw off the aesthetic of his armor. The damned thing had enough moons on it as it was, he always said. Any enemy with an ounce of brains could guess where he was from.

Instead of Beki flashing her badge, which she always kept in a small pouch in her bra for safekeeping, she announced herself. "I'm the ambassador for Getsugakure, Tsukimori Haruka. The Kazekage should be expecting me." She could have said Gaara _was_ expecting her but there was always a minute chance he had forgotten. The beady-eyed guard grunted and held a hand for her to wait where she stood, across the bridge from the office. Beki almost laughed aloud at the whole spectacle. The Akatsuki hadn't walked up to Gaara's door, knocked politely, and carried him off. If a person really wanted to do some harm, being a few stride's distance away wasn't going to stop them.

The guard knocked on the door and Beki heard Gaara's voice. After that, the guard opened the door a bit, keeping his eyes on Beki, and started to talk through the crack. A moment or two later Gaara forced the door open, a tired expression on his face. He shared a few soft words with the guard, who kept shooting Beki suspicious looks as he protested. Gaara managed to gently shove him away from the door. He waved Beki to come across, holding it open for her as she crossed the threshold. The guard hung his head but kept his eyes dead ahead, staring right through her as Beki passed. Gaara closed the door and the bright light from outside was extinguished, plunging Beki into a momentary swirl of dark colors and spots in her eyes. She shut them tight to dispel the threat of an oncoming migraine.

"Sorry about him," Gaara apologized. "He's new and does his job with the gravest sincerity."

Beki shrugged. "I've been put through worse." She couldn't see him; Beki still had her eyes shut against her blurred vision but she could feel Gaara approach. He took her face in his hands and tipped up her chin. Beki opened her eyes and watched as his familiar features slowly took shape, the bloody splotch on his head sharpening to "love", and the mess of scarlet on his head defining itself into a mop of hair.

"You don't look so well," Gaara searched her face.

"I think I'm still acclimating," Beki said. "Its really hot here compared to Konoha this time of year."

"It is unseasonably hot, even for Suna." At his words, Beki internally screamed. Had she traveled three days into the desert to talk about the weather?

Gaara let go of her face and walked over to the sideboard. Gaara opened the cabinet, which Beki realized was a cleverly disguised fridge, and pulled out a pitcher of water. He poured it into one of the glasses sitting on top of the sideboard, replaced the pitcher, and kicked the fridge shut as he walked it over to her. Beki wordlessly accepted the glass and started to sip on it gratefully.

"You have good timing," Gaara glanced at the clock as he straightened some papers on his desk and slipped them into a leather folder. "I was running a little late. You showed up right after I finished the call."

"Half an ambassador's job is good timing," Beki explained. "The other half is knowing to use a soft sell or a hard sell."

"Are those Seiichiro's words or yours?" Gaara could see a lot of the man in his daughter. More than he had used to, in fact. Even in her writing Beki's word choice, the cadence of her message, even the pressure of her pen had changed. Maybe it was the job. Gaara certainly hoped it wasn't the adage that people become their parents coming true. He prayed that til the day he died he never resembled anything close to his father.

"Dad used to say 'knowing to use whiskey or the kanabo'. Same difference," Beki shrugged. "Where's your nanny goat? Out on a mission?"

Gaara shook his head. "Kankuro's working inside Suna. We're making an effort to improve security in general since the attack."

Beki's memory dragged her back to the two guards at the gate. The stickler made sense, now. She kept the experience to herself. She was on vacation, after all, and discussing security shortfalls with a kage sounded an awful lot like work.

"I was planning on taking you out tonight but if you're not acclimated yet, you should probably just rest." Gaara pushed in his chair. "I don't want you to get sick and spend the whole trip out here in bed."

Beki nodded. Her mother would be ecstatic to see Beki march back through the hotel room door. Beki probably wouldn't get a lot of rest but being with Yuki was much less stressful than being with the Kazekage.

"Where's your bag?" Gaara glanced behind her. "He didn't make you leave it outside, did he?"

Beki glanced down at her purse with a confused expression then realized his meaning. "Oh. My travel stuff."

Gaara inhaled deeply and shook his head. "You would think that they think I'm helpless, as if I couldn't handle one person-"

Beki raised her hands defensively. "It's okay, Gaara. He didn't make me leave it outside. I left it at the inn with my mother."

"Oh, well that's a relief," The tension on Gaara's face relaxed for only a moment before returning with twice the intensity. "Why didn't you bring it with you?"

Beki shrugged. "I didn't know what we were doing. The thing is like, twenty pounds and kind of awkward to walk around town with."

"Weren't you planning on staying with me?" Gaara walked around the desk and took ahold of her hand. "Wasn't that the whole point of this visit, to spend as much time together as possible?"

"Yes," Beki had to admit that leaving her bag behind was signaling a lack of commitment. It was a back door that someone trying to save a relationship wouldn't leave propped open. "I just…wanted to check in with you. I didn't know if you were still going to be busy and if we were going to get together later. Like we usually do when I come to town."

Gaara shook his head. "When I told you I was going to make this happen, I meant it. You are the most important person in my life. Getting this chance to be with you, to be a normal couple, even if its only for a short while…" Gaara pulled her into a tight hug. "I really miss you. All the time. While I'm in this office, it's a madhouse from the moment I get here until I leave. But you are always on my mind." He pulled away and pushed some of the sweaty hair out of her face. "Every request for intervillage marriage I grant, I'm thinking about you. When requests come across my desk for funding for the academy, I'm thinking about our kids. These couple of weeks are going to be a chance to have the life I've been working for."

The guilt was starting to set in. Beki had been arguing with herself the whole way to Suna, on the way to this office, even, about how Gaara felt about her. Most of her evidence was against him, that she was just an afterthought. The tiny little voice that spoke in his favor was often completely drowned out by the louder complaints against him. Here it was, though, right out of his mouth: he's busting his ass to make a future for us. Her heart panged and Beki cursed herself for having such a hot temper. "I could run back and grab the bag from the inn," Beki began.

Gaara shook his head. "No, you're mine now. Anything you'll need I'm sure I can provide. We have spare toothbrushes and I would actually prefer it if you slept in my shirt." Gaara kissed her forehead. "I would be lying if I didn't admit my favorite nightgown for you is none at all…"

He leaned in closer, going to nibble at her neck. Beki's hand shot up and she covered his mouth before it made contact. Gaara looked at her, genuine confusion and concern in his eyes. "What is it?"

"We should just get this out of the way now." Beki extracted herself from his embrace, further furrowing his brow. "I'm not okay with how you've been using me as a call girl recently."

"What?" Gaara blinked. "Beki, what are you talking about?"

"The last couple of times we were together, you made enough time to hit it and quit it." Beki shook her head, feeling the bile rise in her throat at the memories. "That really hurt me. It made me feel cheap and used, Gaara."

The moment she finished speaking, Gaara stepped forward with his arms out to embrace her but he stopped himself. He kept his arms up, hovering awkwardly as he tried to figure out whether touching her would help or hurt the situation more. "I _never_ want to hurt you. I didn't think…I would not have done that if I had known it would make you feel this way." As Gaara searched her face, he saw it. The casual façade Beki had been wearing the whole encounter slipped just enough for him to see the sadness in her eyes. It wasn't a quick sadness, either, like a dropped lollipop or opening the refrigerator to find the ice cream carton was gone. Beki had been stewing on this for a long time, meaning not only had Gaara hurt her but that it kept hurting her, like a barb in her shoe. Gaara had known that sadness. It had been stinging at Beki so long it was turning into anger. No wonder she had been so cold and formal with him.

Gaara hoped his voice was steadier than the fists he was clenching to hide how his hands shook. "Beki, I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world. If I could have designed the perfect girl, she wouldn't have even come close to you. I have never been as attracted to anyone as I am to you." He hesitated, watching for a response. Beki was listening but the pain was still etched into her face, so he forced himself on. "You know as well as anyone how little experience I have with relationships. I never saw my mother and father together. I don't know what the normal boundaries are and it isn't fair for me to assume they're the same for you as they are for me. I physically want you, Beki. Sometimes so much that it keeps me up all night thinking about you. That physical need isn't anywhere near as important to me as your happiness. If you want me to keep my hands to myself, all you need to do is tell me. Just tell me what you want, Beki. I'll do whatever you need me to do to make you happy."

Gaara's heart was pounding so hard he could swear Beki could hear it. The words were spilling out of him so fast they were tripping over each other to get out, all desperate to reach her. The silence spanned only seconds but to Gaara it felt like hours. Had Beki changed her mind about him? Was that the real purpose of this trip, the reason why Beki had left her bag with her mother, because she was going to break up with him? He had been afraid of this for their entire relationship. She had done it once, right after the attack when Gaara asked Beki to wait for him for what could have been ten years or more. He had fully understood at the time, accepted it, even agreed with her decision. It would be the same now. If his treatment of her was so abhorrent, Gaara would rather she leave him than be hurt any more.

Beki let out an uncomfortable sigh. "I need you to remember to put in at least as much as you take out in this relationship. You can't just have me for an afternoon and throw me back out to sea. It doesn't make me feel secure, Gaara. It makes me feel taken advantage of."

"I love you," Gaara blurted. "That is the exact opposite of what I mean to do. I know you have been unbelievably patient with me Beki. Please don't stop now. You, my siblings, and this job are all that I have. If I screw this up, that's a third of my life out the window."

Beki shuffled self-consciously and her eyes darted towards the door. "You don't think your enthusiastic friend was listening, do you?"

Gaara blinked, desperately trying to reason whether he had been screaming out loud as much as he had his head. "Was I yelling?"

Beki shook her head. "That guy just weirds me out. Could we maybe go somewhere else?"

"I'm sorry." Gaara tried not to actually kick himself in frustration as he gathered the last of his things. "Would you mind if we just picked up takeout and went back to my house?" Gaara stopped himself and winced, angry at himself again for not considering her needs. "If you want to do a nice dinner somewhere, that's fine, too."

Almost automatically Beki followed him over to the window and took his arm. "No, takeout sounds fine. My one condition is that we get to change into our PJs when we get to your house."

Gaara wrapped an arm around her waist, grateful for an excuse to have her close. "Agreed."

…

For the first time ever, Gaara brought Beki through the front door of his house. She was so accustomed to entering and exiting via windows and balconies while in his company that entering through the front almost seemed wrong. In fact, the few times Beki had visited Gaara's house she had never even come downstairs. It was a big house by Suna standards, bigger than anywhere Beki had ever lived with her father. The furnishings were all simple but made of the finest materials. Beki didn't want to make it weird as they passed by but she was almost certain the dining room table was made out of solid mahogany. Beki, much to Yuki's chagrin, hadn't lived in opulence but had spent enough time around it to recognize quality when she saw it.

Beki hovered just outside the spotless kitchen as Gaara fished white porcelain plates out of red wood cabinets. He set them down with a clink on the marble countertops. Gaara had mentioned something about putting on a movie when they got home. She glanced at the living room, spying leather couches and a coffee table with a delicate finish; she would definitely need a coaster if they were sitting over there.

"So dining room or living room?" Beki asked, rapping her fingertips on the marble. She always liked the sound of clicking on stone: heels, nails, weapons.

Gaara glanced at her. "What would you prefer?"

Beki shrugged. "I don't mind either way. Just checking with the house rules, you know."

Gaara chuffed as he popped open the takeout boxes. "Beki, I'm the Kazekage. Who are we going to get in trouble with?"

"Temari," Beki practically spat.

"Usually, you would be right." Gaara gave a her a small smile. "I might have sent her to Konoha while you're here."

Beki's eyes widened in surprise. "Gaara, did you just…abuse your power as Kazekage?"

"Only this once," Gaara held a finger to his lips. "Keep this between us."

Beki's lips pulled back in a wicked grin. "Which one would Temari not want you to do?"

"She doesn't like us eating in the living room." Gaara watched her as he spoke, realization slowly crossing his face. "You are a bad person."

As Beki loaded up her plate, she gently hip bumped him. "Says the guy that sent her away so she wouldn't mess up my visit!"

Gaara gave a small shrug and followed her to the living room after grabbing a couple of dish cloths from the cabinet. When Beki shot him a questioning look, he laid them out over the coffee table. "She'll never be the wiser."

"You know, with how prim and proper you are all the time I forget you're a ninja," Beki grinned. "I kind of like this secret naughty side of yours, Gaara."

A small flush came into Gaara's cheeks. "Just for you, Beki."

They threw on an old action movie that both had seen at some point in their childhoods, Gaara because of Kankuro and Beki because of her father. It was familiar enough that they didn't have to pay close attention but sufficient time had passed that they had forgotten enough for it to be entertaining. After they had finished eating, Beki snuggled up close and Gaara wrapped an arm around her. This close, Gaara could faintly smell Beki's sweat mixing with her shampoo. It wasn't an unpleasant scent but it was sharp enough to catch his attention. He played with the tail of her braid, tugging gently at the soft paintbrush like end.

"How are things going with you and your mother?" Gaara realized they had been together for a few hours and he hadn't made any attempt at pleasantries yet.

"They're getting better. It was strange for me at first, suddenly having her around and in my business all the time." Beki shrugged. "It has its perks, though. She's a gifted shinobi and has a lot to teach me. Plus, I know I can always trust her to have my back."

"Its that way with my siblings," Gaara nodded. "In a world we are taught not to trust anyone, family is a huge comfort."

"Not to speak against my dad, but my mother is…I feel like she's more honest with me. She trusts me with more up front," Beki explained. "My dad tried to shield me from things so he kept me in the dark about a lot. I have to say I do really like that about Mom. If she's up to something, I'm either involved or informed."

"I was surprised she didn't come with you to the office," Gaara said. "For someone as overprotective as you've told me in your letters."

"It's instinct, I guess. There are times she's attached to my hip and in the same place under what seems like identical circumstances, she gives me a ton of leash." Beki paused and probed her memory for a moment. "Usually her gut is spot on about possible threats. When there's trouble, she's never far behind."

"I guess that means you're the same way," Gaara gave her a small squeeze. "You just seem to be on the receiving end of trouble more than on the rescue side."

Beki's smile slipped as she thought back through recent events. Gaara was dead on. Beki was like a magnet for trouble. In fact, in a lot of cases, it almost seemed like Beki was inviting it. "That was a little too on the nose."

"That's okay," Gaara pat her head. "People say I'm boring. We balance each other out."

An interesting segment picked up in the movie and the pair fell silent. They followed the protagonist through the climax. In classic retro action film fashion, the falling action was brief and ended with a warm-hearted scene with a cheeky one liner at the end.

"Didn't you say you wanted to get in pajamas earlier?" Gaara brushed hair out of Beki's face.

"I would be much more comfortable if we did." Beki held up the arm she had slung across his torso as they snuggled. The imprint of a belt buckle was clearly outlined against her skin.

"Sorry," Gaara took her wrist and kissed the indent. "I could press my arm against your jaw. That's almost as sharp."

Beki furrowed her brows and hit him with one of the couch pillows. "Let's not start taking pot shots at each other's facial features, Gaara. That's one fight you aren't going to win."

"Or, I will win because I don't care about my appearance and anything I say about yours will give you a complex." Gaara's expression was blank but mischief danced in his eyes. Beki opened her mouth to protest. "We could start with the caterpillars you have nesting above your eyes-"

"I'm not listening!" Beki clapped her hands over her ears and darted off the couch. Gaara followed her as she ran over to the stairs and started mounting them two at a time.

"How about that wrinkle coming in on your forehead from all the frowning you do?" Gaara grinned as he chased her.

"LALALALALALALAAAAA!" Beki ran into his room and dove under the covers, pulling his pillow over her head.

Gaara came in after her and closed the door. He let out a small chuckle and held up his hands. "Please tell me it wasn't always this easy to get you in bed?"

Beki peeked out from under the covers and stuck her tongue out at him. Gaara shook his head, a smile still tugging at his lips. "Here," He said as he threw a black t-shirt sitting on top of his dresser at her. "Get changed."

"What, no pants?" Beki shot him a questioning look.

Gaara glared at her. "You. You of all people are asking me for pants?"

Beki tried to keep a straight face and failed in a burst of laughter. "Sorry. I was just seeing how long I could keep that up."

"I thought so." Gaara sighed as he started to unfasten his jacket. "The day you ask for pants is the day I know you were replaced with a spy."

"Or a wad of explosive clay." Beki grinned but shrank at his sour expression. "Too soon?"

"You're lucky you've got me on a 'hands off' ban or that one would have gotten you spanked." Gaara scoffed.

Beki shrugged as she pulled off her shirt. "It isn't a good joke if spanking isn't on the line."

Gaara paused and tried not to be obvious about watching her change. No matter how much Gaara tried to focus on the wall in front of him, it was as if his eyes were drawn to her of their own will. He forgot to move, so transfixing was the sight of her skin as he watched her out of the corner of his eye. Beki's body was exactly as he remembered it: athletically toned but still filled-in in the places it counted. Long, muscular legs leading to a plump rear, a lengthy torso, full but impossibly perky breasts, broad shoulders, and strong arms that ended in delicate fingers. His subconscious was immediately awash with visions of that body beneath him, on top of him, asleep beside him. It took physical effort to restrain himself from touching her, from kissing her all over. Then in an instant, the black shirt was on and her body was hidden away. She hopped off the bed and Gaara's disappointment was soothed by the way the v-neck exposed her cleavage line and the hem was just short enough to give him a peek at her rear.

The sound of the front door opening drew Gaara out of his thoughts.

"Is that Kankuro?" Beki asked.

Gaara listened to the familiar footfalls in the entrance. "Yes." He reached over and grabbed a pair of shorts out his drawer and tossed them at her. "And now you get pants."

There was a dramatic, girlishly high pitched gasp from downstairs. "You guys ate in the living room!"

"I'm the Kazekage!" Gaara called downstairs. "If I want to eat in my living room, I will!"

Kankuro was silent for a moment. "I don't know if you're the bravest man I've ever met or the dumbest. I'm…I'm going to pretend I didn't see this and we'll never speak of it again."

Beki blinked. "Is Temari really that crazy?"

Gaara cleared his throat. "I might also be sending her to Konoha because I'm hoping that Shikamaru boy takes her off our hands. We love her dearly…but…"

Beki laughed. "She's crazy."

Gaara nodded. "Why do you think I'm always at the office?"


	100. Rocky Road

**Hi everyone. I've been getting all of your feedback and responding to those of you I can through PM. Many of you have concerns about where this story is headed, regardless of if you prefer Beki x Neji or Beki x Gaara. This chapter is almost twice the length of what I normally put out, but that's because some big things happen here. I would ask that you read it all the way through so where it starts to where it ends up makes sense. For those of you who did not like Apology Sundae, that was a sort of bonus chapter. As I've told you all before, I write my story in arcs and that was basically filler content because people had been asking for a Neji scene. I was originally going to have this portion happen and Beki and Neji talk after. That decision will make sense by the end of this. Enjoy!**

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The next day, Gaara led her through town wordlessly but he was constantly peeking out the corner of his eye at her. A sly smile tugged at his lips but he kept it buried, afraid to give away some secret.

"What are you up to?" Beki gave him a suspicious look, her face pulling into a frown. "I don't like this."

"Shh." Gaara squeezed her hand. "We're almost there."

Beki watched their surroundings in an attempt to predict where he was taking her. It wasn't in the same direction as any of the restaurants or shops he'd taken her to in the past. Based on her own adventures through the streets with Yuki, Beki couldn't place the neighborhood. It seemed awfully quiet for Gaara to be so excited to take her there. I really hope he isn't taking me to the graveyard or something. Beki shuddered, not because that was a bad idea, but because growing up around the shrine and in the ancient town below, Beki had spent a fair amount of time wandering the historic graveyard with Ren. During her travels with her dad, it had almost become a hobby. Seiichiro said you could learn a lot about a people by how they treated their dead. What Beki worried about most was how that would look to Gaara, how engrossed Beki could get about tombstones and crypts. An unusual interest in cactuses was cute and quirky. An unhealthy knowledge about cemeteries was unsettling.

"We're here." Gaara let his grin surface and Beki almost sighed aloud with relief. He had brought her to Suna's academy. "I know how much you enjoy children and they don't often get to lay eyes on a shinobi from so far away."

"Oh, you're showing me off like some sort of circus animal?" Beki cocked an eyebrow. "Classy, Gaara." She gave him a faint grin to show that she was joking. Or at least, half joking. She really didn't know if she was being shown off as a foreign ninja or as the Kazekage's girlfriend.

Gaara cleared his throat. "Just so you're aware…Suna kids can be a little rough."

Beki looked around at the barren village, cracked concrete and weathered buildings all around. "I can imagine."

"Alright. They're waiting for us." Gaara led her through the doors.

"How long did you have this planned?" Beki looked at him.

Gaara shrugged. "Shortly after we set the dates the idea occurred to me. The sooner the villagers get used to you being a fixture here, the easier I think your transfer will be for all parties involved."

Beki's stomach turned a little as he spoke. I thought we had shelved that conversation for a while?

The school was like all the other buildings in Suna: constructed in clay brick with plaster walls and stone floor. It was cool inside; Beki didn't see any windows, the building seemed to be exclusively lit by electric lights. Gaara wove through the halls like it were his own home, eventually leading her to a room that based on the "artwork" on the bulletin board outside had to be full of kindergarten or first graders.

With a quick grin at Beki, Gaara knocked on the door. A voice beckoned them inside and Gaara opened the door to cheers. A small smile tugged involuntarily at Beki's lips. They love him, he's their hero. It was a hard act to follow but Beki crossed the threshold behind him.

The chatter stopped and Beki had sixteen pairs of eyes glued to her.

"Hello everyone," Gaara gestured to Beki. "This is the friend I told you about. She's traveled a long way here from Getsugakure."

The teacher, who Beki had just noticed, was a hard looking middle aged woman with chin length brown hair. She looked expectantly at her students: "Where is Getsugakure?"

"The Land of the Month?" One child called out.

"No," The teacher sighed. "We went over this." The children all started talking to one another, their bodies wiggling in their seats as the volume raised significantly.

"The Land of the Calendar!" Another child called out, sure of their answer.

"The Land of the Moon." Beki grinned. "That was close. You guys are clever, trying to guess based on the 'Getsu' part. Its one of those words that has more than one meaning. You know, like how a bow can be something you put in your hair or you shoot an arrow with. 'Getsu' can mean month or moon."

The teacher had been watching Beki's reaction to the ruckus. Impressed, or at least satisfied, the teacher nodded. "The Land of the Moon is in the Kaijuu Ocean to the southeast of here."

"I have an uncle with a scar that looks like a moon!" A boy called out and the teacher shushed him.

Beki smiled at the teacher and shrugged. This had nothing on wrangling preschoolers at the academy in Konoha. These kids were sitting, fully potty trained, and no one was trying to eat dirt. Or crying. Yet.

"Do you have any questions for Tsukimori san?" The teacher looked at her students. "About being a shinobi, or what its like in her village?"

A little girl raised her hand and Beki pointed at her. "Go ahead."

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

The question caught Beki off guard. She had been expecting the usual stuff about weapons or what trees looked like. Now, had she been wearing the armor, that question wouldn't have seemed so strange. It was big and boxy and flattened out anything with curves. Today Beki was wearing a pair of leggings and a blousy shirt. She made a habit of wearing sports bras so that played down her chest, but still not so much that she would expect a passerby to think she was a boy. "I'm a girl," Beki laughed, her best attempt at sounding good natured.

"Are you sure?" The girl narrowed her eyes. "Your body looks like a girl but you have a boy face."

The teacher shot her a look that could cut glass and the girl went quiet. Beki cleared her throat. "Anyone else?"

A boy called out: "If you're this big, how big are the boys in Getsu?"

"I'm tall. Even for boys in my village. People are about the same size there as they are in Suna." Beki looked at the other children. "Do you guys like going to the beach? We have beaches in Getsu, too. The water is warmer than it is by the Land of Wind because the ocean by us isn't as deep-"

"Are your eyebrows always like that?" Another little girl called out but she was deep in the pack and was too quick to be identified.

"Anything about Getsu? What any of the other kage are like? I've met all of them but the Tsuchikage-" Beki was trying to think of anything that could draw their interest and distract them from her. "Do you guys like ghost stories? We have some really scary ones from where I come from. Super spooky stuff."

"This is boring." A small voice said in the silence. "She doesn't even catch fire."

"Oh," Beki laughed uncomfortably. "That isn't something I just do whenever. I have to be upset. Really sad or angry. I'm meeting new friends today, making friends doesn't make me sad or angry." She glanced at Gaara and he gestured toward the door.

The teacher faced the class. "Say thank you to Tsukimori san."

The students stood and bowed and gave the most half hearted thank you Beki had ever heard. She followed Gaara out of the room with a confused look her face. "What was that about? Is my reputation that bad in the ninja community?"

Gaara sighed. "No, this is my fault. I might have let it slip that you had a kekke genkai that let you be on fire and not burn."

Beki furrowed her brow. "Then of course I disappointed them! There's nothing kids love more than fire!"

"I was impressed how well you kept your cool." Gaara took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I was starting to worry they had gotten under your skin. I don't know what I would do if you actually went up in public."

Beki shrugged. "As long as you aren't within arm's length you don't get more than singed."

"I meant about how you would lose all your clothes." Gaara looked her over. "That's something I like to think of as mine. I don't know what I would do if everyone in town knew what you looked like naked."

Then don't ask anyone in Konoha, Beki thought. She had borrowed aprons, flak jackets, and robes from more people than she could count. For a while, when things were really unstable, Neji got in the habit of wearing an extra undershirt in case she combusted. It was long enough to keep her decent until she could get home and had saved her from additional embarrassment more times than she could count. But Gaara wasn't Neji, and she wasn't sure what Gaara would do in that situation. Wrap her in sand? Would he have to unstrap his harness to give her his jacket, which was hot and heavy leather and would probably drag along on the ground after her? No. Beki almost laughed at the thought. He would never be around when it happened. I'd probably end up having to borrow from strangers here, too. Based on the behavior of the kids in that class and how villagers looked at her on the street, Beki wasn't so sure they'd be as chill about lending out to the girl that caught fire. Lucky for me Neji helped me get my shit together.

…

When Kankuro got home that night, he came through the door with a few steaming boxes of pizza. "What's that for?" Gaara asked.

"Hey, I know this is like your guys' little hang out time, but I get lonely too, you know," Kankuro set the pizza on the table. "I thought this might be enough to convince you guys to let me in on the fun."

"No threesomes," Beki called from the couch. Kankuro laughed but Gaara kept silent, his mouth hanging open in shock and his face twisted in horror.

"It was a joke, Gaara." Kankuro sighed. "I meant I wanted to hang out with you guys and Beki made it sound twisted."

"You make it too easy," Beki laughed as she got up from her seat. "What did you have in mind?"

Kankuro shrugged. "I don't know. We have more board games than you can shake a stick at in the hall closet."

Ugh. Beki kept a smile on her face but the idea was less than appealing. She had spent more Saturday nights than any teenager should with her friend's family instead of doing, well, teenager stuff. Hyuga family game night was one thing, now she was going to spend her vacation time playing board games with Gaara's family? Beki followed the boys to the closet anyway. At least Kankuro had a good sense of humor, and it seemed like when he was around Gaara loosened up a little, too. When he opened the door and Beki saw the options, she couldn't contain herself:

"Weeeeaaaaak."

Kankuro shot her an exasperated look. "Okay, you have to forgive the fact that somebody didn't have the patience for long games when we were kids."

Beki looked at Gaara and he shook his head. "He's talking about Temari."

"The first time we played Monopoly," Kankuro pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his mop of brown hair. "She was the bank. We had to keep our money perfectly organized, in order, and all of our properties as well."

"It eventually turned into us vs. the bank," Gaara sighed. "That was the worst twelve hours of that summer."

"It was so bad, any time we ever played it again Gaara had to be banker." Kankuro folded his arms and Beki raised an eyebrow.

"Wasn't he like, super angry and violent as a kid?"

Gaara gave her a sidelong look. "I had some good qualities, Beki."

"Yeah," Kankuro nodded. "He was always honest and fair at board games. Spam kicking asshole in video games, but a good banker."

Gaara shrugged. "Get good."

Beki shook her head and stepped past Kankuro to get a better look at the games while the boys argued about whether the zombie fire shinobi or the ice clone shinobi was better. She had no idea what they were talking about and zoned them out after a minute. There was a trivia game but the last thing Beki wanted to do was to think about obscure geography facts and try to remember the names of actors in movies from thirty years ago. There were several two player only games, which although could be run tournament style, would still ultimately end up being too boring. "Do you guys just want to play poker?"

Kankuro sighed. "Are they all that bad?"

"Do you not like card games?" Beki cocked her head.

"We just play a lot of cards." Gaara folded his arms. "Kankuro and I end up waiting for a lot of meetings together."

Beki nodded and went back to the closet. "Okay. Then how about charades?"

Kankuro gave a half shrug and a nod in assent. "Yeah, sure."

"I'm not…I'm not very good at charades," Gaara apologized.

Kankuro gave him a playful sock on the arm. "I got you." He walked over to the fridge and pulled out one of the bottom drawers. Behind the drawer, beer cans were taped to the back of the fridge. He peeled them out one by one, replaced the drawer, and closed the fridge. Gaara looked up at him with a confused expression.

"That was genius." Beki grinned. "When did you come up with that?"

Kankuro coughed. "I, uh, might have learned that from dad."

Gaara's expression darkened. "Was he a closet alcoholic?"

Kankuro held up his hand, his index finger and thumb almost touching. "A little bit."

Beki shrugged and took the offered beer. "Not bad. Thanks!"

"I figure this will help loosen everyone up." He nudged his brother. "Especially some people."

"I get you mean me," Gaara shook his head and took a beer can. "I don't see why we need this to have a good time."

"I don't know, I'm curious to see what you're like with a little alcohol in your system." Beki gave him a playful smile. "You've seen me tipsy."

Kankuro gestured to Gaara. "He couldn't get drunk when he had the One Tail. Burned through the alcohol before it hit his system."

"So is this the first time you've tried to get drunk since then?" Beki asked.

Gaara popped the top on his beer and shook his head. "I'm not going to try to get drunk."

The trio started off slow, the charades obvious. After they'd finished their beers, Kankuro went and fished more out from behind the other fridge drawer. They were higher proof than Beki was used to in a beer but her tolerance for alcohol was high. Gaara, on the other hand, and even Kankuro to some extent, were much more affected. The mood lifted and the charades got silly. It was all fun and games until Gaara put his foot through an antique screen. Almost immediately, the pair sobered up and the boys had to run out in the middle of the night to have it repaired before Temari got home. Before they ran off, Beki learned through conversation that the boys had struck up friendships with all kinds of repairmen and laundry women in the village to rescue them from Temari's wrath. It was enough to leave Beki wondering why their sister wasn't the Kazekage. Then again, no one liked living under a despot. She sat there at the kitchen table by herself and was left thinking about Hyuga family game night. For all intents and purposes, it should have been the worst day of Beki's week. Sitting in a room with a bunch of people who shared the same power, which she lacked, trying to keep up with their games was impossible. Neji always tried to find a way to include her, though. If it was his turn, he picked something in the room or described something in the gardens that Beki would immediately know. Usually it was something they had just passed by or had been talking about. There were always snacks and tea, too. Neji made sure her plate and cup were never empty.

The pizzas Kankuro had brought home were all but gone. She took the boxes into the kitchen and packed up the last few pieces. Both pizzas had been saturated in meat, totally the sort of thing brothers should be eating on a game night. The only problem was it was too much for Beki. Bacon, sausage, pepperoni, and bits of ham just looked like a stomach ache to her. It wasn't that Beki had a weak gut but she was a little sensitive to greasy food. Not that it would make her have a serious reaction; Beki would just get indigestion and maybe pay for it in the bathroom the next day. She'd managed to find a piece that hadn't been so loaded but one slice was hardly enough to hold Beki over. Beki hadn't wanted to seem rude; Kankuro had been the one to bring them home. Part of her thought about Gaara, though. Shouldn't a boyfriend be able to notice tummy problems? Beki was sure she had mentioned it at some point. He should have at least noticed that Beki had hardly eaten, when normally she scarfed down food like a farm hand. If Beki was out eating with Neji and he noticed she wasn't throwing it back, he always asked if it was okay. More than once he'd swapped plates with her and let her have the rest of his meal to spare her discomfort. Or, if she ate all of her food too quickly, Neji would let her have some of his. But that wasn't fair. Gaara didn't spend as much time with her as Neji did, so she couldn't expect Gaara to be Neji.

…

It was a beautiful, clear, moonless night. The sky in the desert wasn't a pure black, the way it looked most places. It was the deepest shade of blue, brightening to purple near the horizon. There was so little light disruption that Beki could see more stars than she'd ever seen in her life. Unfortunately, that meant it felt like the two were floating in the void. Everything around them was the purest of darkness. It was an absolute abyss with no sound. Beki kept her mind off the absolute horror of that hovering truth by focusing on the gorgeous stars above. In places, it looked like long stretches of bright clouds were in the sky. There were stars in front of them, though, more than she could ever count. Beki couldn't remember seeing the cloudlike patterns before and was trying her best to commit them to memory. There was no telling when there would be another view like this again.

The sand cloud Gaara had them on was high enough that Beki couldn't dare to look down. Despite the heat during the day, it was bitter cold at night, so the two were snuggled up under a blanket. Beki for the first time ever was grateful for the sand: where she laid warmed with her body heat and retained it. Gaara had his arm under her neck for a pillow while he held her hand in his.

"Maybe if we have time next week and things are quiet enough, we'll go back out to the beach." Gaara stroked her hand. "I think back to that weekend a lot. The good parts of it."

Beki's mind immediately went to the terrifying laugh of the One Tail, the smoke and destruction of the Akatsuki attack. "Yeah."

As they lay there, Beki could feel his breathing slow. "Oh, don't you dare fall asleep!"

"Sorry," Gaara let out a sleepy laugh. "This is just too relaxing. It's such a nice night…and having you here…" Gaara rolled over and snuggled into her neck. "I could live like this Beki."

She stayed silent but reached up and ran her nails gently along his scalp, through the mess of his scarlet hair. Beki pondered if it would be hard to run her fingers through long hair. Neji was so defensive of his; she wondered if he would even let her. Beki bet his hair would feel like silk. She could feel the sand cloud loosening and shook Gaara. "If you're falling asleep, we should go back. You can't keep up a jutsu while you're sleeping and I'm not spending the night in the desert."

"Okay." Gaara sat up and kissed her with a lethargic grin. "Let's go home." He pulled her into his arms and kept the blanket around them both as he flew. Beki had no idea how he could find his way in the dark, but Gaara got them there.

…

On the sixth day, Beki headed up to his office same as usual. As she approached the bridge, Gaara's guard called out for her to halt. She shook her head and laughed.

"Very funny. I know this is the first time you've seen me in a dress but I swear I'm not an imposter."

"The Kazekage is in an important meeting." The guard said, a hand raised. "He left instructions for you to head to his house. He will meet you there later."

Beki blinked. An emergency must have popped up. She hadn't heard any whispering or seen an unusual behavior in town earlier. Yuki hadn't mentioned anything, either, and if anyone had the pulse on a place it was hers. Whatever the crisis was it was happening outside Suna. These things happened, though, so Beki nodded and headed on her way. Gaara had left her a key to borrow in case she needed to stop in during the day. She let herself inside and stared into the empty house.

It was deathly quiet, like a school in the summertime or a hospital that had closed its doors for good. The expectant, sentient kind of quiet that saw things, knew things, and kept secrets. Beki found it unsettling. She had been in plenty of old buildings, the kind people would expect to be haunted, and yet they were always full of comforting noise. Clocks ticking, pipes banging, old floorboards popping back into place. This house kind of reminded Beki of the desert itself: seemingly empty and barren but fully alive, full of predators and prey, life and death.

There was a meticulously arranged bookshelf in the living room. Beki walked over, haphazardly picked a chapter book, and plopped unceremoniously on the couch. The book wasn't trash, disappointingly, but a dry textbook like account of politics in early Suna. The paragraphs ran together the longer Beki read them, the words blurring on the page. She scoffed and tossed the book on the coffee table as she pressed her palms to her eyes. Beki held them there, seeing stars and spots swirl as she gently applied pressure to her aching eyes. It was a little cool in the house, or at least cool enough that Beki's inactivity had caught up with her and given her a chill. She pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over herself. It was comfortable nestled into the leather with the surprisingly plush afghan to keep her warm. While Beki wondered if it was a recently made afghan or some family heirloom, she didn't notice her eyes growing heavy.

The sound of a key in the lock pulled her back into consciousness. Beki was surprised to find that the world was dark.

How long was I asleep?

"Hey," Gaara called out as he flicked on the lights. "Sorry that ran so late."

Beki shrugged as she blinked at the aggressive blinding light. "What was the emergency?"

Gaara came around the couch and sat down by her feet. Beki pulled herself up into a sitting position, still wrapped in the warm blanket. He held out a small brown paper bag and gave her a sheepish smile. "I got you something for your patience. It's your favorite."

Beki took the bag with furrowed brows. She had a lot of favorite things and this bag was too light and too cold to be a kitten. A smile broke out across her face. "Ice cream?"

Gaara nodded, his eyes expectantly on her face as she opened the bag. Beki dove in and pulled out the sundae container. The moment she laid her eyes on it, Beki froze the smile on her face. It was an enormous scoop of rocky road ice cream covered with whipped cream and bananas. No hot fudge, no cherries, and probably the worst flavor of ice cream in the world. Beki hated nothing more than having her ice cream experience ruined by a wad of freeze dried marshmallow grating against her teeth or biting down on an unexpected hunk of almond. It was the ice cream equivalent of a cement mixer full of the trash of the toppings world. "Thanks, Gaara."

His eyes were on her the whole time as she popped open the lid and started picking through the ice cream, carefully flicking out bits of junk so she could get one good spoonful of plain ice cream. The worst part for Beki was knowing that Gaara hated sweets. He had gone out of his way to get her ice cream and couldn't even make an educated guess as to what she liked. So now Gaara was just going to sit there and watch Beki as she forced down one of the worst sundaes she had eaten in her life. Beki felt the telltale hard sponge texture of marshmallow and forced herself to just swallow the rest of the bite whole. She couldn't help but think back to the last time she had ice cream with Neji. Not only did he have her whole order memorized, but other times when they had gotten ice cream together, he always made good choices, too. If Beki wanted a bite of what he had, it was always something she would never think to get, like pistachio, but it was always so good. Sometimes she'd end up eating more of his ice cream than hers. But there would be no sharing here, no chance Gaara had picked a better choice and they could share. Gaara wasn't Neji.

"Now that you're appeased," Gaara began.

Hardly.

"I have to break some news to you."

The door opened again and Kankuro came inside, his face haggard. "Hey. You have a chance to tell her yet?"

Gaara shook his head. "Just getting to it now."

Beki gave him a questioning look. "Well now my curiosity's stirred. What's going on?"

"There's something that I've been working on for a while. I didn't bring it up because, frankly, I didn't know if it was going to happen." Gaara pat her foot affectionately on top of the blanket. "For the first time in decades, there is going to be a meeting between the five kage."

"Wow," Beki's eyes widened. "That's…significant."

"Yes," Gaara smiled, reassured by Beki's understanding. "It will be in the Land of Iron and there isn't much time to prepare. Kankuro and I are going to have to leave soon to make it there in time. I guess they've been keeping the arrangements under wraps until the absolute last second as an added security measure."

Beki shrugged. "Well, cool. I can come along. I'll just send Ishida a letter letting him know that I'll be out for a few extra weeks. Mom can go back to Konoha in the meantime."

Gaara looked her square in the eye and took on the gentle tone a parent would use to break bad news to their child. "I can't take you with me, Beki. There are some important matters we'll need to discuss."

"Everyone but the Tsuchikage knows me, Gaara." Beki explained. "I won't be in the meetings or anything. I'll just do what I've been doing here: you'll go and take care of the business for the day and I'll just hang with you when you get out. The important thing is that we spend time together, right?"

"If I bring a foreign power with me to the Five Kage Summit, I won't seem objective. I'm young, Beki. I have to prove myself as someone who is worthy of title of kage." Gaara reached out and took ahold of her hand as he spoke. "Even if you weren't an ambassador, it would be poor taste for me to bring along a plus one. The security for this event is staggering and they all know I am aware of that. If I bring someone who hasn't been cleared in advance, even if they know you, it'll start things off on a bad note."

Beki's heart sank. As she watched him talk, it was as if his face slowly changed until he was a different person, a stranger. She felt a chord pluck inside her and her lip curled into a bitter smile. "So, nothing's changed."

Gaara sighed. "No, Beki. I would really like to spend some quality time with you, too. But with the state that the world is in...it's just going to have to wait."

"You do realize how many times we've had this conversation? How many times you've told me you're sorry, that it's going to get better, I have to be patient," Beki took her hands back from him and folded them in her lap. "It's been two, almost three years, Gaara, and nothing has changed. Nothing is getting better and it's never going to because you will never change."

Beki could feel her temper flaring, boiling to the surface, and putting pressure in her throat. It was building up to the point of explosion but Beki took a deep breath to stop herself from yelling. "I have done everything I could to compromise. I have tried so hard to be understanding and patient and I get nothing in return." Beki shook her head and sighed. "This week has been nice but it wasn't real. You getting off early, taking me out, staying with me through the night…it was just a show. This," Beki gestured to the slowly melting ice cream in her lap and then at Gaara. "This is the reality. Sitting around, waiting for you to show up with only an empty apology and a request to wait again."

"I appreciate your patience, Beki," Gaara tried to touch her but she swatted his hand away. It was obvious she was upset; he knew this was disappointing for her. "I haven't been the best boyfriend when it comes to putting you first. My village needs me, Beki. There are things that only I can do and so, unfortunately, what I want and what is needed of me often are in conflict."

Beki closed the ice cream back up and put it in the bag. She stood up from the couch, letting the blanket slip onto the floor as she tossed the bag on the coffee table. Gaara watched her as she scooped up her bag and started stuffing on her shoes. "I love you, Beki, more than I've loved anything in my life. You have helped me so much. You make me feel normal." Beki said nothing, so he continued, compelled to fill the stretching silence between them. "I know this is difficult to deal with-" Gaara stood up and tried to wrap his arms around her. Beki side stepped away and glanced around the room, making sure not a single item of hers was left behind. "Beki." He said softly. There was a time where hearing Gaara say her name sent a thrill through Beki but now, all she felt was disappointment. The words had been bouncing around in her head all week but now they took on a whole different meaning, one that made her decision clear: Gaara wasn't Neji.

Beki became aware of a small weight pressing against her chest and fished out the necklace Gaara had given her. She pulled it over her head and tossed it at him. "Here," Beki took ahold of the door handle and looked at him over her shoulder. There was a foreign coldness, an intensity to her eyes Gaara had never seen before. "We're done. That's it, no more. When I get back to Konoha, I'm going to file a formal request that another ambassador be assigned to Suna. That way we don't have to keep this up any more. You will have no reason to contact me and we never have to see each other again."

"I know you're angry with me." Gaara wanted to try to touch her again. He wanted to comfort her and reestablish the bond between them. Just by her body language, he knew that was the last thing Beki wanted. "When I get back from the Summit, we'll talk this all out. Just like we always do."

"Goodbye, Kazekage sama." Beki opened the door and stepped out into the night. She heard her name but ignored it, not slowing her pace or taking her eyes off the horizon until she was outside the inn.

Kankuro watched the door shut behind Beki and slowly turned to look at his brother. "Gaara, that…that sounded pretty permanent."

Gaara shook his head. "She's just really upset right now." He looked down at the pendant she had thrown at him. It was still warm from the contact with her skin. It had been full of his chakra infused sand. Over time, her chakra had seeped into it so Gaara felt a little bit of both of them inside it. The sensation was comforting, a physical representation of their bond. It was a promise he had made to her of the future they would share. "I didn't tell you this but when she first arrived in Suna we had a fight. I had really hurt her with something I did. We worked it out but I think that she was still carrying some hurt from that fight into this one."

"Gaara, that didn't sound emotional at all." Kankuro pointed at the door. "She just cut the cord. You need to go out there right now and catch it before it slips off the boat."

"Okay, Kankuro, you go to the Kage summit for me and I'll stay here and fix my relationship with my girlfriend." Gaara threw up his hands and looked at Kankuro indignantly.

Kankuro paused and sighed. "I get it."

"No, no one here seems to get it. I'm the Kazekage. There are things that only I can do. That means I don't have a choice in the matter, either." He sighed. "We've been through worse. No matter what's happened, Beki and I are always able to come to a solution. Once I'm back from the summit and she's had some time to cool off we can sit down and talk it out."

"Things were going really well for you guys this week," Kankuro rubbed the back of his head. "I don't think I've ever seen you this happy. To be honest, I haven't heard that much laughter in this house since before Uncle died."

Gaara shook his head. "I know. Beki thinks this means we're over. But if I've learned anything since meeting Naruto, it's to never give up. There's got to be a way to earn back her trust."

Kankuro sighed. He wished he could help his little brother through this, but in his experience, there was no coming back from things like this. "If there is a way, Gaara, it's something 'only you can do'."

Yuki was surprised by Beki's sudden intrusion but she was at least dressed, for once. A joke died on Yuki's lips and the smile faded at the sight of Beki's face. "What happened, kiddo? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Beki said as she crossed over to her duffle bag and started packing up. "Better than ever, actually. Gaara made up my mind for me."

Yuki held still as she watched her daughter, searching for signs of emotional pain or injury. Beki moved quickly around the room but her movements were careful and measured. The girl was eager to get out of town but not frantic, the way a person would be during an emotional overreaction. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"If you don't mind, we have the whole journey ahead of us to talk and I want to get out of this Godforsaken town as fast as possible," Beki zipped up her bag and looked expectantly at her mother. "The second those gates are out of sight, we'll never have to look at them again."

Yuki shrugged and started gathering her own things. "You have a plan to make sure that happens?"

"If the king wants to negotiate a deal with the Kazekage, he can send Ishida to do it." Beki heaved a sigh. "If he insists he won't work with anyone but me, I'll resign. They can't force me to be an ambassador."

Yuki nodded. "If that's what you want, I've got your back." They spent the next few minutes in silence as Yuki packed up the last of her things and did a quick once over of the room. "Okay. Let's get the hell out of here."

…

Instead of having to head straight back to Konoha and face the walk of shame of coming home from Suna early again, Yuki and Beki took a detour. On the more hospitable side of the border, the pair found a clearing in the trees alongside the wall of cliff and made camp. Beki had been seething, her movements antsy from her pent-up frustration for two days. Yuki proposed a simple solution: destruction.

The temperature in the clearing was about ten degrees lower than the surrounding forest, a fog forming at their feet. There was so much moisture in the air Yuki barely had to concentrate as she formed ice clone after ice clone, just for Beki to smash them to smithereens with a tree limb she'd crudely carved into a club. Yuki winced at the increasing savagery of each blow. "Beks, could you maybe not look so hateful as you break the clones? They look like me, you know. I can't help but take it a little personally."

"I'M JUST SO ANGRY!" Beki smashed another clone, bringing the club down through it from head to groin. Yuki narrowed her eyes and concentrated on the formation of the next one, making the next clone a solid block of ice. As Beki swung the club with all her strength, it connected with the side of the clone but instantly rebounded. The kickback rang Beki like a bell and dropped her to the ground.

"Still grouchy I see," Yuki folded her arms and chuckled. "I thought you said you weren't really broken up about it."

"I'm not," Beki sighed. "I mean, not really upset. Just…kind of upset."

"Did you cave?" Yuki asked and after a pause, Beki replied with a sigh:

"Yes. I got wrapped up in the fairy tale of having all his time and attention. I dropped my guard and put out because I'm a moron and thought that this time things were going to work out."

A small silence passed between them. Just as Beki began to bring herself back up onto her feet, Yukihana's voice sounded:

"Why would you do that if you were on your way to breaking up with him?"

Beki sighed and shrugged. "I…I've only ever slept with Gaara. Being alone with him in bed after a romantic night, I got caught up in it. It's something we've only done, like, less than a dozen times. It was always exciting but this time…I don't know. It was just like everything else this trip. Physically it was fine, but I just felt so emotionally empty afterwards. I don't know how else to explain it. He knows my body and what I like, he was my boyfriend, everything went exactly how it should of. Even when we were cuddling afterwards I just felt like I should have felt something…more."

When Yuki finally spoke, Beki was surprised at how easily she'd been let off the hook: "So, did you and your dad ever talk about what you should look for in a good relationship?"

After a few moments, Beki finally replied: "No. We never really got around to it."

"I know you feel like I'm always lecturing you," Yuki threw up her hands submissively. "But hear me out. I'll keep it simple so we aren't here all day."

Beki rolled her eyes. "Alright, go ahead Yuki."

Yuki waited until Beki was back up in a sitting position. Once they had eye contact, Yuki held up her thumb. "This is Yuki's ironclad 5 relationship rules. First of all, your partner needs to be responsible. Kind of like a parent, taking care of you and calling you out on all the ways you forget to take care of yourself, someone kind of like…" Yuki looked up at the sky, her eyes narrowing as she tried to pull a name out of the air. "Neji."

"Dad away from dad. Got it." Beki sighed. "What's next."

"He has to be taller than you. No one likes having to forgo wearing heels and sitting in photos for the rest of their life. Who do I know your age that's tall enough…" Yuki tapped her chin. "Oh, Neji." Yuki raised her index finger. "Then there's attraction. They have to be handsome enough that you're attracted to them. You know who's pretty good looking? Neji. Neji's so attractive I don't think boys or girls could tell him 'no'."

Beki opened her mouth to protest but Yuki gave her a stern look and raised the next finger. "Your partner has to be intelligent, too. Either on your level or higher. Nothing is more boring than talking to someone who's not as smart as you all the frigging time. Imagine having to constantly explain things over and over or having them misunderstand you on a regular basis." Yuki pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, as if searching for a memory. "Didn't you say Neji was a genius?"

Beki stared her mother down, her thinning patience clear in her tone. "Yes. What are you getting at here?"

Yuki held up her other hand for patience as she raised her ring finger for the previous point. "Hold on, there's one more. Number five being-" Yuki held up her pinky. "They have to have a big dick."

"Like Neji, I got it!" Beki blurted but then caught herself. She gasped sharply and clapped her hands over her mouth as a wicked, catlike grin bared Yuki's too white teeth.

"So, I was right about his endowments," Yuki's eyes gleamed mischievously as she tapped her fingertips together. "And you, my dear, have seen them first hand?"

Beki kept her hands clamped over her mouth and looked away.

"Or have you more than just seen it?" Yuki formed an ice clone and it crouched down and poked her, its Cheshire grin an exact replica of its original's. "Not that it would have been that difficult for you two to have gotten into some trouble together. You've had plenty of opportunities-"

"It was an accident!" Beki's face was hot with embarrassment. She didn't need a mirror to know her cheeks were bright scarlet. "He was using Hinata's shower and I went in there to talk to her AND THE HYUUGA ALL LOOK THE SAME FROM BEHIND!"

Yuki burst out laughing. She fell over in her fit of girlish giggling, kicking her legs and punching the air in excitement, her voice a high-pitched squawk: "I KNEW IT!"

Beki reached over and slapped at Yuki's clone, her only chance at retaliation. "Stop! No one else knows!"

Yuki shook her head, her face still split in a wide grin. "Oh, I pegged you so well. Both of you, you nerds!"

"How does that make us nerds!?" Beki folded her arms. "I imagine you've seen your share of naked people, both on purpose and accidentally-"

"No, because you're both so damned into each other but you're both too chicken to say so!" Yuki sighed. "I mean, come on. Have you seen how he looks at you? Neji stares at you the way a lost sailor gazes joyously at the first sight of land."

Beki shook her head, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I'm not his type."

"The hell you aren't his type!" Yuki jumped to her feet and stared Beki down. "Why do you think that?"

"He's told me he likes someone." Beki hugged herself a little tighter.

The gesture didn't escape Yuki's notice but she let it slide for the moment. "Did he say who?'

"No," Beki looked at Yuki. "But wouldn't that be a weird thing to say to the person you liked?"

"Did you ask him who it was?" Yuki put her hands on her hips.

Beki shook her head.

"Was there an expectant silence, like he was waiting for you to ask?" Yuki raised an eyebrow.

Beki was silent for a moment as she recalled the conversation. "Yes, now that you mention it. Wait…Are you saying he was going to tell me it was me if I asked?"

"Yes! And that's the problem! You're both so back door about everything!" Yuki sighed in frustration. "I would bet a year's salary that if you walked up to him and said 'I like you' he would be your boyfriend on the spot."

Beki's brows knit. "I mean, I do like him. I…I was thinking about it the whole time I was in Suna. Neji had been ignoring me for a while. Once he started talking to me again I realized how much I had missed him. No one knows me like he does. He is the best friend I've ever had and it's weird for me, thinking back on everything in a different light. I would talk to him about it to try to figure things out but to be honest I'm kind of scared. Just a few weeks ago we weren't even talking to each other, and now I'm going to run up and be like, 'hey, Neji, I really think you and me should be a couple'. Plus, I literally just dumped Gaara and it would look super suspicious, like I'm rebounding with him. I don't know what it is because he won't tell me, but I think I did something that really hurt Neji. Even if he likes me back, he might turn me down because of it."

"I've seen you with both of them." Yuki interrupted. "Back when you were into Gaara, you looked at Gaara the way a kid looks at cotton candy. They want it but they don't need it. It's a treat they'll forget about in twenty minutes. Neji, on the other hand," Yuki chuckled maliciously. "Whenever you're in trouble, scared, or something happens that you're happy or proud of, your head snaps up and you look around until you find Neji. I've even seen you pass up Hinata as your first pick when he's around."

Beki felt something strange in her chest. Yuki was right. Without realizing it, Beki was always looking for Neji. Whenever she was in trouble, he had always turned up and helped her. Was that why, because Beki had started to expect him to show up and save her? No, that wasn't it. She was having such a good time at the festival before Ren's accident. Beki remembered that she kept scanning the crowd, hoping to catch his face. Then again, after the Akatsuki attack in Konoha, the only person Beki wanted to see afterwards was Neji. "So, what would you say that is? Do I just have a crush on him?" Beki asked, trying to hide the mounting anxiety inside her.

"I think you liked Gaara. I think you liked the idea of him, the memories you shared, the growing up you got to do together," Yuki leaned in closer. "But he kept hurting you. You kept guilting yourself into staying with him because you liked him as a person and he needed you. But you were giving so much more than you were getting. Although he loved you, it wasn't enough. He wasn't enough, his kind of love wasn't what you needed. That's why you walked away. How have you felt since you left?"

"We really did have some good times together. I felt guilty about that and because he isn't technically doing anything wrong, like cheating on me or hitting me." Beki explained. "I felt selfish, too, for leaving him because his job kept getting in the way. But mostly, it's been anger. I've been angry with myself for letting it go on so long, for not saying anything sooner, for guilting myself into staying with someone that most of the time probably forgot I existed."

Yuki listened patiently until her daughter finished. "And how have you felt about Neji lately?"

Beki cast Yuki a suspicious look. "What rabbit hole are you leading me down?"

"The path of self-discovery," Yuki waved her along. "Humor me here. I think you're going to have a breakthrough."

"I thought you were a priestess, not a shrink." Beki stuck out her tongue and Yuki's clone touched it. Beki cried in disbelief and spit. "Ew!"

"What did you think was going to happen?" Yuki gave her a self-satisfied grin. "You left it open."

Beki rolled her eyes and sighed. "Neji was always really warm and helpful towards me but then he...well, things got weird for a while. That stuff with Ren, and then he was avoiding me, and now he's talking to me again like nothing happened. He said it was because I'm going to go back to Getsu and he's really going to miss me. Neji said that by pulling back, he was trying to soften the blow of losing me."

"Aaand that makes you feel how?" Yuki batted her eyes at Beki, who ignored her.

"Neji is such a smart guy. Avoiding me because he's going to miss me eventually sounds like something a stupid person would do." Beki shook her head. "I didn't feel like he was lying to me as he was explaining it, but the story just doesn't add up. Does that make sense?"

Yuki nodded but didn't add anything. Beki waited for her mother to speak but after several agonizing moments she decided to fill the silence herself. "I mean, we have done everything together. I run errands with him, train with his squad, sat with him at every game night-"

"Told him all your secrets, shared all your stories, supported each other through every crisis," Yuki smiled knowingly.

"What's that face?" Beki furrowed her brow.

"What do you think?" Yuki laughed. "Sounds to me like you're in love with him. Not that carnal, I-just-want-your-body kind of way. He's your friend, your partner. Your soulmate."

Beki stared up at the sky, her mother's words rattling around in her head. As she sat there chewing on the idea, Yuki walked over and plopped down beside Beki, dispelling the clone with a snap. "Think about it this way, Beks. What would you do if you lost Neji? Cold turkey, right now you can never see him again."

"I...I don't know what I would do." Beki shook her head, the confusion so thick on her face it was almost painful.

"How about if he started seeing someone else? Seriously dating them, and then they got married and had a baby-" Yuki started.

"Stop!" Beki threw her hands over her eyes. "Okay! You've made your point! I would be horrifically jealous and downright morose." When she thought Neji was with Ren, it was jealously, pure ugly green jealousy. She had hated herself for hating her best friend because Beki thought Ren was trying to take Neji away from her. The realization made her sick, the same way Gaara bringing her ice cream had made her sick. It had been all wrong, and with Neji it had been completely right.

Beki's heart was racing. It was terrible, all those feelings bubbling to the surface and demanding to be acknowledged once and for all. It was true, all so terribly true that she loved him. Worse yet, the further back she looked, the longer Beki realized she had been in love with him. When Beki had been sad at the festival, Neji showing up had made one of the worst days of her life so much better. The day her dad died, Neji was the one who came to her rescue. He had carried her out of the darkness as gently as he would have a newborn baby. After that, when Beki was emotionally unstable and didn't have full control of her Burned Maiden powers, Neji held her tight when she thought was going to lose control and blow up. It had worked. Time and time again, when Neji came to help her, it worked.

Maybe it was losing her dad that made her so unwilling to realize her feelings for Neji and to give her heart away completely. It would be too much to love and trust with such depth and so exhaustively that if something ever happened to him, it would ruin her. If Beki let herself admit it and caved into her heart's guidance, Beki would be vulnerable again. It had been safer staying with Gaara because it never went anywhere. He hurt her all the time in little ways but since her father died, Beki had built somewhat of a protective skin against him. This, though, this new love she was facing was going to open her to a whole new world of possible pain. "I can't. I can't do it, Yuki. I can't give someone that kind of power over me. Not after how long I've made a moron of myself with the Kazekage-"

Yuki groaned. "Stop it. Stop with your whole tragic attitude and trying to protect yourself from shit you should be running towards. This kind of love is the best thing that can happen to a person. You're lucky you even have a shot at finding your soulmate." She reached over and took Beki's hand. "Listen, sweetheart. You are going to look back and wonder why the hell you didn't do this sooner. If you two take care of each other the way you do now, there isn't a whole lot more a person can ask for in life."

"Is that why you're always with Kakashi? Because he takes care of you?" Beki gave her mother the side eye and felt Yuki tense.

"We aren't talking about me today." Yuki laughed uncomfortably. "That's a whole set of issues for another volume."

"If I have to bare my soul, so do you!" Beki shoulder bumped her. "So, do you like the old man or not?!"

"No!" Yuki looked like she was experiencing physical pain. "Yes! I actually really do! And I'm supposed to be an unfeeling sociopath, Beki! Your dad was a fluke and I only love you because I'm an egotistical maniac and half of you is me. But Kakashi has this way of getting under my skin...he can figure out exactly what I'm thinking. And he's so damn respectful it drives me nuts! I try to seduce him but he just looks me in the eye, no matter how little I'm wearing. If I make a sexy comment, his response is always so gentlemanly!"

"I'm going to need an example," Beki suppressed a smile. It was refreshing seeing Yuki in distress for a change.

"Well, I'll be like, 'Do me' as a joke and he'll be like 'Let me take you to dinner first'." Yuki shook her head. "What do you say to that?!"

Beki laughed. "He's got you in a box."

"I know!" Yuki slammed her fist into the dirt. "He's always so cool and collected. I could almost write him off as boring, but then he has this secret dorky side that is ridiculously cute when you consider the body count he's trailing around."

"What is it with you and body count?" Beki sighed.

Yuki shook her head. "Look, the only logical conclusion I can come to on why that man is so perfect is because he was made in a lab."

Beki laughed. "What?!"

"Hear me out," Yuki held up her hands. "There's been one mad scientist from that village. Why wouldn't there have been more? He's clearly a Konoha government secret experiment meant to leave the most stalwart of women weak kneed and stupid."

"Government experiment or not, if I have to confess to Neji, you have to confess to Kakashi." Beki stood and clapped the dust off her hands. "That's the only way this is going to happen."

"Uh uh," Yuki shook her head. "You don't turn my own game around on me."

Beki shrugged. "Then I guess we're going to be miserable and alone together."

"Fine, dammit." Yuki groaned and stood up. "I swear, though, if this goes wrong I'm out. I'll go live in the wilderness."

Beki rolled her eyes. "Whatever, drama queen. When do we do this? I can't take any more waiting. I'm ready to do this as soon as we get back."

Yuki's eyes widened. "No! I agreed to confess. You can't impose a time restriction now!"

"If we don't do this soon, we're both going to weasel our way out with excuses." Beki slammed her fist into her palm. "When we get back, let's feel things out. Give it what, a week? At the end of said week, if either of us has chickened out we need to do something horrifyingly humiliating."

"We have to hang our underwear from the flagpole on top of the Hokage's mansion." Yuki folded her arms.

A chill went down Beki's spine. The image of her crying in front of the mansion popped into Beki's head, everyone laughing at her as she hoisted her teddy bear undies up the flagpole. "That's perfect. It's awful enough that rejection would be less embarrassing."

Yuki scratched her chin. "I'd have to do my bra, then. I could deal if it was just my underwear."

"Why your bra?" Beki gave her a confused look.

"Because a good bra is hard for me to find. It would be a true loss." Yuki sighed. "Curse you for making me do this."

Beki gave her a wicked smile. "Isn't that what we're supposed to do? Push each other?"

Yuki gave a frustrated sigh and held her arms out towards the road. "Well then, cupcake, after you."

* * *

 **Needless to say, I think its pretty obvious I'm not writing Neji out of the story. Since a lot of development happened here, I'll be really interested to know what you guys think. I want you all to know I hear you when you message me but I had all this planned out. I wanted things to make sense from a story perspective rather than to fully cater to people's requests. I have to keep the character's personalities, experiences, and perspective in mind when I'm writing. As always, I hope you all enjoyed this installment of ToTM.**


	101. Whiskey and Sacred Ground

**Hi everyone, we have another long one here. Just as a reminder, I don't have a consistent posting schedule. I try for once a week or every other week, but with my work/family/etc situations that pop up there can be hiatuses of about four weeks (my longest was six, I think). During these periods I'm still writing content in bulk for editing/posting later. That's why we've had such a fast posting schedule the last few weeks: I had about forty pages of content ready for editing and posting. This is the tail end of that bulk writing, folks, so you can almost be guaranteed a slower schedule for a while. Another side note I would like to throw in here is this is not primarily a NaruxHina story. NaruxHina is the canon of my story and they have their moments, but Love, Hinata is where you need to go if you're looking for their relationship. I really don't have time to work on it here with what I'm trying to do with my story. That being said, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!**

* * *

It wasn't long after sunset that Yuki and Beki passed through the gates of Konoha. The whole trip back had felt like the world righting itself: they had gone from barren desert to rich, dense forests full of the fiery colors of an early fall. The leaves crunching underfoot had a spicy smell, sharp and tart like cinnamon. There was moisture in the air and the temperature dropped cool enough to make Beki's nose run. Yuki's energy levels perked up quite a bit during the journey, making her more pleasant company all around. Konoha wasn't Getsu, but it was enough to feel like home when Beki saw it.

Yuki offered to walk Beki to the Hyuga compound but she turned her down. Beki knew that Yuki needed a break. For all the time Beki had spent with Gaara in Suna, Yuki had been stuck keeping herself busy in the meantime. When Beki did eventually reach the gates of The Hyuga compound, she found herself torn. What should she do if she saw Neji? Part of her wanted to get the whole thing over with. Now that she'd finally made up her mind and stopped being a damn fool, Beki just really wanted to tell him. If he liked her back, cool. If not...well, with how many bridges she was burning this week, it might not be a bad idea to put in for that final transfer back to Getsu. Then again, the idea of confronting Neji now that she knew she loved him was terrifying. Would she even be able to bring herself to say all the things she had been pouring over in her mind over and over again, or would she choke?

Beki had been through a lot in the last week and a half. She decided if she saw Neji, she would be friendly but would keep her revelations to herself for now. What Beki really wanted was to take a shower, wash her clothes, and start in on the paperwork that had inevitably piled up in her absence. Luckily, Neji was nowhere to be found. The last few hundred meters to Hinata's house were empty. For once, Beki didn't have to worry about stripping down or dumping off her armor for cleaning on the patio. She unlocked the door and walked inside.

The kitchen was empty but smelled like a meal had been recently cooked there. It was a hearty, savory scent that made Beki's stomach growl. She patted her monster belly and shushed it; if she knew Hinata, there were sure to be enough leftovers to sate the beast. After she'd taken off her shoes, Beki threw her duffle bag by the washer and opened the fridge.

Soft footfalls on the stairs caught her attention. Beki leaned around the open door to see Naruto peeking at her around the corner. "Oh, hey Beki. Didn't think you'd be back so soon."

Beki shrugged. "Something came up."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Kage stuff?"

"There's a kage summit, I guess." Beki said as she went back to fishing in the fridge, feeling each tupperware to see what was warm. "I had to leave so he could prepare."

"Tough break, Beki," Naruto gave her a sympathetic pout. "When are you guys going to get together again, or did you not have time to work that out?"

Beki shook her head as she pulled out the container full of fragrant soup. "We aren't going to meet up again."

Naruto twisted his face in thought. "Oh. So, you guys are just putting a pin in it till an opportunity comes up?"

"No, Naruto, Gaara and I broke up." Beki sighed as she closed the fridge. She pulled a bowl out of the cupboard and started spooning soup into it. "This was our last shot to work things out and it fell on its face. End of story."

Naruto cocked his head. "Was that your idea or Gaara's?"

"It was mine." Beki put the soup in the microwave with a paper towel to stop splatters and started it for a minute. The whirr of the machine drowning out some of the conversation.

"Beki, you can't dump Gaara like that." Naruto raised his hands. "I know he's probably the most awkward guy I've ever met but he has a heart of gold. You should hear him talk about you. The man thinks you're an angel."

"It doesn't matter what he _thinks_ of me. What matters is how he _treats_ me." Beki explained. "For the last year or so, our relationship has been circling the drain. This trip was just the thing that finally cut the cord."

"So now you guys just have to work together like none of this happened?" Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion. "I can tell you right now that isn't going to work. He's in love with you. He's going to fight to save this."

"That's why I'm putting in a formal request to no longer serve as ambassador to Suna. I'll keep my assignment in Konoha, probably have to trade Ishida for the Mist. You know what, that would probably make him really happy. The Mizukage always wanted to get her talons in dad and probably has been giving Ishida a hard time for being...well, Ishida." Beki shook her head. "That's something else for me to work out."

Naruto frowned. "So, just like that, you're throwing away your whole relationship with him? You aren't going to even be his friend anymore?!"

"People can't stay friends after a breakup like this, Naruto. I don't ever want to see him again because, like you said, Gaara doesn't know how to take no for an answer." She shot Naruto a dirty look. "I wonder who he learned that from?"

"You can't just give up on your friends, Beki…" Naruto half growled.

For the first time since she met him, Naruto looked angry. Beki had never noticed the sharpness to his teeth before, or was that new? There was a strange sensation creeping across Beki's skin. It was like a tiny electric current, inching up her arm, across her back, and down her legs. Her hair was standing on end. Danger. Beki's body was sensing danger. Looking at the intensity of those blue eyes, the determined set of his mouth, Naruto was a force to be reckoned with. A person couldn't really be blamed for caving under that kind of pressure, but a Tsukimori held the line.

"I'm not a quitter. My time is just too valuable to be wasted." Beki folded her arms and stared him down. "Gaara should be with a girl from Suna, someone who knows and understands what she's getting herself into being with a Kage. I thought I was ready for that, but I was wrong. I kick myself for it all the time because now I've screwed up a relationship with a kage, which plenty of people tried to warn me against but I was too lovestruck to listen. Now that could be permanent stain on my career. That's something I just have to live with-"

"But what about love, Beki? Don't you love him? Gaara loves you. There isn't a question about that," Naruto forced out with exasperation. "Some people live and die without ever feeling loved. What makes you so special that you think that you can just throw that away and break people's hearts?!"

"Because I'm grown up enough to recognize that love isn't enough!" Beki's voice raised ever so slightly. She felt her skin grow hot, noticed the slight glow coming off her skin as it reflected off the counters and appliances. Naruto's frown deepened and Beki could swear his face looked more animal-like than before. "Gaara doesn't need me to just love him. He needs patience and understanding. He needs someone that is going to be able to dedicate their entire life to thinking about his struggles and his needs and putting them before their own. Someone who is going to be willing to have and raise his kids all by themselves in the face of constant public ridicule. That isn't me, Naruto. I can't give him that. I busted my ass trying but I couldn't be that person."

"So you're just copping out and saying you're selfish, excusing your way out of responsibility on some character flaw." Naruto retorted. "You aren't perfect. No one is. If you just admit to yourself what you need to work on and work on it every day, eventually it gets better and-"

"So what about my needs, Naruto?" Beki put a hand on her hip and supported herself by placing the other on the counter. "What about how I've never really had a home, constantly had to man up and take all the pot shots people have aimed at me my whole life with gritted teeth? The way people tried to manipulate me, threatened me to get to my father? How much it hurt every time my dad had to leave me behind, how much of a normal childhood I missed out on because he had to drag me along? Is it so wrong for me to see a life with Gaara as worse than where I started, to see all that pain I've been going through my whole life and saying 'no more'." Beki watched Naruto's expression as she spoke. The anger was still there, but bless him, he was listening. As scary as he was Beki had to appreciate that about Naruto. Even when he was mad, he could be reasoned with. "Gaara had a shit childhood, so did you. In my own way, so did I. I want a home, Naruto. I want a friend, a partner, someone who doesn't have to ask me to stand on my own. Someone that isn't such a public figure that I can never relax or be myself in public. I need to be taken care of, Naruto. The way that you and Hinata take care of each other. Gaara can never give me that. So that means if I can't give Gaara what he needs and he can't give me what I need, we're keeping each other from the people who can."

Naruto's expression had softened but he was still angry with her. Beki could take it. As much as she liked and respected Naruto, his opinion of her wasn't going to shove her in a direction she didn't want to go. Stubbornness could be a double edged sword like that. Beki had made wrong decisions about Gaara for a long time but now that she'd fixed it, the devil himself couldn't force her back. Even if the devil was her friend.

"I don't agree with you." Naruto folded his arms, his gaze never wavering. "I hear what you're saying but I still think you're wrong. I think that if two people really care about each other and they want to fix things, they can make things work."

"Naruto, if you break a dish and glue it back together over and over again, it might still work as a plate for a while, but it isn't pretty. The pattern gets all mixed up and the shape warps. Eventually you start losing little bits and you either fill the whole with something else or use more glue. In relationships, that glue or filling are things like drinking, turning to other people to satisfy what you aren't getting in your relationship, taking on a million jobs so you never have to be home. After a while, it isn't even a plate anymore and it serves no purpose."

"What's your solution then?" Naruto asked, his tone softening to a more quizzical one.

"I told you. You get a different plate." Beki folded her arms.

"I'll go with your plate…thing." Naruto gestured to the cabinet. "So that's what you do whenever there's a crack? You just get another plate? Is there an infinite number of plates you get to go through every time you run into a problem?"

"No." Beki shook her head. "You use plates, right? They get chipped and scratched up all the time. Chips and scratches, even a minor break can be fixed. The problems Gaara and I had were shattering drops. You and Hinata just have scratches, I don't even think you guys have chips. Maybe when you have kids you might, they complicate things. But even a chipped-up plate works."

Naruto shook his head and pressed his fingers to his temples. "It's your life, Beki. Just remember what you do with it can hurt the people around you."

"I get that he's your friend, Naruto. I don't want to make it sound like I hate Gaara's guts. I think he's a good person and an even better Kage." Beki explained, feeling some of the tension relax in her back. "We just weren't right for each other and the only way I think either of us is going to end up with what we need is for us to stop pretending we need each other."

"Just…" Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Maybe hold off on sending that letter about assigning yourself somewhere else. Even if...maybe if you guys aren't right for each other, Gaara doesn't have a lot of friends and I know you do care about him. He can use all the help he can get, Beki. Don't leave him out in the cold."

Beki nodded. "I'll see what I can do." He waved her off and headed back upstairs muttering to himself. Beki knew Naruto meant well. His fierce dedication to his friends was definitely a notch in the "good" category of character traits. Then again, though, such absolute devotion had a tendency of blinding people to the facts. And the fact was Beki would never be able to have a functional work relationship with Gaara. She restarted the microwave and pulled out her soup when it was done. Beki ate the soup standing up at the counter, washed the bowl and spoon and put them away. After pulling out her toiletries and a book, Beki dumped the contents of her duffle bag into the washer and started the load. She stood there, stewing over her emotions for a while as the washer filled with water. A thought took seed: the less Beki was reminded of him, the faster she could put Gaara behind her. With her duffle bag in hand, Beki headed upstairs to her room.

Lucky for her over the course of their relationship, Gaara hadn't given her much. The biggest thing was the necklace, which she had left behind with him in Suna. Beki kept all of her correspondences with him in a shoebox, which Seiichiro would have had a heart attack over. Then again, she had no real office space to speak of and everyone she communicated with had their own shoe box. Ishida had two shoe boxes now and they were all meticulously organized. Beki took down Gaara's shoe box and started going through the letters one by one. The ones from before her appointment as ambassador went right on the floor. After that, Beki took out the personal letters and dumped those on the floor. The ones that contained professional correspondence regarding treaties and the like she opened up on her desk. One by one, Beki went through the letters and blacked out the intimate bits with a pen and then a black marker, effectively redacting their relationship from their letters. Once they had been gutted until they were completely professional, Beki packed them back up in their envelopes and put them back in the shoe box. Beki sat down at her writing desk and began her letter to Ishida. She used the standard opening her father had taught her but got stuck on the body. This wasn't going to be easy. Ishida was a diplomat through and through and Beki had made a massive faux pas. Not only had she had an intimate relationship with someone she worked with but now she needed to sever that completely. It would be dumping a ton of work on Ishida's lap, not only from a paperwork perspective but also with how much crap he would have to deal with from Gaara. Beki had single-handedly soured relations with a major ninja village because two years ago red hair and green puppy dog eyes had gotten her heart all fluttery. If he was going to have to do this, Beki at least owed Ishida the truth.

 _Ishida, I will completely understand if you're furious with me for what I am about to ask you. You can yell at me, you can dock my pay, you can even write a formal complaint. I will gladly accept whatever punishment you send my way so long as you find it in your heart to grant my request._

 _I have made a terrible mistake. It started when I was much younger, long before Dad died. I was here in Konoha, far from home, and lonely when I met the Kazekage. He was charming and kind, friendly and familiar because he had come from the same world I did. Our friendship grew into a romance that was established long before Yasahiro abducted my father. It was a relationship I should have ended the moment I was given my official seal. But I didn't._

 _It was a relationship that was full of equal amounts hope and problems. The quintessential teenage girl that I was, I thought that I could change him. I thought that by the sheer power of will and the strength of our love, we could beat the odds. You'll be pleased to know that my mother has already reamed me for being such a romantic fool and has completely driven home the point that love is not enough. This lesson I have learned the hard way, the details and journey of which I won't bore you with in print. The long and the short of it is that I loved him and I paid for it, dearly. More than once he asked me to marry him and every time I have turned him down. Now I've severed ties with him once and for all, for both of our benefit._

 _This kind of mistake has consequences. I'm not naive enough anymore to believe that things will just work themselves out. It was a larger measure of inaction than action that got me into this predicament and to get myself out of it will take the reverse. Unfortunately, that's where you come in. I need your help. I know I have done nothing to deserve it, since my father's passing you have constantly had to teach me, correct me, cover for my shortcomings, and stand up for me at court. Know that it is just as much a professional understanding of an unsaveable situation as it is a personal request when I ask you to take the assignment from Suna from me. I will take any other assignment. You can post me in the Mist, you can post me in the Snow, you could post me anywhere. Just please, Ishida, help me._

Once Beki had finished, she used her seal on hot wax to make it official and tossed the sealed letter on top of the others inside the shoebox. Beki wrapped the shoebox in brown parcel paper and addressed it to her mentor. She walked downstairs with the packed shoebox and the stack of rejected Gaara letters. Beki set the shoebox on the table, walked the reject letters to the fireplace, and took a lighter to them. The door opening in the kitchen caught her attention. Beki looked up and caught the surprised look on Hinata's face.

"Oh, Beki. I wasn't expecting you home so soon."

"The inevitable happened," Beki waved one of the letters before tossing it in the fire. "We gave it one last shot and the relationship crumbled under the weight."

Hinata set down her bag and took off her shoes. She glanced upstairs, as if hearing a voice call her name, but shook her head and joined Beki by the fire. "What's all this?"

"His love letters," Beki tossed another one in the blaze.

Hinata's eyes widened with horror and she started to snatch them up. "Beki, what are you thinking?!"

"What do you mean, 'what am I thinking'?" Beki furrowed her brow. "We're done, over, finished. The sooner I wipe this stuff out, the less I'll have to think about it. It's a whole recovery process, Hinata."

"But these were your memories," Hinata clutched them protectively. "Say what you will about the relationship failing now, but these made you happy. This was a chapter in your life that you're just trying to erase, like it never happened."

"People don't often get that opportunity. I have a shot so I'm taking it." Beki stared her down. "Hinata?"

"You don't have any favorites? Not a single one?" Hinata reluctantly handed them over. "Something funny, or a sweet reminder of when you were younger?"

Beki shook her head. "It all just makes me feel so…disappointed. I don't think I'm the kind of person that can separate events from the whole relationship. If I kept these, if I ever went back and read them, I think it would just bring back this sick feeling I have in my stomach."

Hinata folded her hands in her lap and looked into the fire, a small frown forming on her pretty face. "Beki…about breaking up with Gaara…how did it happen?"

Beki scratched the back of her head. "Well, it's a process that's been happening over a long period of time. The long distance thing, the communication problems…all of that. Then there was the whole hit and run stuff he was doing when I was around-"

"Did he do that again?" Hinata blinked. "Is that why you dumped him?"

Again, Beki shook her head. "No. I told him about that. He was actually supportive and made an effort not to manhandle me."

Hinata fidgeted with her fingers, trying to find a polite way to ask what was on her mind. "So then, Beki, how did it happen?"

"Something came up and he had to leave town." Beki ran her fingers through the hair at her crown, stopping before it got tangled in her braid. "Halfway living with him like that, realizing that all the good parts of the trip were so orchestrated…it made me realize it would never work. He doesn't really know me, Hinata. We've been dating three years and while I was with him, things kept popping up that made me understand that. Gaara could love me with all his heart but it would be like expecting a ten year old to know what a relationship needs to work. He just…he can't. No amount of explaining it will help him. He just needs to be with someone else. Someone who needs less than me."

"Please tell me you aren't breaking up with him because of his job, Beki." Hinata looked at her with a stern expression and Beki froze.

"Hinata…" Her eyes widened with understanding and a suspicious smile looked crossed her face. "No. Don't project your relationship with Naruto onto me."

"I'm not!" Hinata was getting flustered, Beki could tell by the rosy color coming into her cheeks. "I'm just saying I can understand how hard it can be, dealing with being away from someone and having your time together constantly intruded on. It just makes me wonder that maybe this is a relationship that's difficult now but the payout later will be worth it. You honestly believe that waiting things out with Gaara won't make you happy? Being married to him, seeing him every day, having his kids…that wouldn't bring you enough joy to make up for this sorrow?"

After a moment, Beki shook her head. "No, Hinata. I told myself those lies. That someday things would get better and I would be happy. I just…I wasn't happy. If I'm not happy now, when I'm young and I have nothing I'm tied to, there's no way I'll be happy with him later."

"What makes you so sure about that?" Hinata tucked some hair behind her ear. "Gaara was your first relationship, right? What are you comparing this to that you think you're so miserable now?"

Beki stared at the fire, an slightly guilty look tugging at her features. "There's someone else, Hinata."

Hinata let out a small gasp and looked at Beki like she'd transformed into a snake. "Beki!"

"It's not like that," Beki swatted at her. "I didn't cheat on Gaara. I would have to be mentally impaired to do something like that. Could you imagine? I'm brave but the guy used to pop people like balloons. You don't test the resolve of a man like that."

"Then what do you mean?" Hinata leaned in conspiratorially, a look of disapproval still plastered across her face.

Beki shook her head. "They don't even know I like them, okay? It's just…there's someone I'm always around that knows me well. They know how to make me happy and always make me a priority."

Hinata thought for a moment and the pair were deathly silent. Suddenly, Hinata paled and her expression soured until she looked absolutely crestfallen. "Beki…it's Naruto, isn't it? You've fallen in love with Naruto!"

Beki rolled her eyes and gagged. "Ew. Sorry Hinata but, no. First off, it would look like I was dating my brother, and second of all, not everyone finds his constant optimism charming. I would probably end up trying to knock his teeth out after a few ours of listening to him talk about how great everything was."

Hinata watched her carefully, checking for any signs of dishonesty. After a moment, Hinata was satisfied and finally exhaled. "Alright then." She rose, looking down sadly as she handed the letters back to Beki. "If you're sure."

Beki looked at the letters. A moment passed and Beki tossed them into the fireplace, taking the temptation they held with them. "I'll make a mistake a million times, Hinata, but once I've changed my mind I won't ever look back."

"That's your ninja way," Hinata said in a sing-song tone that drew a quizzical look from Beki. "Sorry. That's what Naruto always says after something like that."

"What the hell is a 'ninja way'?" Beki narrowed her eyes. "Some other weird Konoha thing, like that 'Will of Fire'?"

Hinata folded her arms. "Seeing as you were raised by some pretty non-traditional shinobi, I don't think you get to weigh in on this one."

"Okay, you're on. Next twenty foreign shinobi I run into, I'm going to ask what their 'ninja way' is and see if they have any idea what I'm talking about." Beki puffed up her cheeks. "My bet is less than half will have any clue what that is."

"If I win, you clean out the attic." Hinata tapped her chin. "If you win, I cook all your favorite foods for a week."

Beki nodded. "Deal."

Hinata headed upstairs and Beki clapped the soot off her hands. She picked up the package she was going to send to Getsu and headed out the door. Beki kept an eye out for Neji, half praying he would appear and half praying that he would stay away. This would be their defining moment but Beki had hardly spent any time figuring out what to say.

 _Hi Neji, there's something I need to talk to you about._ No. That sounds like I'm going to ask him to do me a favor.

 _Neji, I love you._ Crap, Beki. That's a little on the direct side.

 _Neji, everything that's happened in the last few months has made me realize something. I'm in love with you and I've been in love with you for a long time._

Beki grinned to herself. _That's perfect! I can't start with that, though. I literally just got back from Suna and everyone knows. I'm going to have to be careful how I lead up to this. I really don't want Neji just to think he's a rebound._

Beki stewed over the best way to approach and felt her resolve crumbling. _I can't. I can't do this._ As she walked through town her legs grew heavier with each step. It had seemed so easy before, walking up to Neji and telling him those three simple words. She had stopped several times on the way, tempted to turn and run, but the thought of her underwear flapping majestically in the wind forced her along. Her hands were trembling so Beki shook them out, trying to dispel some of the anxiety.

"This isn't working," Beki mumbled under her breath. "I'm never going to make it at this rate."

She thought back to her father. Whenever Seiichiro's nerves were really raw, he would smoke a cigar. _That won't work_. Beki sighed. _I'd be coughing too hard to talk to him. Not to mention that awful smell._ She tugged at the ends of her braid. She hadn't seen Yuki nervous before, but her mother had mentioned taking a shot of "liquid courage" from time to time. Now that she had her answer, Beki ducked into the bar her father had taken her to once in a while. She'd had her first drink with him here; maybe the memory of his presence would help bolster her spirits.

The bartender stared her down for a moment. Once he recognized her, he gave Beki a nod. She took a seat at the bar.

"What'll it be, Miss? The house sake?" The bartender said as he reached for a cup.

"No," Beki shook her head. "Whiskey."

"I know being an ambassador must be stressful," The bartender chuckled as he grabbed a shot glass and filled it. "I didn't know it was _whiskey_ stressful."

"Today was a doozy." Beki took the glass and threw it back, coughing as the liquid burned the back of her throat. The warmth trickled down her throat and into her stomach, the sourness as harsh as the heat. The bartender suppressed a chuckle. She could feel it slowly relaxing her muscles- or was it numbing her? Either way it was working. It wasn't enough though. "I need another one."

The bartender's eyes widened in surprise. He silently poured her another shot.

…

Neji had stopped by the aviary to send some mail for Hiashi and overheard one of the workers talking about Beki. She had just come by with a package for Getsu. _She's home early,_ Neji thought, recalling Hinata's explanation of the trip to Suna. The knowledge that Beki was with Gaara, stirred that melancholy Neji had been fighting so hard against. There was nothing he wanted more than to skulk home, careful to avoid her to nurse his wounds. He had decided, though, that Neji Hyuga wasn't running anymore. It was that guilty feeling that was getting to Neji. As it ate away at him, he decided to try to go find Beki. _If I'm meant to find her, I will,_ Neji bargained with his conscience. _If not, then at least I made the effort_. There was a measure of relief as he made his way through the final leg of his route. Beki wasn't in any of her usual spots, but he cast a glance in each business he passed just in case she decided to be adventurous for once. Neji made a double take as he passed a bar, startled to find his target seated at the counter inside. _A bar?_ Neji's brow knit with concern. _Since when does Beki go to bars?_ At first his instinct was to leave her be. Whatever business had drawn her to drink she probably needed some space to deal with. Then again the thought of her stumbling home drunk sounded too dangerous to allow. Neji sighed and opened the door, steeling himself for bad news.

"Heeey, Neji," Beki's face was flushed with drink. He looked at the glasses lined up at the bar and cautiously took a seat.

"Hey Beki," Neji looked her over. She was no worse for wear. It was odd she wasn't in her armor. He had grown so accustomed to it that seeing Beki in normal clothes was unsettling, almost like seeing her naked. Neji shook his head at the thought. He had seen her naked and didn't want that picture in his head now. "This is an odd place to find you."

Beki shook her head. "Not really. I needed some courage."

"Drinking doesn't give people courage, Beki. It just lets them make bad decisions at the speed of light-" Neji began.

"You're really good looking, you know that?" Beki rested her chin on her hand and surveyed him, affection plain on her face.

"Thanks?" Neji shrugged off the comment. It was clearly influenced by the whiskey thick on her breath.

"Seriously. You're prettier than most girls but still so manly. You're tall, dark, and handsome, Neji. Literally." Beki leaned back in her stool, almost tipping it. He stuck out a leg and steadied it until Beki put it back on all four legs. "It honestly isn't fair. Your skin is so nice, your hair is so pretty, and your eyes are gorgeous-"

"You sound like a serial killer, talking about me in parts," Neji sighed.

"You're a really good person, too." Beki tapped her empty glass on the counter. "You were always looking out for me, even when I first got here and I didn't know anybody." She laughed. "It's so bad that I almost expect you to bail me out of bad situations at this point. My mom was giving me crap about that earlier. She says I'm like a kid looking for their parent when it comes to you."

A strange feeling came over Neji. This whole time he had been dismissing Beki, the drink clearly having gone to her head. There was a sweet sincerity to her words, though, that made him doubt himself. When he thought about it, Beki was sounding more like herself than she had in a long time. He remembered the girl who had just moved to Konoha, her almost foolish level of trust in him and Hinata. Saying things she shouldn't have, opening up her vulnerabilities to them with no regrets. "What are you trying to say, Beki?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. You know I broke up with Gaara, right?"

"No." Neji watched her suspiciously. "That's why you came back from Suna early, then?"

Beki nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you think you'll be able to work things out?" Neji knew the pair were on-again-off-again. It seemed strange to be having this conversation with him if they were on the rebound.

"No," Beki shook her head. "We're done. Completely done. There's been this...this problem. The whole time we've been together. It wasn't so important at first, you know, because, it like, it wasn't an issue. It was...well, it was…" She looked at Neji. "So let me ask you something, as a guy: what is wrong with a woman coming first?"

Neji felt the blood rushing to his cheeks. "E-excuse me?"

"I mean, it seems a little selfish, I know for me to make a big deal about this. I wanna feel like I matter. I wanna feel important. I don't think it's so much for me to come first once in while. I know he's all important and his job's important, but that shouldn't matter when we're alone."

Neji looked away. "Beki, I'm not comfortable talking about this with you." He couldn't believe it. It was bad enough being in the friendzone for so long but this showed him the depth he had been banished to. Beki was telling him all the gritty details of her intimate relations with Gaara?

Beki blinked, oblivious. "What's the problem? I thought we were cool."

"We are 'cool', Beki," Neji kept his eyes on the door. "That doesn't mean I'm okay talking about your sex life with Gaara."

Beki laughed a little too loudly. "No, Neji, you silly bear, you," She sloppily slapped at his arm. "I'm talking about being a priority over his job."

The flush in Neji's cheeks deepened with embarrassment. Of course he had assumed the worst.

Beki shook her head and laughed again. "No, that wasn't…" She looked at Neji again and sized him up, trying to keep some semblance of a filter on. "That wasn't so much of an issue as the constant getting benched for his job. Someone else can take that hit. I'm tired of feeling like I'm the side bitch."

"I know he broke up with you at least once over it." Neji rested on his elbow.

Beki waved down the bartender. "Get my friend a drink here. He's being a prude."

"Beki, no, I'm fine-" Neji held up a hand.

"Do you want to leave a lady drinking alone?" Beki exaggerated her raised eyebrow, her face mock scorning him to the extreme. "I thought you were a gentleman, Mr. Hyuga."

Neji sighed and took the drink the bartender gave him. "Cheers."

Beki clinked her glass against his and downed it.

Neji shook his head as he watched her. He followed suit and put the glass on the counter. _Why does it have to be whiskey?_ He could feel the warmth of the drink spreading already. Neji was used to the occasional glass of wine but he hardly had occasion to drink liquor.

"Okay, now that you'll be a little less…" Beki gestured in his general direction. "Square, we can have this conversation for realsies."

"You just regress back to your preteen self when you drink, don't you?" Neji shook his head.

"And that's another shot." Beki waved the bartender over. As he poured the drink, Beki stared Neji down, daring him to turn away the drink.

Neji sighed as he took the shot. "There, happy?"

Beki nodded. "Okay. So. Where was I?"

"Gaara never put you first," Neji's voice was exasperated. The last thing he wanted to keep talking about was the Kazekage.

"Right. I was getting into the other reason why we broke up. You see, the thing I realized while I was out there was…" Beki rapped her knuckles on the counter. "I should probably stop drinking, huh?"

"Why?" Neji looked her over. "Are you going to be able to walk home?"

"With some help." Beki braced herself on the counter. "I think if I do another one I'll get carried out." She reached into her bag and fished out her wallet, promptly handing it over to Neji. "Do the math for me. I'll screw it up."

Neji sighed, counted the empty glasses and put the appropriate amount on the counter, then handed her back the wallet.

"See, this is what I'm talking about!" Beki snatched the wallet and shoved it in her bag.

"What are you talking about?" The tone in her voice made him think she was angry.

"See how you take care of me?! I could ask you to carry my purse home and you would do it!" Beki was getting choked up. Tears started to well in her eyes. "The only person who has ever taken care of me the way you have was my dad. And he's gone now and I'm all alone…" She began to sniffle as the tears overflowed, spilling down her cheeks.

 _And here comes the drunk crying._ Neji stood and put an arm around her. "Come on, Beki, let's get you home."

Beki nodded and wiped her eyes on her sleeve as Neji led her out the door.

…

Yuki hopped up and down a few times and shook out her hands. When she stepped in to meet the king for the first time, Yuki hadn't been nervous. During missions where the threat level had been drastically underestimated and she was faced with at least a 10:1 enemy count, Yuki had just laughed. Even when faced with Orochimaru, Yuki had felt like the world was hers to shape. As she walked to the memorial to see Kakashi, however, her heart was racing so fast it was pounding in her ears. It was a strange feeling to be anxious. Yuki hated the feeling; the last time she had felt this way was when she was finally reunited with Beki. Before that, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been this jittery.

 _You can turn back now_ , a tiny unfamiliar voice whispered. _Pretend this was all a joke. Laugh it off with Beki and act like it was all part of the plan to get her and the Hyuga boy together._ Yuki shook her head. That would never work; Beki was getting to the point she could smell a lie on her mother. It would be better to get this over with so Kakashi could reject her and it would all be water under the bridge.

Besides, Yuki thought as she cupped her breasts in her hands. If I had to cough up my one good bra I'd be miserable.

Same as always, Kakashi was standing before the monument with a far off look on his face. In the fading light of the sunset, he almost looked like he was part of the memorial. A perfect figure carved in stone to outlast the wear of time. A soft breeze kicked up and his hair fluttered in the breeze, breaking the illusion. Yuki took a deep breath, centered herself, and made the final ascent to the memorial. He didn't seem to notice her yet, so Yuki opened her mouth to call out to him.

"Hey Yukihana," Kakashi spoke without turning his head. "I'm not used to seeing you outside a bar."

"I like the outdoors," Yuki threw up her hands and gestured to the clearing. "And this is, you know, the outdoors." She inhaled deeply. "Yeah. Gotta love that... forest air."

Kakashi gave her a suspicious look. "What are you up to?"

"I'm not up to anything. I was just, ahem," She waved her hand in the air as she searched for an excuse. "Looking for some peace and quiet."

Kakashi didn't look convinced. "You need peace and quiet away from _Konoha?_ I don't think on it's busiest day it would be considered bustling by any stretch of the imagination."

"It's not that...it's just that this spot…reminds me of the shrine!" Yuki's many years as a pathological liar were finally kicking in. She had to remember to always use the truth as the basis of the lie or no one would ever buy it. She walked up next to him and looked at the memorial stone. "It's sacred ground. Time distorts in places like this."

"Like the waiting room in a hospital," Kakashi nodded. "Or when you're keeping watch late at night and everyone else is asleep."

"Or when the first snow of winter starts to fall," Yuki grinned. "You got it!"

Kakashi gave her a gentle shoulder bump. "It's a beautiful sentiment but it isn't why you're here."

"Why do you think I'm here?" Yuki tensed, the walls she'd spent so long building holding strong.

Kakashi sighed. "Yuki, I've been with a pack of teenagers all day. I don't have the time or patience to play games with you."

"I love you," Yuki blurted so suddenly it surprised her. She covered her mouth, feeling his eyes on her, but closed her eyes and continued. "And I hate you for it."

Yuki couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. If she saw how he was reacting it would derail her, force her to laugh it off and pretend it was just another joke. She clenched her fists. "I've told you everything about me worth knowing. My whole life people have treated me like I'm something other than human. Sometimes they act like I'm superior, sometimes they act like I'm an animal. I feel like you can empathize with that."

"Worse yet, you don't want anything from me. God knows I've given you plenty of opportunities to screw me over. I have honestly done my damndest to scare you off but you just keep sticking around." Yuki shook her head. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Excuse me?" Kakashi sounded confused. "Yuki, you're going to have to explain what you're trying to say here."

"I'm saying that I fell for you, dammit, because you're a perfect human being. I hate you for it, I hate myself for it-" Yuki felt Kakashi raising his arm to put it around her shoulder. "Don't touch me! I woke up in an ice floe to a dead husband who had been very much alive for me when I'd gone in. I feel like I'm betraying him. He stayed a widower for all those years and here I am, freshly widowed and ready to move on because of Mr. Perfect Hair over here."

There was a brief pause, wherein Kakashi raised his arm again to try to comfort her but she swatted his arm away. "No! I'm not done! You...you just...you're a legendary cutthroat shinobi who loves dogs. Do you know how confusing that is? Do you know how impossible it's been for me to build up a defense against you?"

Kakashi kept his hands folded in front of him. "I guess I didn't realize."

"So that's it. That's why I'm here, to tell you I'm in love with you. Jerk." Yuki folded her arms.

Now that she was done with her tirade, it felt as if all those strong emotions she had finally given a voice to had been swallowed by the memorial. There was an emptiness with the silence that followed, a vacuous thing that added to her unease.

"Well, go ahead," Yuki rotated her wrist. "Get on with it."

"I thought I wasn't allowed to touch you." Kakashi said as he cautiously put an arm around her shoulder.

Yuki looked up at him, a mixture of awe and revulsion on her face. "No! This is the part where you tell me off!"

Kakashi blinked. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I'm a sociopathic madwoman and I'm a jinx, that's why." Yuki shook her head. "Everyone who loves me ends up suffering."

Kakashi gave a soft laugh. "For such an intelligent woman, you're oblivious."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Yuki allowed his arm to stay around her shoulder but refused to relax into it, as warm and inviting as it was.

"That person you were describing, the sociopathic, dead-inside shinobi who feels like they're less than human? That's me." Kakashi gave a soft chuckle. "You on the other hand are the exact opposite. You aren't a shinobi, a true shinobi, Yuki. This is a job for you. You turn it on and turn it off. The rest of the time, you wear your heart on your sleeve. You're almost childlike in how strongly you express that you're happy, or sad, or angry."

Yuki heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, that works, too. Not what I was expecting, but I'll take it."

Kakashi gave her a questioning look.

"You're saying we aren't compatible." The tension in her body began to ebb. "Cool, we can go back to-"

"I'm not finished." Kakashi bopped the side of her head with his forehead. "What I was going to say is that all my favorite people have been like you. It's easy to get swept up along with you. That's refreshing for a person who has spent a large percentage of their life feeling nothing."

"No." Yuki looked up at him. "Don't say it."

"I love you, too." She could see the pull of his lips as he smiled behind the mask.

"Unacceptable!" Yuki ducked out from under his arm. "Today was a mistake. I'm just going to walk away and pretend this never happened-"

"Nope." Kakashi grabbed her arm and yanked her over, wrapping his arms around her and putting his chin on top of her head. "We're going to be a couple now. Get used to it."

Yuki wriggled, desperate to get away but his hold was expert level. "I'm just going to avoid you then."

"I can't wait to tell Pakkun. He is going to be so excited." Kakashi savored in her weak attempts to escape. "All the dogs are. That was one of your selling points really; the hounds all universally seem to like your company."

Yuki sputtered and let her arms hang uselessly beside her. "Fine. You win."

"I have to admit this has been the most interesting confession I've ever had." Kakashi chuckled. "I would've never expected someone to be so angry about me returning their feelings."

"We have to bang." Yuki glared out at the sunset. "That way I can at least live with myself after what happened today."

Kakashi shook his head. "Sorry. I don't put out on the first date."

"How is this the first date?!" Yuki started her struggling again. "We've been on at least, like five dates by now!"

"You're going to wear yourself out." Kakashi leaned his head to the side to avoid a headbutt. "This is our first official date as a couple. We have to take things slow."

"Can we at least go somewhere else?" Yuki heaved a frustrated sigh. "I'm spooky but a date at a war memorial is too much even for me."

"Fair enough." Kakashi let her go but took ahold of her hand with an iron grip. "Where to?"

Yuki laughed nervously. "The diner? I need to fill the hole my emotions left with food."

Kakashi let Yukihana lead. For a while, Kakashi had felt guilty about his relationship with Yuki. She had been such a strange combination of all the people he lost: Minato's skill, Obito's personality, Ren's single-minded determination. Even when Yuki went on her tirades about the evils of technology, Kakashi heard the echoes of his father in her words. Did he have a right with all the blood on his hands to try to reclaim this little bit of happiness? Or, wherever they were, did his loved ones send Yuki to him to comfort him, alone on this island that was the land of the living?

"So, Yuki," Kakashi gave her hand a squeeze. "You like my hair?"

"Yes, dammit," Yuki spat. "It's majestic and defies all the laws of physics, considering how it practically stands on end yet manages to stay impossibly soft. I have dreams about it all the time."

Kakashi wrapped and arm around her neck as they walked. Regardless of who sent her or why she was here, having Yuki sure beat skulking around alone all the time.

…

It was just after nightfall when Neji brought Beki staggering up the front steps of Hinata's porch. Beki fished into her pocket and pulled out her keys. She fumbled them, dropping them with a metallic clack on the deck. Neji began to lean over to pick them up but Beki had beat him to it, muttering a curse as she bent over to retrieve the keys. Without realizing it, or perhaps subconsciously to steady herself, Beki had bent over with her rear pressed against Neji's groin. His knee jerk reaction was to step backward to keep an appropriate amount of distance between them, but the moment he began to Beki swayed dangerously. Neji's hands shout out instantly and he took ahold of her hips. After a breathless moment of standing there, steadying her body against his, Beki rose with the right key. "I really need to like, cap this one or something."

Beki leaned against the door as she unlocked it. Neji lunged forward as she opened the door, catching her again before she face planted into the kitchen. While he held her up, Beki kicked off her shoes and stumbled forward, her hand tightly gripping his sleeve.

"You're home," Neji looked away. During the course of catching her, Beki's shirt had been tugged low on one side, exposing a milky breast in a surprisingly feminine warm gray colored bra. It was hard for Neji to ignore the delicate lace against her skin. Beki was drunk. She couldn't help herself right now, so it would be lewd of Neji to take advantage of her situation. "I should go-"

Before he could turn around, Beki had looped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. The motion had caught him off guard. Neji instinctively wrapped his arms around her to steady them both. Her body was warm and soft in his hands, the scent of whiskey mixing with her sweat and the scent of her lotion. Beki's hot breath on his neck was raising the hair on his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. "Carry me, Neji."

"You can sleep down here on the couch," He started to let go but Beki held him tighter, the telltale tug on his neck cuing him that she had kicked up her legs, expecting him to catch her. Neji had just enough time to let go of her back to catch Beki under her knees. He fumbled slightly as he adjusted his hold on her in the dark. With a resigned sigh, Neji carefully kicked off his shoes and headed upstairs. As he climbed the steps, Beki nuzzled into his neck and ran the tips of her nails gently up his cheek, across his temple, and up into his hair. Neji gulped, trying his hardest to block out the sensation creeping across his scalp. Beki had touched him hundreds of times. She'd held his hand, he'd carried her like this, she had even kissed him. Somehow this was fundamentally different. The way Beki was touching him was affectionate, intimate even, and Neji didn't know how to respond. As he opened the door to her room with one hand and the rest of her body braced against him, she said his name. It was soft, like a sigh, and again, he had never heard her say his name like that. No one had ever said his name like that. Unsure of what else to do, Neji set her down as soon as they crossed the threshold and turned to leave. But Beki was already there.

Beki backed up against the door slowly, carefully closing it with a click that sealed off Neji's only exit. Her eyes were sparkling despite the darkness.

"Beki, I need to go-" Neji began but she reached out and took his face in her hands. Neji felt the heat in his cheeks as he flushed at her touch. He knew he should stop it. It was easy to see exactly what was going to happen, but as Beki's face came close to his, Neji froze. As her lips met his, Neji knew he was letting it happen. This was something he had been waiting to happen, dreaming about, for longer than he could remember. Her lips were sweet, but her tongue was sour as it parted his teeth. Neji wanted nothing more than to take her face in his hands and make this kiss last forever. Instead, he kept his arms limp at his sides, his fists clenched. When she finally let him go, Neji was so tempted to pull her close again he clutched the hem of his shirt. "Beki, you're drunk. We shouldn't be doing this."

"I told you, Neji. I like you." Beki said as she fumbled with her shirt. "I reaaaaally like you."

Neji's breath caught in his throat at the sight of her bare torso. When Beki had pulled off her top, the bra had come with it. He swallowed hard, his eyes roving her hungrily, taking in every forbidden little detail. At any point, Neji could have used the Byakugan to see Beki naked, but he'd never allowed himself. It was private, something he'd only seen by accident, and so briefly he barely remembered. But here it was, presented to him on a silver platter. While he was stunned, Beki moved in and kissed him again, her fingers searching out the button on his shirt. Neji reached up and took ahold of her hands, stopping them in their search. "Beki," Neji was breathless, his heart pounding in his ears and his manhood straining against his pants. "This…this isn't right."

Beki looked up at him, confusion and hurt plain on her face. "Neji, I want you. I want you so bad right now I could cry. Are you…do you…you don't want me, do you?" As he searched for the words, Beki's hand dropped lower until it was too late for Neji to stop her. She felt his excitement and looked back up at him, stroking it slowly through his pants. "No, you want this, too." Beki's eyes met his, her cheeks flushed from the whiskey, and her hair messily falling into her face. "Then why are you turning me away?"

"I…" Neji could feel his resolve crumbling. Beki was so close he could practically taste her. He did still taste her on his lips, could feel the ghost of her hands on his face, his neck, his hard-on. He leaned in closer, despite himself, their foreheads gently touching. Neji tried to keep his hands at his sides but the call of her body was too strong. He caressed her sides, his hands resting on her hips. "I do want you. I just don't want it to be like this."

Beki hand opened his shirt and ran her hands up his chest, feeling the hard muscle and soft flesh beneath. "Like what?"

Neji had forgotten. He had forgotten everything outside this room, his entire life, all his principles. All that existed was the two of them in the dark with their bodies intertwined. He shook his head. "Nevermind." Neji leaned in and kissed her, long and hard. The pull was full of longing. He laced his fingers through her hair, pulling her close as Beki backed him up to the bed. His lips never left hers as he finished pulling off his shirt. Beki helped him with his belt as he kissed her neck, her shoulders, working his way down to her chest the whole time. Once the last of their clothes were off, the pair found their way under the sheets, where Beki whispered his name again and again until she couldn't say anything at all.


	102. Confession

**Hi everyone, me again. So it turns out I had some really good momentum going after I edited the last chapter and was able to get another long one going. Hope this answers some of the questions you guys have. Thank you so much for your reviews and messages. I can't wait to hear what you guys think of this next one.**

* * *

Neji regained consciousness slowly. He felt incredibly well rested but was so warm and comfortable he didn't want to wake up. Through his sleepy daze, he kissed the back of Beki's neck and held her a little closer. Neji's eyes snapped open. Beki.

Beki was still fast asleep, her long blonde braid slung under her neck to be out of his way. She was still completely naked. Her skin was cool and warm at the same time. Now that Neji was paying attention to it, it seemed as if Beki's scent was everywhere. It was in the pillows and the sheets. It was all over him. Her breathing was soft and Neji could feel the slow, steady drum of her heartbeat through her skin, which completely contrasted against the way his heart was pounding in his chest.

 _What have I done?!_ Neji's whole body tensed. _She's going to think I took advantage of her! I need to get out of here. I'll come see her later and explain it was all just a drunken mistake. She'll hate me, but maybe Beki can find it in her heart to forgive me-_

In her sleep, Beki backed up against Neji so their bodies were perfectly aligned. His arm had been casually draped over her waist, but she pulled it up across her chest and hugged it with both arms. It was incredible how quickly he forgot his anxiety, how suddenly he was overwhelmed by the feeling of being wanted. _I don't care._ _I'll take what love I can get while I can._ Neji buried his face in her neck and drifted back to a dreamless sleep.

Beki's eyes fluttered. It was still so early. Beki rolled over and laced her leg through Neji's, wrapping her arms around his neck in the process. He seamlessly returned the gesture and pressed his forehead against hers. Beki's eyes snapped open. Neji.

"Oh my god…" Beki groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Neji."

Nothing could have ruined Neji's morning quite like hearing those words. "Beki." He said flat as possible, his muscles tensing. _Should I pull away? Or will that make her feel like I'm not happy with this situation? Or would she want me to pull away because she doesn't want to be with me?_

"I am so sorry." Beki's voice was muffled by her hands. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"What wasn't?" Neji carefully removed his arms but he left their legs intertwined.

Beki pulled down her hands and looked up at him, a comically childish expression of embarrassment on her face. She was adorable: her cheeks were bright pink and her eyes were dewy. Neji wanted to kiss her again but he was too terrified to move. "I just wanted to have a shot or two to have the courage to talk to you and I ended up jumping you like a drunken whore."

"You wanted to talk to me? What were you so scared to talk to me about that you had to drink first?" Neji still hadn't let his guard down. For all he knew, the news could be that Beki was moving back to Getsu and this would all be for naught.

"That I like you, Neji." Beki shook her head. "No. Not that I like you. I'm in love with you."

That was not what he expected to hear. The words seemed to bounce off the walls, morphing and jumbling until he wasn't quite sure he had heard her right. She took his silence as disbelief.

"I know I've been really stupid about realizing it. It wasn't this thing where we looked at each other and I was like, 'That's it, he's the one'. It was more like when you're squeezing honey on a spoon, and you kind of get distracted for a second and you look back and the damn thing is overflowing and making a mess everywhere." Beki explained. "That's what my feelings were. A hot sticky mess that didn't really get where they were supposed to go for a long time. But here we are, and I didn't want to tell you all this embarrassing crap naked _._ "

Beki buried her face in her hands again and let out another frustrated groan.

 _There is no way I got to sleep with Beki and she told me she loved me the next day._ Neji thought somberly. _I fell and broke my head open on the pavement and I'm in a coma._

"I was talking to my mom about...stuff," Beki sighed. "And she started pointing out all the things I was doing without realizing it. I thought all the weird emotions I felt when you were with Ren was because of the Burned Maiden but it's because I was jealous. The same thing goes for how lonely I was when you were avoiding me. I know that this whole situation is stupid and I'm really sorry if you don't like me like that and we can just pretend this didn't happen-"

Neji pulled her close and held her tight. "I was lonely too, Beki." She laid in his arms, her muscles tense with apprehension. He ran a hand gingerly along the curve of her back and continued: "There was nothing more I wanted in the world than to be by your side. It hurt too much to be around you because I realized that I love you, too." He had thought about telling her the truth, that he'd been in love with her for years. About how he had tried to make himself stop liking her, to think of her as just a friend. He wanted to tell her that he had wanted her and Gaara to be happy, that the Kazekage was a better man for Beki than he was, but Neji was too selfish to care. Neji kept his mouth shut. This was Beki's moment and she was vulnerable. She had decided to confess to him. Neji decided he was going to keep things simple; the last thing he wanted would be for Beki to think back on everything. They would be doomed from the start if she thought back on everything Neji had ever done and said to see if he had somehow derailed her and the Kazekage.

Beki relaxed somewhat but some her tension remained. "I didn't ever think about getting to this point."

Neji paused. He was so busy getting caught up in the excitement of the moment he nearly missed the glaring problem in the room. "Beki...I'm not a rebound, am I? You and Gaara only just broke up-"

"If we're being honest that relationship had been on its way out for a long time." Beki bit her lip. "If we're being _really_ honest...you might have been part of the problem." Neji gave her an incredulous look. "I might have been subconsciously comparing you two. How much better you treated me, how much more time you spent on me. Looking back, that's where a lot of my dissatisfaction with him came from. He just wasn't you and nothing he could do would fix that. I... I wanted _you._ " An awkward, tentative silence fell between them.

Neji propped himself up on an elbow. It was a complete surprise, a pleasant one at that, that Beki had made her decision to break up with Gaara because of Neji. That took some significant guilt off his chest and replaced it with warm optimism. "So, where do we go from here?"

Beki sputtered as she let out a sigh. "I don't know. I guess neither of us has been in a normal relationship yet." She stared at his chest, her brows knit in concentration. "We might have to get some advice-"

"Hey Beki?" Hinata knocked as she opened the door. The moment she laid her eyes on the pair, Hinata stopped dead.

Neji could feel his hair stand on end. They were covered with a sheet for the most part, but the clothes strewn all over the floor left no doubt as to what was going on. "Lady Hinata-"

"Uhhhh," Beki looked around. "Hi, Hinata."

Hinata's eyes slowly scanned the room, a flush coming into her cheeks as her gaze finally settled back on the pair. She covered her mouth with her hand and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Neji had gone completely rigid, his grip on Beki vicelike. "I don't think I can ever talk to her again after this."

Beki shook her head. "That's what I said the first six times I burst into flames."

It struck Neji again how strange it was to be holding her. What was more peculiar was how physical contact with her seemed to eat up his anxiety. Almost as soon as Hinata had closed the door, Beki's body pressed up against his relaxed the tension in his muscles. Beki propped herself up on an elbow and looked down at him. "Do you want to go get breakfast?"

Neji sat up, reluctant to remove himself from her touch. "Whatever we do, I don't think it's a good idea to hang around here naked all day."

Beki grinned. "Are you so sure about that?"

Neji flushed. "Beki, we aren't alone here."

"Do you know how many times I've stumbled across those two in various compromising positions?" Beki chuckled as she climbed out of bed. The sight of her bare body was exciting. Neji found himself unable to move as he watched her dress. Beki's skin was like fine porcelain and in places the son didn't reach it was milky. Beki's chest was sizeable and perky, but it was her rear that always caught Neji's eye. It was plump and round, thick and supple. Every time he looked at it, Neji was tempted to reach out and grab a handful. When her hands were over her head to pull on her bra, her breasts were perfectly shaped. He remembered how she moaned when he handled them. Neji had to swallow hard and shake his head to dispel the stirring in his pants. Her narrow waist, her broad shoulders…Neji couldn't get enough. In a strange way, he even caught himself admiring her feet. Everything about her was in perfect proportion to each other, strong balanced against delicate, hard opposite soft.

It was still hard for him to believe, that he was here in Beki's bedroom, the focus of all her attention and affection. The moment passed and Neji shook his head to clear his thoughts. He climbed out of bed and began to dress. Beki passed by him on her way to the closet and casually ran a hand across his back as she went. It was almost too much for Neji after spending years so physically starved for her. It was like a switch had been flipped from off to on. Beki was now always there, always in his space, touching him, looking in his eyes, smiling just for him. It took everything he had not to pull her into his arms and smother her with kisses. Neji stopped, mid buckling his pants. Why was he stopping himself? "Beki?"

"Yeah?" She had just finished putting on her socks. He held out his hands and she crossed the small space between them, putting her arms around his waist as he embraced her. Neji was still so unused to her touch. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he leaned in and stole a kiss. It tugged at his heartstrings, feeling the way she kissed him back, the small smile pulling at the corner of her lips. After a moment he pulled away and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Wanted to try it sober?" Beki grinned. Almost before she could finish her sentence, he had moved in for another kiss. It was sweet the way Neji held her, holding on like he was afraid she was going to float away. He was a surprisingly good kisser when he put his mind to it. It was easy for Beki to close her eyes and float along with it. He still tasted like whiskey. After a few more moments, Neji let her go. They were both panting for breath when Beki let out another laugh.

"Okay, where do you want to go eat-" But he was kissing her again, lacing his fingers through her hair and stirring something deep inside her. It was that longing she had buried for so long clawing its way to the surface. Beki wanted to know every inch of his body, to know the smell of him, to feel his hands everywhere but they had already jumped the gun once. She gently pulled away but Neji kept her close. "Are we ever going to make it out the door or are we just going to live in my bed from now on?"

"I'm sorry," Neji shook his head and released her a bit more, keeping ahold of her arms. "I just...I realized that I can kiss you whenever I want now."

Beki cocked an eyebrow and gave him a wicked grin. "So, what, you're making up for lost time?"

"If you had any idea how many times I've wanted to tell you how I felt, how many times I came so close to taking you in my arms and running away…" Neji shook his head. "We don't have enough time to make up for the past. You really mean it, though? You love me?"

Beki sighed. "Yes. I don't know what I would do without you. The couple of months you avoided me I thought I was going to explode. I need you, I think more than I've needed anyone in my life. That being said we should really talk this out over some food. I'm starving."

Neji nodded. "You're right. Let's go."

Beki peeked out around the door. The coast was clear, so she waved Neji out behind her. They took the stairs as quietly as only shinobi could and found the kitchen empty. The two snuck over to the door and started to put on their shoes. Softly, like the sound of a mouse coughing, someone cleared their throat behind them. Beki and Neji's heads snapped up in unison to find an ill at ease Hinata step out of the laundry room. "So, um," Hinata fidgeted with her hands worse than Beki had seen her in years. "You two are heading out?"

Neji glanced at Beki. "We were going to get breakfast."

"I can understand you two being hungry," Hinata kept her eyes on her feet, her cheeks and the tips of her ears rosy with embarrassment. "I can also understand you two wanting your privacy, but do you think I could talk to Neji for a minute?"

Beki blinked, glanced at a confused Neji and at the top of Hinata's bowed head and shrugged. "Sure. I'll step outside."

Once the door closed behind Beki, Neji immediately threw himself in apology mode. "Lady Hinata, I am so sorry-"

Hinata shook her head. "No, Neji, this isn't your fault. In fact, everything makes more sense now. Months ago, before Naruto got home, I asked you if you would go out with Beki so she would be a part of our family and not ever leave. Your behavior, the slow spiral of Beki's relationship with Gaara…" Hinata looked up at him. "It was your plan all along. I should have trusted you more, brother."

Neji's mouth hung open in surprise. He caught it, clamped it shut, and kept his voice as level as possible: "Lady Hinata, what do you mean?"

"Mission Keep Beki in Konoha looks like it's off to a strong start," Hinata glanced at the window. "Naruto was really upset when he heard Beki dumped Gaara for good. When I asked her why she did it, she eventually confessed that it was because she had fallen in love with someone else. I was very _very_ worried that it was Naruto kun...but it being you makes perfect sense. Naruto probably won't share my understanding but I'll do my best to bring him around." Hinata gave him a determined look. "I'm going to do everything I can to help you two make it. If that means using my house as a love nest, so be it. I gave you this mission, so it's my responsibility to see it through with you, too."

Neji was speechless. It was true they had that conversation so many months ago but Neji had mostly forgotten about it. Had it subconsciously affected him? Neji knew he had been crushing on Beki hard at that point. Neji hadn't even considered how Naruto would take him dating Gaara's girl; that might be an issue with Lee as well. Neji was tempted to groan at the prospect but he caught himself. He nodded. "Thank you, Lady Hinata."

Hinata clapped him on the shoulder. "Go get her, Neji."

He stepped outside, casting a final glance at Hinata, who raised her fist in the air like a call to arms.

"So, uh, are we gonna have to get married this weekend or something?" Beki scratched the back of her head. "Cuz this weekend isn't good for me. My mom would absolutely lose it if she didn't get to plan the whole thing-"

Neji shook his head. "No. Hinata just wanted some clarification on what that was."

Beki blinked. "She needed to check that we were having sex? What did she think it was, naked twister?"

"No. She meant us," Neji gestured to the space between them. "As in, was that a drunken, one-time thing or are we an item."

Beki shook her head. "You know, considering my behavior people don't give me a lot of credit."

"What do you mean?" Neji held open the gate for her as they passed through.

"I mean, I've only had one boyfriend. It's not like I sleep around," Beki rolled her eyes.

"You did literally just break up with your boyfriend of almost three years and were immediately in bed with me, Beki," Neji gave her a slightly scornful look. "I was no secret that I liked you. Hinata was just making sure you didn't seduce me in a moment of weakness."

Beki cleared her throat. "I did kind of jump you."

Neji threw up his hands. "Let the record show I did my best to say 'no'."

Beki laughed. "Like hell you tried that hard."

"I'm a man, Beki, as much as everyone likes to forget it." Neji folded his arms. "And you standing there in your birthday suit telling me you wanted me, touching me…. there aren't a lot of men that would have lasted as long as I did."

"You've seen me naked a million times," Beki gestured at Konoha. "Most of Konoha has seen me starkers."

"Yeah, but you haven't ever turned the vixen on before." Neji shuddered. "You were like a different person…"

Beki hip bumped him. "Don't worry. You'll see her again soon."

Neji gulped. "How soon?"

Beki shrugged and gave him her wickedest grin, channeling Yukihana so flawlessly Neji cringed. "We'll see how today goes."

The pair walked into the diner Beki always went to with Yuki; they arguably had the best coffee in town and Beki was pooped. They seated themselves in a cozy, isolated corner booth. The two of them had been alone together more times than they could count but Beki had butterflies in her stomach. Which was hilarious, because she had literally laid the man only hours before. Neji knew all Beki's secrets, everything about her life, and yet she was feeling...shy around him? His behavior was a little different as well. Neji hardly looked at her. His eyes seemed to be anywhere but her face and he kept adjusting his position in his seat. _Grow a pair, Tsukimori._

Beki reached out and took his hand, holding it across the table. Neji almost jumped out of his skin but settled into the contact. He laced his fingers through hers, took a deep breath, and looked at the menu. "I'm guessing you know what you want?"

Beki grinned. "I eat here with mom all the time. You'd probably really like the breakfast special."

Neji glanced at the note on the menu and nodded. "That does sound just about perfect. How's their tea?"

"They're known for their coffee. Tea's just the bag stuff." Beki explained.

"Coffee it is." Neji set the menu aside. At last, Neji met Beki's gaze. Beki gave him her brightest wide tooth grin and he smirked despite himself. "Things are going to be so different now."

Beki shrugged. "I don't think it'll be that different. I mean, what's the difference between what we were before and being a couple?"

"The physical side of things, that's for sure." Neji shook his head slightly at the memories from the night before.

The waitress came up to take their orders. Once they were done, she brought them both their cups of coffee. As Beki stirred in her half and half, her mind couldn't help but wander to a conversation they had what seemed like an eternity ago. "Neji, when you told me you were avoiding me because I was going to leave someday, that was just a cover then? Was it really because you were in love with me and just couldn't find the right way to say it?"

"Yes and no." Neji used half the cream Beki did in his coffee. "It's true, Beki, that you're eventually going to leave Konoha. Before it was going to be with the Kazekage. Now it will be because of your job. I figured that was an issue we could address later, though."

Beki shook her head. "No, we should address that now. I'm not anywhere near as busy as a kage, but you're right. I will have to go back to Getsu from time to time and wherever else I get stationed now that I've formally requested I be dropped from Suna."

Neji's eyes widened. "You put in a formal request?"

Beki nodded with her best attempt at a dead serious look, which still had the ghost of a smile behind it. She was too happy right now to be deadpan. "I meant what I said. We're over. He will literally have no reason to contact me from here on in. I... I had to ask a favor from someone I don't really deserve any favors from."

"Ishida?" Neji asked.

Beki nodded. "He's really put himself out there for me. Went up against years of tradition and a ration of crap from court for keeping me out here instead of bringing me to court, defending my father and my reputation...I really shouldn't dare to ask him for such a thing. I can't go back there, though."

"I would agree with you." Neji set down his cup. "Which begs the inevitable question-"

"How did it happen?" Beki nodded. She noticed Neji's uncomfortable expression and waved dismissively. "I'm not offended. I can't rope you into a relationship in less than 24 hours and be prudish with you. Even if we weren't dating, you're my best friend. I told Hinata and I'll tell you: I dumped him. We'd been heading down that road a long time and the events while I was there made my mind up for me."

"What did he do, try to make you eat nattou?" Neji grinned sheepishly behind his coffee cup.

"No." Beki slapped her hands on the table and leered. "He bought me rocky road ice cream. As an apology!"

Neji cringed. "He should have just handed you a knife. You don't hate anything half as much as freeze dried marshmallows."

"You're the only person who understands!" Beki threw up her hands. "Ice cream is serious business!"

"I think I just understand what that implies," Neji swirled the liquid in his cup. "He probably doesn't know about your gut problems, either."

Beki folded her hands with a small frown. "I don't even need to tell you anything. You already know." She paused for a moment, tapping her fingers on the table. "You know all that stuff, though. About how I avoid greasy food, my favorite ice cream, how I take my coffee…"

Neji shrugged. "I just pay attention is all." Beki gave him a suspicious look and he relented. "I'm in love with you. Even if I didn't think it was ever going to happen between us, I still wanted to make you happy any way I could."

Beki narrowed her eyes. "What's my favorite color?"

Neji smiled. "Trick question. You have lots of favorites." He narrowed his own eyes and smirked. "What's my favorite color?"

Beki could feel the color drain from her face. Neji knew Beki better than she probably knew herself. Did Beki know Neji that well? She felt like she did, or was it in that selfish way kids think they know their parents? Like, that their actual favorite flavor of cake was strawberry but they always got vanilla because it was their kid's favorite?

"Black and white?" Beki's voice almost squeaked. He folded his arms and cocked his head to the side. "What's my favorite food?"

Beki thought back to all the times they went out together, what he always ordered. He always liked going to noodle houses with her. "Soba!" Beki slapped the table and he chuckled. That string of thought led her down a longer path, a sifting of her memories of their time together. Beki loved pumpkin flavored everything. She was a fall baby, so she got pumpkin cookies, scones, and drinks at every chance. Neji wouldn't dare touch it. "And you hate pumpkin flavored stuff and spicy food!"

Neji laughed. "I didn't realize this was a contest, Beki."

Beki grinned broadly. Neji didn't know that it had been a test. Beki did know him, albeit subconsciously. She had been watching him closely, learning his habits, logging it into her memory without realizing it. If he had asked her and Beki had no clue, she would have hated herself for being so selfish.

"Back to before," Neji leaned forward. "You really aren't ever going back to Suna?"

"It's not like I ever liked going there," Beki looked down at their joined hands. "It was a miserable place. If I don't ever have to go there again, I'll be happy."

"I have to admit that makes me feel a little better." Neji reached up and brushed the hair out of her face, his fingers slow to leave her cheek. "I was a worried you would have to go back there for work-"

"And he'd guilt me back into it?" Beki scoffed. "He could offer me all the money, all the diamonds and jewels in the whole world, a private island, and a pack of alpacas and I would still tell him 'pass, thanks'."

Neji's brow furrowed. "Turning down an alpaca pack? You're serious."

Beki nodded. "I burned or sent every letter he ever gave me to Ishida. Other than the emotional scarring, it was like we were never together."

"You say that," Neji smiled. "But I'm probably going to have to fight a kage for your honor."

Beki licked her lips. "Let's avoid that at all costs." Neji gave her a quizzical look. "I've been kind of skirting scandal for as long as I can remember. Stirring up a blood feud between Konoha and Suna sounds like just the thing to drag it all out in the open."

"It was a joke, Beki. Gaara and I should be fine," Neji folded his arms. "There isn't any bad blood between us."

Beki blinked. "How close are you guys?" The thought had never occurred to her that Neji and Gaara knew each other. Something in the way that Neji spoke sounded like they were more than casual acquaintances.

"Well, despite what he did to Lee in the chunin exams, he and his siblings came to our rescue when the Sound Four attacked," Neji explained. "Not to mention the more recent chunin exams we held."

Beki blinked. "When did that happen?"

"It was before Gaara was abducted by the Akatsuki. I think you were off training with your father at the time." Neji explained. "You disappeared a lot less back then. Not like your more recent escapade to murder your uncle with your mother off the books."

"Keep it down about that," Beki folded her arms. "I didn't murder him. I got my ass kicked. If it wasn't for this ronin I keep running into and my mom, I might not have made it out of there."

Neji almost spit his coffee. "You? And a ronin?"

Beki waved dismissively. "Yes, go ahead and laugh at me for having to eat my words about ronin."

Neji watched her carefully before continuing. "Alright. I'll finish my story but then I need to hear about this ronin you're friends with."

"It isn't Sasuke if that's what you're thinking," Beki scoffed. "Although that arguably would solve a lot of everyone's problems."

"Don't you dare think about seducing Sasuke into coming back to the village," Neji stared her down.

"Don't worry about it," Beki grinned. "I'm over the brooding types. Nagging dads only."

Neji frowned. "I don't nag you."

Beki laughed aloud enough to catch the attention of the other guests. "Are you kidding? You've cut me off when I'm having too many treats, when I'm drinking, during festivals you cap my taiyaki-"

"Because you literally gorge yourself if I don't!" Neji hissed. "And that's all I do." Beki stared him down with a smirk and a raised eyebrow and he sighed. "And about the staying out too late. Or up too late. Or not getting enough fresh air." He frowned and looked away. "Okay, maybe I do nag you a lot."

"It's how I know you love me," Beki rubbed her hands together. "But that means I get to nag you now!"

Neji shot her a quizzical look. "Beki, what do you have to nag me about?"

She froze. Neji was perhaps the most put together person she knew. He certainly was more mature and organized than her mother. Thinking back, Beki could never remember him making a bad decision. She opened her mouth, with a grin but then closed it. There was another memory from back with Ren during the chunin exams, so Beki opened her mouth to share, but he had been right then, too. She closed her mouth and folded her arms. "I'll find something. You'll see."

Neji shook his head and chuckled. "So, the chunin exams. Tsunade and Gaara were working together to try to lure out the Akatsuki. We invited all the other villages but they all declined. Several Konoha squads were planted in the chunin exams, including my own. We uncovered a few plots. I might have saved the Kazekage in the process and earned myself a double promotion."

Beki bit her lip. "Dude. I'm breaking up the band."

"What are you talking about?" Neji laughed. "What does that even mean?"

"You guys are all, like, pals and I didn't realize it. I would have never guessed breaking up with Gaara would piss Naruto off." Beki shook her head. "Now I'm putting you in a tough spot between everyone-"

Neji blinked. "Naruto was pissed?"

Beki opened her eyes wide and nodded her head. "I've never seen the guy mad! It was...I don't want to do that again, let's just say that. The Maiden in me did not like it one bit. If it had been earlier in my development, I might have blown up the kitchen subconsciously protecting myself."

Neji nodded. "I'll...I'll talk to him about it."

"So, if you hadn't liked me, Neji, are you saying you would have tried to talk me into staying with Gaara?" Beki asked.

Neji sighed. "Why do you think I kept my feelings to myself for so long, Beki? He's the Kazekage. He comes from an affluent family and I'm some branch family offshoot orphan. You're a really good person, he's a good person...I thought you two deserved each other. I thought he could offer you a life I never could."

Beki shrugged. "Then I guess lucky for you I'm the simple type. I don't need prestige or luxury. Just someone who knows my whole ice cream order by heart and lays me so hard I have trouble walking the next day."

Neji gave her a startled look and she winked just as the waitress came up with their food. "How much of last night do you remember?" Beki asked.

"I didn't have a lot to drink," Neji said before tucking into his food. "I knew exactly what was happening. The only difference between that and being sober was I didn't have my usual resolve."

"I think you'd resolved to…" Beki's voice trailed off until the waitress had passed them by. "Have your way with me."

"You're the one who threw themself at me," Neji hissed under his breath. "Then again, I've always had trouble telling you 'no'."

Beki grinned and opened her mouth but then frowned. "No. That isn't something I want to nag you about. You'll start telling me 'no'."

Neji narrowed his eyes at her. "Maybe I should."

Beki shrugged. "Then I just ask again with less clothes on."

Neji frowned. "I don't know if that's a bad thing."

Lee came bursting into the diner and beelined for their table. "NEJI! You're late for training!"

Neji sighed. "I completely forgot." Beki gave him another suggestive wink and he gave her a sour look.

"Neji was out late last night," Beki teased.

"Training?" Lee asked, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

"Sure," Beki snickered and Neji swatted at her with his napkin.

"Don't corrupt the baby."

Beki waved as they left. "Have fun!"

…

"Kakashi, this is humiliating." Yuki folded her arms and pouted.

"The matching shirts are too much?" Kakashi held up the hangers. "What if they had puppies on them?'

"Puppies?" Yuki's resolve almost broke. "No. We're...we're grownups, Kakashi. We can't wear matching puppy shirts."

"Are you a matching tattoo kind of girl, then?" Kakashi blinked.

Yuki furrowed her brows. "I was a priestess, Kakashi."

"So, yes?" Kakashi grinned. "Because you're a rebel?"

Yuki frowned. "I... you've got me in a box."

"Tattoos it is." Kakashi chucked her chin affectionately.

"I don't want matching tattoos, Kakashi. Can we pick something less permanent? You are waaaaay too eager to commit." Yuki sighed, her exasperation plain.

"I said puppy t-shirts, but you were all 'noooo we're grownups and can't have any fun waaaaah,'" Kakashi elbowed her gently.

Yuki groaned. "How about keychains with our names on them? Is that a fair compromise?"

Kakashi was silent for a moment. "Can they have puppies on them?"

"Yes." Yuki sighed with relief. "They can have puppies on them."

Beki was walking through town, enjoying what had to be the most beautiful day in history, when she passed by the obnoxious couple store ™. It was the place that all the thirteen-year-olds went on their first date to buy cheesy teddy bears with hearts, two halves of a heart necklaces, and a surprising variety of cool shoelaces. Not that many people in Konoha wore shoes with laces. The only time it was publicly acceptable for anyone over thirteen to be seen in the place was around Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. Beki always liked to poke her nose in there when she passed by to see which of the recent academy grads were in there getting matching bracelets. When she peeked in today and saw her mother in there with Kakashi, she burst out laughing. "And I'm the nerd?!"

"I'm in here against my will!" Yuki stomped her foot. "Don't you dare laugh at me!" She chased Beki as she took off down the street.

"But Yuki, which one did you want?" Kakashi called after her.

"The Pomeranian!" Yuki yelled over her shoulder as she ran Beki down. Normally, Yuki had no trouble catching her daughter. Beki was big and muscular, so her run could normally be described as "lumbering". Wearing the armor all the time must have been thinning her out, though, because the girl was getting fast. Yuki started to skate, forming ice under her feet, and sliding on it. Within moments, Yuki closed the gap and tackled Beki onto the grassy clearing beyond. "YOU SAW NOTHING!"

"I SAW EVERYTHING!" Beki laughed. "You two are like twelve-year-olds! I LOVE IT!"

Yuki play smothered Beki with the sweater she had wrapped around her waist. "I have to silence you now! No one can know my shame!"

"Nooooo…." Beki's flailing weakened, and with a loud "Blurgh" noise Beki "died". Yuki removed the sweater but kept Beki pinned. Beki raised her head with a massive grin that tempted Yuki to smother her again. "So, I take it you confessed?"

Yuki groaned. "Yes. And I've regretted every moment since!"

"Well apparently confessing popped the cork on that dorky side you told me about," Beki laughed as she looked down the street. "I would have never taken Kakashi for the 'matching' type."

"Tattoos were on the table for a few minutes there," Yuki laughed and Beki spat.

"I can't ever see you getting a tattoo."

Yuki shook her head. "I, uh, believe it or not have a thing about needles."

Beki blinked. "But your ears a pierced."

"Reika did it while I was sleeping." Yuki pouted. "I didn't talk to her for a week. But then she bought me cute earrings and I was like, thirteen, so I got over it."

"What did they look like?" Beki had played in her mother's jewelry box as a child. She'd had to do it in secret; it would have terrified Seiichiro that she would lose something.

"Little plum blossoms," Yuki ruffled Beki's hair. "So. What about you? Did you confess?"

"Yeah." Beki shrugged. "It went okay."

"Okay?!" Yuki squinted her eyes and looked around. "That's funny, because…" Yuki sniffed the air exaggeratedly, slowly working her way over until she sniffed Beki's neck. "You smell like Neji's cologne!"

Beki flushed. "Well, I, um, we-"

Yuki leaned in close, a vulpine smile twisting her features. "You banged."

"I got drunk and jumped him," Beki pulled her shirt up over her head, her voice barely loud enough to hear.

Yuki inhaled sharply. "You just got back! You harlot!"

"I know!" Beki groaned. "I was just going to confess but I got drunk and he took me home."

"What did I tell you?!" Yuki grinned. "I told you all you had to do was ask! He was behind the gate waiting for the starting gun to go off." She sobered a bit, letting Beki up into a sitting position. "So? Did you guys talk at all or was it, you know, just animal grunts?"

Beki gagged. "I really don't want to talk about that with you. We did talk. We went to breakfast this morning. He laid out his concerns on the table and I did my best to address them."

"You told him you aren't going to work with Gaara anymore?" Yuki asked.

Beki nodded. "Yeah. That was a big worry for him."

Yuki shook her head. "I can't believe you banged and then confessed and I confessed and things have stayed celibate."

Beki looked at Yuki in shock. "What?!"

"He told me that now that we're 'official' he wants to take things slow." Yuki rolled her eyes. "So that means cuddling, matching keychains, and taking a million polaroids together."

"He sounds really excited," Beki smiled. "Which is huge for him. I can tell you've lived here almost three years and I think I've seen him make two expressions: bored and annoyed."

Yuki sighed. "Are you happy, though? Is this what you thought it would be?"

"You were right, Mom." Beki flushed a little, bringing color into her chronically pale flesh. "The moment we were finally together I wondered why I kept this from myself for so long. I'm so happy I could burst."

"Well just, you know," Yuki reached down and pat Beki's belly. "Don't end up bursting with child, okay? I'm too young and sexy to be a grandma. Because the second I become a grandma that's going to become my entire life and I'm not ready to quit miniskirts yet."

Beki stuck out her tongue but retracted it before Yuki could grab it. "You're getting too fast, Beks."

She shrugged. "Just trying to keep up."

…

In between sets, Tenten reached over and nudged Neji. "So, I heard you and Beki went out for breakfast this morning?"

"Yes," Neji adjusted his headband.

"Does that mean you told her?" Tenten leaned in conspiratorially.

Neji tried not to smile but he couldn't help himself. "Yes. I actually...Beki told me she loved me first."

Tenten clapped and gasped happily. "That's awesome, Neji! Congratulation- wasn't she dating Gaara?" Tenten had lost all color as the realization hit her. "Oh God...we're going to have to fight the Sand siblings."

"No," Neji sighed. Tenten secretly harbored a fear of ever having to fight Temari again. Tenten considered the fight in the chunin exams one of her greatest personal failures. "Beki broke up with Gaara first."

"Thank God," Tenten heaved a sigh. "That's a huge relief. I was going to have to start really hitting the weights if we were."

Neji reached out and pat her shoulder. "Don't worry, Tenten. If we did have to fight them, we'd make sure you got Kankuro."

"I knew we were friends for a reason." Tenten blinked. "So, Lee would fight Gaara again and you would take Temari?"

"If it was over Beki, out of principle I would have to fight Gaara," Neji shook his head. "We're getting ahead of ourselves. This is never going to happen, Tenten."

"I don't know," Tenten smiled affectionately at Lee as he bolted past. "I think he'd give Gaara a real run for his money."

"Let's hope it never comes to that." Neji's smile skewed somewhat. This was a real mess he was getting himself into and the longer he was in it, the more of a disaster he realized it could become.

…

Later that day, when Neji got out of training, his mind spun. A problem solver at heart, Neji kept stewing on all the issues his relationship with Beki might cause between Neji, his friends, his family, and potentially for the village. Not advertising the relationship might help for a time, slowly letting word spread that they were together rather than announcing it. Then again, that might seem like they were hiding it, which in turn could raise the question of if Beki had been cheating on Gaara.

"Hey!"

Neji snapped to attention and saw Beki bounding down the road toward him. The sight of her pulled an involuntary smile across his face. "Hi, Beki."

Without hesitation, Beki fell in beside him and ducked under his arm so it was around her neck. "You aren't shy at all, are you?"

Beki shook her head. "How was training?"

"It was fine." Neji sighed. "I mean, its training with Gai so it's always intense. Today was a little less strenuous than normal."

"I caught up on some paperwork." Beki rested her head on him. "So, do you have plans for the night?"

Neji looked down at her. "Isn't this a little excessive, Beki? We just started dating today and we've already had breakfast together."

"Yesterday, actually. We started dating yesterday." Beki corrected.

"I'm not counting it until after you told me you loved me," Neji gave her a stern look. "You only told me you liked me when we...you know."

"You're going to have to get a lot less shy about this," Beki laughed. "I think I know a way."

Neji raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, you stink. We should do something about that." Beki grinned.

"Are you asking to take a shower with me?" Neji could feel a flush come into his cheeks. "I swear, the nerve on you…"

"Hey, this is an important relationship step!" Beki punched the air. "I mean, you and I are basically skipping like, half of dating. We were already best friends. The only thing we really need to work on is the, well, sexy stuff."

Neji hated to admit it but she was right. "Dating" seemed silly when the two of them had literally been going out as friends for years. "It's just hard for me, Beki. I've gone so long trying to stay proper around you and now suddenly you want us to be physical."

"The shower doesn't have to be sexy, Neji." Beki explained. "It's just us getting used to being around each other as a couple."

Neji sighed and nodded. "Just let me grab a change of clothes from my room."

"I've never been to your room, Neji." Beki nudged him. "Can I come with?"

He shrugged. "I don't see why not."

…

Neji's room was simple, exactly how Beki would have expected. There was a picture here and there of his team or of his family. It was impeccably neat. Beki could have run her hands over any surface in the room and would have come up without a speck of dust on it.

"Not much to see, I know," Neji said, the I-told-you-so implied.

"It smells like you in here," Beki laughed. "It _feels_ like you in here. Very calm, clean, organized. You could show me a hundred rooms just like it and I would know this was yours."

"Boring is that loud, huh?" Neji smiled.

"You aren't boring," Beki rolled her eyes. "You're stable. That's worth more than anything in the life of a shinobi."

As he fished out a clean set of clothes, trying ridiculously to be as mysterious about it as possible, Beki's eyes roved the room. On top of his dresser, beside a picture of Neji's dad, was a familiar looking shape. Beki reached over and picked up the small charred starfish. Neji's head shot up and he gave her a concerned look. Beki had a dreamy faraway look on her face as she turned the starfish over in her hand. "I really liked that comb."

Neji watched her carefully and kept his voice level. "I'll get you another one."

"I never thanked you for that day, did I?" Beki's fingers traced the broken starfish's arm, ran her thumb over the rough surface. "I thought I was going to die. I wanted...I didn't see a reason to live after that. Then you swooped in and saved me."

"It was nothing, Beki," Neji said humbly. "It's my job."

She looked up at him, her expression unreadable. "Really?"

Neji slowly shook his head. "No. I came along because I was worried sick."

"What did it look like to you?" Beki asked. "When you found me?"

"We opened the door and smoke came billowing out. It was black and thick...and there was this horrible, acrid smell. I've never smelled anything like it." Neji explained.

"Burned human flesh. And hair." Beki frowned. "I barely notice it anymore."

Neji stayed silent for a moment before continuing. "You were slumped in this corner, naked, covered in soot and ashes…. you weren't moving. My heart almost stopped. I had to remember that there could be enemy ninja there," He gave a humorless laugh. "I forgot to be quiet and careful. I guess I didn't care. I just needed to know if you were safe. I rolled you over and you looked up at me and said something about the comb. There were bodies in that room with you, bits of them at least, and I knew I had to get you out."

"You wrapped me in your shirt." Beki recalled.

Neji was silent. "They wouldn't let me stay with you at the hospital."

"This should have happened a lot sooner, shouldn't it?" Beki looked up at him.

Neji shook his head. "Things never happen until the time is right, Beki. If you had tried to confess to me too early, I would have shot you down. Even if I liked you, I wouldn't have thought it proper for me to date my family's charge. And if I had confessed to you before you'd sorted out your feelings, or while you were still with Gaara, you either would have had to reject me or put yourself in a bad ethical position."

"If I have to go back to Getsu, I want you to come with me," Beki looked up at him with a shy smile. "If I can't, like let's say Tsunade says 'no' or your family won't allow it…" Beki looked down at her feet. "I can't go on living with Naruto and Hinata forever. Maybe if we're at that point we should get our own place."

Neji laughed. "You can't help yourself, can you? It's still technically day one and you want to move in together?"

Beki set the starfish down and bat her eyelashes at him. "I haven't asked you to marry me yet."

"Haha, yet." Neji came over and kissed her nose. "That's my job."

"Would it be better for us to shower here?" Beki glanced at Neji's small bathroom.

"The question you need to be asking is who is better to piss off, Hiashi or Naruto?" Neji gave her an inquisitive look.

After a moment of silence, Beki nodded. "Hinata's place it is. I'll take my chance with the ninetails."

"You're sounding like a regular Hyuga," Neji smirked. Beki turned to the door and he swatted her rear before they entered the common areas where he would have to control himself. They walked up the path to Hinata's house and came in the front door to find Naruto and Hinata mid conversation in the kitchen. Most people would have called what they found an argument: Naruto with his features twisted in almost comedic childish anger, his shoulders hunched forward and his arms folded and Hinata trying to talk him through it. Beki knew better; the pair never really argued. Naruto turned his laser beams on the pair of them and his jaw dropped, his brows knitting even further. "You're kidding?!"

Hinata looked up at the pair apologetically. "I was just getting to this part."

Naruto gestured to Beki, then to Neji, then to Beki. "So this?! This is what was what was really going on?! Are you just going to go through all of my friends, Beki?!"

Beki used all of her discipline to keep her eyes from rolling. "That isn't true, Naruto. To date I've only dated two of them."

"Psh," Naruto rolled his eyes. "How am I supposed to know that? I wasn't here for half of your stay and Hinata is too innocent to know if you're prowling! Thank God Sasuke isn't here, cuz you would try to seduce him, too! Are you just some foreign ninja plant sent here to tear apart the Leaf from the inside?!"

"That wasn't nice, Naruto," Hinata chided.

Naruto sighed. "You're right. That wasn't fair." He glared Beki down. "Because Sasuke wouldn't fall for her!"

Neji glanced at Beki and turned his attention back to Naruto. "I broke them up, Naruto."

"Oh no, don't 'nice guy' your way through this!" Naruto pointed at Beki accusingly. "This is all her!"

Beki gave him an exhausted look. "Naruto, how many months have we been living together?"

Naruto was silent as he counted. "…A while."

"Have I ever made a pass at you?" Beki asked, Hinata's muscles tensing not escaping her notice.

Naruto pouted. "No. But I could have just been too dumb to know it was a pass."

Neji let out a chuckle. "Believe me, you would know. She's, um, pretty direct about it." Beki elbowed him and he stifled his laughter.

Naruto gestured at Neji but his eyes stayed on Beki. "You're asking me to choose between my friends. You're also asking me to lie for you. Because you running away from your job or whatever, _I'm_ still going to have to see Gaara. AND I LIVE WITH YOU. He's going to ask me questions! I can't lie!" Naruto held his head in his hands, his eyes filling with tears of frustration. "Then he's going to be pissed and want to come fight Neji, and his team is going to get involved and Gaara's siblings will get involved…"

Hinata rose and walked over to Naruto, wrapping an arm around him comfortingly. "Come on, Naruto. Let's go upstairs and talk about this." He nodded slowly and the pair headed up the stairs. Beki and Neji stood in the kitchen awkwardly until the door closed.

"That…didn't go as well as I expected." Neji sighed. "I really thought Naruto would be neutral about this."

"I don't think he's mad at any of us," Beki folded her arms. "I think he's just worried about what might happen because of this."

Neji nodded. "I agree, maybe-" The sound of the floorboards creaking overhead stole the words from his mouth. He stood there, his mouth hanging open, as the realization dawned on him of what he was hearing. "Are they…having make up sex?"

Beki chuckled. "I mean technically speaking, Hinata never lets the fight get far enough that they need to make up."

Neji shook his head with a sour expression. "Too much information."

Beki took ahold of his hand and led Neji upstairs. "We're just going to proceed as planned?" Neji asked. "Even after that fight?"

Beki nodded. "We'll work it out. We're all friends…and mostly family, right?"

Neji shrugged. "I suppose, if you count their engagement as binding."

Neji closed the bedroom door and followed Beki into the bathroom. He set his clean clothes on the counter and started to strip down. Beki reached out and started to help him, the feeling of her fingers against his skin stirring his longing. Neji helped her out of her shirt and kissed her while her arms were still over her head. Beki laughed and struggled as he kept her pinned. Neji stared her down. "8 trigram….64 kisses!"

"No!" Beki squealed, squirming half heartedly against the onslaught of his affection. He kissed her on her face, neck, arms, and tickled her with his free hand. Beki laughed so hard she snorted. Neji stopped, a smirk twisting his face. "Did you just…?"

Beki shook her head. "No!"

Neji laughed. "You just snorted like a little piglet!"

Beki pulled her shirt back on. "No! No sexy shower now."

Neji shook his head. "Oh no, you don't act all cute and then expect me to let you go."

He play wrestled with her, pulling the last of her clothes off in the process. "You're lucky you're so cute when you smile," Beki frowned. "Otherwise I wouldn't let you get away with anything."

"Still not buying it," Neji grinned as he followed her into the shower. "Coming from the girl who threw herself at me."

"Drunk me had certain ideas," Beki explained. "She doesn't get out much so I kind of let her do what she wants."

"Which was me," Neji twisted his hair and tied it up in a knot to keep it out of the water. Beki gave him a confused look and attempted to imitate the movement.

"How did…where…?"

Neji chuckled and tied up her hair for her. "That's your problem. You don't have enough."

"You do know it intimidates me how much prettier your hair is, right?" Beki pouted.

"Do you know how jealous I am of your jaw?" Neji smirked and she swatted him. He reached out and caressed her hip as they stood there under the hot water, looking at his options. "So I guess I should have grabbed my soap."

"What," Beki held up her bottle of body wash. "You don't want to smell like Pink Champagne Sparkle?"

"What does that even smell like?" Neji took the bottle and sniffed. "Strawberry? You usually use vanilla, though."

Beki narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that?"

"I just-" Neji sighed, giving up on keeping up pretenses. "I let you borrow my stuff all the time so it would smell like you after."

"That's…creepy." Beki shuddered.

"It was creepy a few days ago. Now I'm your boyfriend so that's 'cute'." Neji grinned.

"Just don't ever let me catch you watching me sleep." Beki shook her head. "That'll get you a busted lip."

Neji reached out and touched her face, holding her chin in his hand. "I'm really happy when I'm with you."

Beki gave him a sly smile. "How about a kiss, then, stud?"

Neji shook his head with a matching grin and leaned in. "You're so greedy."

"Only for you."

When he kissed her, Beki's body pressed against his. The two were getting to know each other's faces a little more, learning each other's movements. Beki was impressed with how much the kissing had improved compared to earlier that day. As fun as this was, Beki was curious about Neji's resolve. He claimed that if he had been sober last night, he might have held up against her. Well, he was sober now. Beki kissed him hard, the pull of her kisses increasing in intensity. She ran her hands over his body, raking her nails over his sides, thighs, and arms. Neji shuddered in response. He pulled her closer and Beki felt his excitement grow. She reached down to grab it but Neji dropped his hand to meet hers.

"What are you trying to do here?" Neji gave her a smoldering look.

Beki grinned. "Seeing how headstrong you are sober."

Neji kissed her. "If that's what you want, we should get in the bed. You don't have a mat in here and I don't feel like explaining how we cracked our heads open in here."

Beki kissed his nose. "We won't get hurt if we're careful."

Neji gave a pseudo sigh of frustration. "If you say so."

…

Neji was finishing showering when Beki climbed out, dizzy but satisfied, and toweled off. "I'm going to grab some water," Beki said. "Do you want some?"

"Yes, thanks," Neji replied.

Beki stuck her nose out in the hallway. She was overheating and the idea of even a robe for decency was unbearable. There were no sounds coming from the kitchen or the bedroom. _Hinata and Naruto must be asleep._ Beki crept out into the hallway and down the stairs. Before she stepped in the kitchen, though, she heard someone clearing their throat. She looked up in shock to see Naruto in his underwear with a glass of water in his hand.

"Oh, uh, hey," Beki scratched the back of her head.

"So," Naruto leaned on the counter and took a sip of his water. "When are you moving out?"


	103. Great Expectations

**Hi everyone, here's the next installment. I'm choosing to avoid many of my adult responsibilities presently and work on the story. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far and I look forward to hearing what you think. PS: Don't get used to those 10k chapters.**

* * *

Neji had just finished getting ready for the day. He left his room and headed towards the gates when he heard his name called. He turned to face the speaker and his muscles instantly tensed. Hiashi.

"I was hoping I could speak with you in private for a moment."

Neji nodded. "Yes, sir."

Hiashi led Neji into his office and closed the door. Hiashi often asked Neji to complete tasks for him, so the sight of the inside of his office was a familiar one. Based on his tone, however, Neji didn't think this was going to be the typical go-drop-this-off-for-me kind of conversation.

"It's been brought to my attention you've been spending more time than usual with the Tsukimori girl," Hiashi folded his arms and Neji nodded. It was a waste of time to deny it considering the whole family could see through walls.

"I understand the two of you are on friendly terms. Much of the family is comfortable with Miss Tsukimori, especially due to her close friendship and rescue of Hinata two years ago." Hiashi set his jaw. "But I must remind you of your responsibilities to this family."

Neji kept his voice even when he asked. "What responsibility are you specifically referring to, sir?"

"You are a well-known member of this family," Hiashi began. "You have demonstrated your prowess as a shinobi and are known throughout the village and beyond. Whether you were aware or not, you have been carefully observed by other clans since you were young."

Neji got a sinking feeling in his gut. He wasn't sure where this conversation was headed but it didn't bode well.

"There are several clans that have expressed an interest in marrying their children into our family, specifically marrying their daughters off to you," Hiashi explained. "I haven't burdened you with this information as I was concerned it might affect your ability to concentrate on your training. I feel now that you are secure enough to include you."

"Has a decision been reached, then?" Neji asked.

Hiashi shook his head. "I held off on taking any formal requests until recently. There are three promising candidates. One of the young women is from an offshoot of the Hyuga clan; the family is seeking to reestablish ties with us."

Neji's ears started ringing with the effort it took to contain himself. "How can I help?"

"Right now, the best thing for you to do would be to work on maintaining your image and good standing within Konoha." Hiashi's expression softened. "I apologize if that means curtailing your friendship with young Miss Tsukimori."

"Do we know when a decision will be made?" Neji asked, daring to speak out of turn.

If Hiashi was offended, he didn't show it. "Since the conversation has officially begun, I suspect it will take about two months to reach a consensus with the rest of the family elders."

Neji nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Hiashi dismissed him. Neji did his best to walk normally, not to let his shoulders slump or his feet drag, no matter how much he wanted to. _This can't be happening._ Neji knew that many of the marriages in his family were arranged; if it hadn't been for Hinata's "accident" with Naruto, then she would surely be in the process of being fought over by their own kinsman as well as clans far and wide. The family elders had protested the arrangement at first, but Hiashi had held strong. He did what was in the best interest of his daughter.

But Neji wasn't his son. As a member of the branch family, no matter how hard he worked or how much prestige he earned, it all belonged to the main family. Everything he did, his entire life was supposed to be spent furthering the glory of the Hyuga. He had no idea how he would tell Beki. After everything they had been through to be together, the pure bliss and relief of sharing their feelings and having them reciprocated, this would be devastating. Beki would feel completely betrayed, no, she would feel used after this. Now that Neji was sure Beki was his soulmate, both emotionally and physically, how could he ever pretend to love anyone else? The very thought made him sick. As Neji walked towards town, the burden on his mind quickly became a hindrance to his body. He stumbled from time to time, unable to see the road in front of him even though he was looking right at it. After walking for a while, how long he didn't know, Neji stopped and sat on a bench. He had no direction, no purpose, so it was pointless to keep going. He watched the people passing by without observing them: couples, children, families. They were all so happy, just another thing he would get to miss out on thanks to the unfortunate luck of his birth.

He felt something cold trickle down his neck but paid it no mind. The sensation grew more persistent but Neji was set on brooding. A snowball to the face finally stirred him from his daze with a shout.

"About time," Yuki folded her arms and scowled at him. "I've been talking at you for five minutes."

"I apologize," Neji brushed the snow from his face and hair. "I've received some bad news today and I'm afraid I'm a little preoccupied."

Yuki blinked, her eyes widening with concern. "What's up? Is everything okay?"

Neji looked away. The last thing he wanted to do was for Beki to find out through her mother. Then again, if he was going to break up with her, Neji should tell Yuki to keep himself from ending up impaled on an icicle later. "I…am apparently going to be married off. They haven't decided to whom yet, but Hiashi is already going through candidates."

"Ew," Yuki put a hand on her hip. "So you aren't allowed to marry outside your family then?"

Neji screwed up his face in disgust and shook his head. "No, that isn't it. We are; it just so happens that a lot of us end up marrying within the clan. I guess my success as a shinobi has drawn me some admirers."

"That and your pretty face." Yuki chucked his chin. "If my daughter were as pretty as you, I would have a lot more to worry about."

"That's a cruel thing to say about Beki," Neji swatted her hand away.

Yuki shrugged. "I don't mince words, Hyuga. My daughter is fine enough, but her lot was a warrior's. Softer features would have only caused her more pain."

Neji shook his head. "As I said, I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood for conversation right now."

Yuki looked off in the direction of the Hyuga compound. "Well, if you're allowed to marry outside the family, what do you think the criteria is for your brides-to-be?"

Neji shrugged. "A pedigree and resources, I'm sure. Either secret family techniques, a kekke genkai, wealth, power…who knows. We're all just meat to them."

Yuki tapped her fingers on her folded arms. "Well, I may not be good at this whole clans and propriety thing thanks to losing mine at such a young age, but I'm good at digging up skeletons. Let me go see what I can do about these spotless little virgins they're trying to set you up with."

Neji blinked. "You would…Yuki, are you saying you're going to help me?"

"Duh," She put a hand on her hip. "Do you think that Beki came running to your arms by accident? I approve of your relationship. I think the two of you are good for each other. So help me God, old world politics are not going to mess with my baby's future."

Yuki stepped back and started off down the path. "Don't look so sour. It'll ruin your pretty features and I need pretty grandbabies."

Neji held his tongue but shook his head. The woman was mad, but it would take madness to get him out of this.

…

Yuki tapped her pencil on the table, her coffee going cold beside her. Through equal measures eavesdropping, bribery, and good old fashioned research, Yuki had figured out the three candidates the Hyuga had lined up for Neji. All three girls came from good families with pedigrees as far as the eye could see. Each offered something different: wealth and prestige, merchant connections, or in the case of the best of the candidates, a set of secret family techniques and a kekke genkai.

If Yuki was going to make this happen for Beki and Neji, she was going to have to handle this like a lawyer and a salesman. She would need to present the case on why her daughter was the best candidate while also selling her, basically. If Yuki put her tendrils out a little further, it might be possible to dig up some dirt on the other girls. No one would have to look very far to find reasons why Beki was not old-established-clan-bride material. She was loud, at times combative, and prone to accidental public nudity. But Yuki, Neji, and even Hiashi couldn't deny she had a heart of gold.

Suddenly, something small but heavy plopped on top of her head. Yuki looked up while fishing out of her hair. She pulled out the small disc and glanced at it.

"Really, Kakashi? You're throwing coins at me?"

"Sorry, I didn't have any singles to tuck into your pants." He sat down across from her in the booth.

"Haha, I was a stripper for like two months. I get it." Yuki bounced the coin at him. "God knows what covers you've had to use for missions."

"I'm still active duty, so I can't really talk about it," Kakashi slid her coffee across the table and took a stealthy sip. "But I can tell you I was never an exotic dancer."

"Again, though, how effective was it?" Yuki said with her eyes glued to her research.

"Is this about that boba tea shop chain you're thinking of opening?" Kakashi glanced at the pile of hand written notes stacked beside her.

Yuki shook her head. "No, that's off the ground already. This is some personal business."

Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow. "Care to share, or is this another vendetta you're plotting?"

"For your information," Yuki shot him an annoyed look. "Not all of my plotting ends in murder. Slander, perhaps. Blackmail, most likely. But not always murder."

"So what's going on, then?" He asked.

"Neji and Beki are finally dating," Yuki explained. "And now apparently they're getting ready to marry the boy off to one of three prim and proper little heiresses."

"Finally," Kakashi folded his arms. "It was painful watching those two."

"Right?" Yuki cocked her head. "Anyway, I'm trying to build a case for why Beki's better than all of them."

"Look at you, little tiger momma," Kakashi grinned.

"You should have seen me when they rejected Beki for the academy," Yuki gave him a dangerous smile. "They never saw me coming."

"She was rejected?" Kakashi blinked. "Did she not meet the minimum requirements or did you try to start her too young?"

Yuki shrugged. "There are a lot more politics in Getsu than here. Beki's dad pissed off a lot of the wrong people. Some of those people had friends at the academy." Yuki paused. "Hey, I've never asked you: do you want kids?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't think I would be a good father."

"Even though you've been dad away from dad with your students?" Yuki gave him a quizzical look.

"In case you haven't noticed I didn't exactly have the best winning streak with those three." Kakashi waved down the waitress and got his own cup of coffee. "I think it was you who pointed out it would take them a week to notice I was gone?"

"That's just teenagers in general." Yuki shrugged. "Not that I can speak from a lot of personal experience. Just, you know, general ideas."

"Do you want more children?" Kakashi asked.

Yuki bit her lip. "It's...hard for me. I never wanted kids in the first place. Beki was an accident. It was the happiest accident of my life but I thought the same thing, that I would be unfit as a mother. It was hell the first couple of years, dealing with the teething and the crying all the time," Yuki got a dreamy look. "But you know what? By the time Beki was five, she was her own little person. Had a personality, a sense of humor, worshiped me and her dad. It was...It was really nice. I never really got to have a family and then there's this tiny person clopping around in my heels and plastering her face with my lipstick because she wants to be just like me. It...softened me up a lot. I don't think you would have liked me before. It makes me really sad that I wasn't there for her. I looked forward to all of it, even the ugly tween years, and I missed out. I'd be happy with just Beki for the rest of my life but I would be lying if I didn't say part of me is curious to try again."

Kakashi was silent for a while. "I think you're a great mom."

Yuki gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you. I really try."

"I still think I wouldn't make a good father." Kakashi shook his head.

Yuki shrugged. "If I was wrong, you could be too." She slid one of the sheets of paper she was working on across the table to him. "Now tell me what you know about this family."

…

It was Beki's favorite spot in the woods. The stream was cool and clear and there was enough of a break in the trees that it got plenty of sunshine. There were big rocks to sit or nap on. Deer, rabbits, elk, and a rainbow of birds came to drink there, sometimes not minding people if they kept their distance. Neji was sitting on one of the rocks watching Beki wading in the water. He had no idea how she could stand it; this time of year the water was freezing. There she was, though, her pants rolled up to her knees, splashing around like a toddler in a puddle.

Neji hadn't brought up the marriage situation. Part of him hoped somehow the situation would resolve itself, that he wouldn't need to do anything at all and it would just go away. They had a few months, though. He really just wanted to enjoy his time with her, especially since it was going to be so limited. _Next week, I'll tell her._ Neji decided. _But this week I just want us to be a normal, happy couple._

Movement in the underbrush caught both of their attention. Konohamaru burst out of the bushes, his skin covered in tiny knicks and brambles in his hair. "I've been looking for you everywhere, nee san!"

"Oh, sorry bud." Beki hopped on stones until she was clear of the river and safe on the grass.

Konohamaru glanced at Neji. "Oh, hi."

"Hi Konohamaru." Neji gave him a small wave. "What's up?"

He shrugged. "I was just going to ask Beki nee san something." Konohamaru faced her. "You know how you said you wanted to do something for me?"

"Yeah," Beki put her hands on her hips. "Did you think of something?"

Konohamaru nodded.

Neji laughed. "Did you burn off your clothes and had to borrow his?"

Beki shook her head. "I know that's your knee jerk reaction, that any time something happens its because I was naked in public," Beki reached out and ruffled Konohamaru's hair. He blushed at the contact, subtly leaning into her hand at her touch. "But Konohamaru saved my life during the Akatsuki attack."

Neji suppressed the urge to cringe. When he had found out how much danger Beki had been in during the attack, he'd been sick. _If only I had been there,_ He had thought to himself a million times. "I owe you a thank you for taking care of her."

Konohamaru shrugged. "I'm a shinobi. Its my job to protect people."

"So what does the little man have in mind?" Beki folded her arms.

Konohamaru looked her dead in the eye, a small flush creeping into his face. "I want to go on a date with you."

Beki cocked her head. "Really? That's all?"

"Hear me out!" Konohamaru had apparently anticipated a much less receptive response. "I'm getting old enough that I'm going to start dating soon and I have no idea what I'm doing and-" He blinked in surprise. "Wait, are you saying yes?"

Beki shrugged and glanced at Neji. He gave her a small shrug in response and she nodded. "Yeah, why not? I'm your big sister, right? Who better to teach you how to treat a girl?"

Konohamaru stared at her, his jaw slightly open. He clamped it shut and shook his head to recover his cool "So, um, can I come pick you up at…" He looked at Beki. "When's a good time to ask a girl out?"

She chucked his chin. "When you're young, five or six is good. When you're my age, you can ask them out at seven or eight."

"Six, then?" Konohamaru tugged at his scarf self consciously.

"Yeah," Beki grinned. "I'll see you then."

Konohamaru nodded and walked back to the bushes, his confidence spent. He left much more quietly than he had come in. Once the rustling had died down, Neji shook his head. "He's brave."

"Braver than we are." Beki smiled. "He's a good kid." She turned her gaze on Neji and gave him a mischievous look. "Are you really okay with another guy taking out your girl?"

"Well first of all, he's fourteen. I don't think I have much to fear from him in the potential replacement department," Neji shrugged. "Besides, what can I say, he saved your life. I owe him one. If that means keeping my mouth shut while you guys go get burgers together and play at the arcade, so be it."

"Aw, you're sweet." Beki came over and sat on his lap. "You're a lot better with kids than I thought you were going to be."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Neji furrowed his brow but wrapped his arms around her waist.

Beki shrugged. "With me you're all, _do this_ and _don't do that_ and _eat your vegetables!_ "

"Konohamaru can take care of himself," Neji poked her nose. "You on the other hand…"

"You ever think maaaaybe I might act so dumb so you'll come over and help me?" Beki shot him a sly smile.

"You manipulative little…" Neji shook his head and kissed her. "I should spank you."

"Later." Beki kissed him.

…

At six o'clock, there was a knock on the door of Hinata's house. Naruto had been in the living room training but was the closest, so he came into the kitchen and opened the door. Konohamaru was standing there as red as a beet, clad in a dress shirt, tie, and slacks. Naruto blinked. "Konohamaru? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for Beki." Konohamaru exhaled at the sight of Naruto. "Is she ready?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and screwed up his face in confusion. "Huh? What, are you interviewing to be her secretary or something?"

"Is that Konohamaru?" Beki called down from the stairs.

"Yeah," Naruto scratched his head.

"I'm coming." Beki could be heard descending the stairs and Konohamaru stopped breathing again.

"What's the deal Kono-" Naruto stopped dead.

Beki came downstairs in a light gray cabled sweater dress that was just long enough to get away with not being a shirt and black velvet thigh high boots. Her hair was curled and her makeup was done. She caught sight of Konohamaru and gave him a lopsided grin. "You look good, Konohamaru. Ready for our date?"

"Ahuh." He gulped.

"Wait a second!" Naruto pointed at her accusingly. "You can't be serious?!"

Beki blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"First Gaara and Neji, now Konohamaru?!" Naruto threw his hands up. "Do you have no shame?!"

"Look," Beki walked over and put an arm around Konohamaru's shoulders. The high heeled boots helped establish some of the height difference she'd been losing the race on lately. "Konohamaru asked me to take him on a practice date."

"Dressed like that it looks pretty serious!" Naruto frowned and crossed his arms. "You're a cradle robbing creep, Beki."

"If I'm taking him out I'm going to make it as real as possible. The kid needs to know what to expect." Beki nudged him. "Let's go."

Konohamaru nodded and followed her out the door.

 _This is wrong._ Naruto thought. _I thought I knew Beki but the way she's been acting lately is really suspicious. Maybe she's been a splitner agent or something all along and now she's setting her plan into motion, to throw the whole village into chaos._ Naruto shook his head.

…

"Thank you for coming out with me," Konohamaru had kept his eyes glued to the path in front of him. The feeling of Beki's body beside him, the weight of her arm around his shoulders, and the smell of her perfume were overwhelming him.

"Thanks for having me," Beki grinned. "Speaking of which, where are we headed?"

"I…" Konohamaru let out a frustrated sigh. "I wanted to take you to the best restaurant in town but when I called them up and they said that they're booked out for a month and we can't get in. I'm sorry."

Beki shook her head. "I'm sorry, Konohamaru. That's really sweet that you wanted to take me to a nice place, but I'm just as happy with burgers or ramen."

"But this is a date!" Konohamaru looked up at her pleadingly. "We've eaten ramen and burgers and stuff together before! This is supposed to be different, right? It's supposed to be special?"

Beki paused and thought for a moment before replying: "We could do hibachi somewhere. That's fun."

Konohamaru nodded slowly. "I think hibachi's fun."

Beki gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Everybody does. Do you know a good place?"

"Yeah!" Konohamaru beamed. "My mom and dad took me for my birthday-" He flushed. "That was a lame thing to say."

"What, that you hang out with your parents on your birthday?" Beki snorted. "My mother would dress me if she still could, Konohamaru. A lot of people don't have parents. There's no shame in having a good relationship with yours."

Konohamaru smiled up at her. Beki looked prettier than ever. It wasn't the hair or the makeup, it was Beki. She was practically glowing from the inside out. Konohamaru remembered her looking like that when they first met, but it seemed like for a long time there was a thundercloud hovering over her. Beki had still been beautiful but she was always frowning a little. He didn't know if it was worry or just plain being sad, but Beki hadn't been herself. But this, this was the Beki he knew. For some reason that excited him as much as it terrified him. Konohamaru had been on missions to other towns and villages now but still, Beki beat every girl he ever saw by a landslide. She was funny, smart, pretty, and always talked to him like was important. Konohamaru still struggled with people not taking him seriously and treating him like a little kid. But never Beki. He knew that years ago Beki had told him she would never love him, not romantically. With her track record of boyfriends, who could blame her for not being interested in a kid? She had dated the Kazekage and now Neji, the village's resident prodigy.

That didn't change how Konohamaru felt about her, though. It just made him work harder. It made Konohamaru that much more determined to become a hero, to become Hokage. This date was a half measure, mostly a selfish way for Konohamaru to entertain his fantasy. But maybe it would put that idea in her head, too. If Konohamaru did a good enough job it might impress her enough to give him another shot when he was grown up. He was so close now. Without her heels, Konohamaru was almost as tall as Beki and Naruto had taught him how to use some of his ninjutsu. Maybe if Beki was still single in a couple years, he would really have a shot.

When they got to the restaurant, the pair were seated at the grill with a couple of people Konohamaru didn't recognize. They pointed at Beki and Konohamaru and laughed good naturedly, whispering about how she was taking out her little brother. It made his ears hot and he stared at the menu. He was doing his best to ignore it when Beki bumped his shoulder.

"What are you getting," Beki whispered. "I think I want the teriyaki chicken. And fried rice. I love fried rice."

Konohamaru looked up. "I'm going to get the beef."

Beki beamed. "Good idea. Then we can share."

Konohamaru blinked. "You're just going to eat some of my food."

"See, this is why this was a great idea." Beki held up a finger. "Rule number one on dating: what's yours is mine. Be prepared to hand over some of your food every time you go out."

"Can I have some of yours then?" Konohamaru blinked.

Beki nodded. "It's only fair."

They placed their orders and watched the show. Konohamaru kept glancing over at Beki to make sure she was having a good time and not just pretending for his sake. She kept her eyes on the show, clapping and laughing, shooting him a reassuring grin every so often. After a few moments Konohamaru forgot why he started looking at her and just found himself staring at her. It made his heart pound so hard it hurt. Anything else that did this would make him angry, he would avoid it at all costs, but with Beki it was okay that she made him hurt. Konohamaru kind of liked it, actually. It made him feel grown up.

After they ate their food, Beki grabbed the check before Konohamaru could. "No, Beki," Konohamaru hissed. " _I_ asked _you_ out. I'm supposed to pay!"

Beki winked. "Buuut you saved my life and I'm thanking you for it with dinner."

Konohamaru pouted. She had a point, but he had wanted to show off. "Its okay, Beki, I saved up for this before I asked you." Beki reached over and pat his cheek.

"That's really nice of you Konohamaru, but don't worry about it. You're a genin now and you should be saving up for fun trips with your friends." Beki could see the shame in his eyes. This was embarrassing for him. "Hey, tell you what, when you're Hokage you can take me out whenever you want."

Konohamaru blinked. "really?"

Beki laughed, "Well, if all goes well I'll still be the ambassador then. We can do all our meetings over lunch."

Konohamaru imagined a life where he got to see his nee san in his every day life, working with her, having her support him as a kage. That would definitely improve his chances with her as grown ups if they went out together all the time. "Okay."

Beki ruffled his hair and paid the check.

"So, um, nee san," Konohamaru tugged at his tie. "What do we do now?"

Beki shrugged. "We could go for a walk, or go to the arcade, or if you're hungry we can go get ice cream-"

Konohamaru shook his head. "I'm too full for ice cream. Wait a second, you're saying you would want to go to the arcade?"

Beki cocked an eyebrow at him. "Konohamaru, if you take a girl on a date and she doesn't want to go to an arcade, she isn't worth dating."

Konohamaru thought about all of the different kinds of games in an arcade. "I guess I can see your point. There's kind of something for everybody there."

"Yeah," Beki grinned. "And its kind of a backdoor way for a guy to show off. She can pick something from the prize wall and you have to earn it with pure skill."

"Has anyone ever won you anything?" Konohamaru asked.

Beki rubbed her hands together devilishly. "I usually turn it into a contest. Winner is whoever earns enough tickets to get the prize by themselves."

"But then what does the loser do?" Konohamaru furrowed his brows.

Beki shrugged. "I usually end up picking out as many of the bullshit low prizes as I can."

"Do you lose a lot?" Konohamaru gave her a pitying look.

Beki pursed her lips and frowned. "We aren't talking about my winning streak today."

The pair walked to the arcade and the moment they entered the door Beki's eyes locked on to a sparkly gold and pink monstrosity mounted on a rack on the top shelf. She inhaled sharply, her eyes wide. "It's the crescent moon princess holy chalice wand!"

Konohamaru blinked and furrowed his brow. "What are you…oh, that thing? Beki, please don't tell me you watch that nerdy kids show!"

"It is _not_ a nerdy kids show!" Beki stomped her foot. "Its about true love, the power of friendship, and cats!"

"Beki, its like, 500,000 tickets," Konohamaru folded his arms. "I could take you down to that nerdy game store off the alley by the academy. They'll have the same thing!"

Beki pouted. "Don't use adult logic on me, Konohamaru."

Konohamaru pointed at the tokens sales poster. "Look, the amount of tokens you would have to buy to even have a chance at earning that stupid thing in one day would be like, four times what it would cost you to buy it outright."

Beki gazed longingly at the wand. "I could get really lucky."

"I watched you get buried under a building, trip over your own feet and fall in the river, have a bug fly in your mouth and choke you while you were running," Konohamaru counted off each event on his fingers.

"I get it! I'm not lucky," Beki sighed. "I thought I was on a date with you, not Neji. My God…" She shook her head. "Fine. Take me to the nerdy game store."

Konohamaru took her hand and led her outside. "Let's get some ninja info cards."

Beki nodded. "That's not a bad idea."

…

Konohamaru knew it hadn't been the most amazing of dates. His dinner plans hadn't worked out, the arcade had kind of been a bust, and the pair had spent an embarrassing amount of time buying and trading ninja info cards. Beki looked ridiculous: a hot young woman with a confident and satisfied look on her face and a giant pink girly wand thing slung over her shoulder. She certainly looked happy but Konohamaru couldn't shake the feeling the night should have been something more.

"Did you have fun?" He asked.

Beki nodded vigorously. "The next costume party…I'm going to slay as the Pretty Guardian Princess Soldier."

"That made no sense to me," Konohamaru shook his head. "I'm glad you had fun, though."

Beki blinked. "You don't sound like you did. What's wrong, boo?"

"I don't know," Konohamaru shrugged. "I just kind of thought dates were like, this big fancy to do. Today was fun but it just kind of felt like…well, like the kind of stuff we do all the time."

Beki's expression sobered. "You want some more inside grown up advice? Dates like these are the best kind of dates, Konohamaru. I've had both. I've had someone who made a big show when we went out of taking me to fancy places and showing me off. It isn't real. That isn't the sort of thing you're going to be doing all the time. That's the point of dating, Konohamaru, is finding someone that everything is fun with. If you're with someone that running the most boring errands feels like a party, that's the right kind of person for you."

"What's the point of dating at all, then?" Konohamaru was getting a lot of mixed messages from what movies and tv had told him and what Beki was saying. "Why get all dressed up and go out at all?"

"Life is short. Sometimes its fun to make an occasion to celebrate instead of waiting for one to come along." Beki explained. "That's really the only difference between everyday life and a date, to put your best side on."

Konohamaru nodded. "I guess in a weird way that makes sense."

Beki reached over and put an arm around him. "I think you're going to be good at this."

He gave her a half hearted grin. "Thanks, nee san."

"Here's my stop." Beki squared off with him at the gate. "Was that what you were hoping for as your thank you?"

"Its what I asked for," Konohamaru gave her a small smile. "Thanks, nee san."

"So, you can't expect this from a girl," Beki leaned down so their noses touched. "But I'm going to give you a goodnight kiss."

"Okay," Konohamaru shrugged. He was expecting her to kiss his forehead or his cheek, but Beki leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips. It was soft and quick, too long to be a peck but not long enough to be weird. Blood rushed to his face and he froze, wide eyed. "G-goodnight."

Beki waved and headed inside the gates of the Hyuga compound, almost immediately running into Neji. He had his arms folded, his Byakugan activated, and a disapproving look on his face. "Well, that wasn't very nice of you Beki."

Beki gestured at the gate with her wand. "He felt bad for not being able to roll out the red carpet for me. I thought I should make it up to him."

"The poor kid is going to have to walk home with his coat in front of him." Neji sighed and shook his head. "If I didn't know you were so simple I would think you had a vicious streak."

Beki blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"He isn't some eleven-year-old kid anymore, he's fourteen, Beki. You kissed him. His body is going to betray his interest." Neji threw up his hands. "And what the hell is that ridiculous bauble you're carrying?"

Beki cradled it protectively. "Its the crescent moon princess holy chalice wand."

"Why do I feel like Konohamaru was the adult on this date?" Neji cocked his head. "Please tell me you didn't blow a couple thousand ryo at the arcade for it."

"No," Beki pouted. "Konohamaru talked me out of getting it at the arcade and took me to a store where I can buy it."

Neji gave her an unreadable expression. "You…I don't know what to do with you. Come on." He reached out and took her free hand. "I'll help you mount that girly plastic dust collector on your wall."

Beki grinned. "You're the best, babe."


	104. Betrothal

**Hi everyone, here's the next chapter. By the way, when I said I was neglecting my adult responsibilities, I was making a joke (like I was letting the laundry and dishes pile up a bit. I'm eating fine and getting enough sleep. I promise. :D). Thank you for your concern. I'm glad you're all enjoying the chapters but just as a heads up, we're kind of moving into the final few arcs. I have written a _lot_ of the dating stuff up to this point so there may be little jump arounds (like cutting to the next day or two later between two chapters ago and last chapter) just because you guys get it, Beki and Neji are together and they have a great relationship, etc. I have certain scenes I would like to do to depict the growth of their relationship, but seeing as they were best damned friends there isn't a lot they need to develop. I'm trying to stick to a certain timeline that prevents me from dawdling (cough cough the five kage summit has already started and the fourth shinobi war is starting soon cough cough). I've been so happy to hear from you all and I look forward to hearing what you think of the next chapter. **

* * *

Yuki stood outside the gates of the Hyuuga compound with her head high. The case she had built for her daughter was a solid one. Although Hiashi had come off as the formidable type the last time they had met as allies, Yuki felt more than prepared to meet him head to head. He was the head of the prestigious Hyuuga clan and Yuki would be meeting him as the head of the Asou, widow of Seiichiro of the great Tsukimori clan. Although she wasn't local, Beki's pedigree trounced two of the candidates into the dirt. Her bloodline went back hundreds of years, before the founding of Getsu itself. One of the other candidates was merchant stock, recent wealth and a family that had only within the last few generations rose out of the rabble. The problem with families that had only recently come into prominence is that they had no staying power; in one generation, a bad crop or a fleet of ships sunk in the ocean, out the next. The Hyuuga weren't risk takers, which meant: one candidate down.

The second candidate came from old enough stock to be considered respectable. She herself was the studious type, educated in the arts of war as well as more delicate areas of study like poetry and flower arranging. There she had Beki beat. Unfortunately for candidate #2, her grandfather had been a playboy and had blown through much of the family's fortune on his mistresses and covering up for various scandals he was involved in. Delicate and ladylike though she was, candidate #2 would come to the Hyuuga a pauper. Not that the Hyuuga were preoccupied with money, their fortunes could sustain them well enough. But Neji was a prodigy, the best man of their stock. If they married him off to a girl without two coppers to rub together, they could expect less worthy offers for future matches. Two candidates down.

That meant the only candidate Yuki had to worry about was the girl from an offshoot of the Hyuuga clan. She had the pedigree, she had a decent financial backing, and the union of the two would reunite her family with the main clan. In tremulous times, nothing was more appealing than circling the wagons. They would throw together their resources, add onto each other's strength, and mutually prosper. The family had several techniques they had developed in their time away from the clan proper, but they were not yet so far removed that the gene for the Byakugan was completely absent. Reinforcing the possibility that Neji's children would inherit the Byakugan sounded much more appealing than the instability with Beki's kekke genkai. Then again, Beki had proven herself a good conduit for kekke genkai. Really, the pair were toe to toe in terms of assets. It really came down to personality and Yuki knew that as affectionate as the Hyuuga were of Beki, she wasn't their kind of person. Knowing this, Yuki had a backup plan.

Ultimately, the goal was to communicate that Beki was a suitable candidate for Neji and should at least be in the running. Yuki, as the head of her clan, would be representing her daughter. She would play up all Beki's strengths without bringing up the unsuitability of the other candidates. It would be rude of her to come in and trash a bunch of other clans' perfect little princesses. Yuki knew when it was in her best interest to play nice and she knew Hyuuga Hiashi was not one to be intimidated.

At last, Yuki was let inside and led to his office. For the meeting, she'd opted for a muted indigo and white yukata. She'd kept herself relatively unadorned as well, only opting for a carved bone hair comb and pearl earrings. Again, this wasn't a time to flaunt but she needed to look put together. Hiashi greeted her formally at the door to his office and invited her inside. It was sparse but tasteful, free of distractions. Yuki squared her shoulders and took a seat on the offered cushion in front of his desk.

"Would you like some tea?" He asked.

Yuki nodded. "Yes, please." No matter how sour this meeting turned out, at least she knew that she was going to get some grade A tea while she was here.

"Hanabi," Hiashi called. The door to his office slid open and his younger daughter walked in with a tray stacked with cups and a steaming cast iron teapot. Hanabi set down the tray on her father's desk and began to pour them each a cup. _Good form,_ Yuki thought to herself and immediately caught herself wondering if Beki knew how to properly serve tea. That seemed like the sort of thing Seiichiro would have taught Beki. Then again, if she was terrible at it Seiichiro wasn't one to press. _Here I am, trying to sell my daughter as a good future bride and I don't even know if she can serve tea._ Yuki internally screamed. _If this falls apart I only have myself to blame for letting her be so uncultured._ "What a lovely daughter you have, Hiashi," Yuki gave Hanabi a friendly smile. "Both your girls are so charming. You must be very proud."

Hiashi gave Hanabi an approving nod but his eyes were on Yuki. She was behaving downright civilized. It was suspicious to say the least and concerning at worst. "I wasn't expecting a visit from you, Lady Asou."

Yuki covered her mouth and laughed politely. "It's my silly mistake, really. I'm afraid I've been so distracted by other family matters that this simply slipped my mind."

"What can I help you with, then?" Hiashi asked. "Is it regarding having Haruka come to live with you?"

Yuki shook her head. "I overheard…. _somewhere_ that your nephew is formally entering the marriage market."

Hiashi nodded. "He's nineteen, nearly twenty. He's established in his career and has a fine reputation. There are several interested families."

Yuki nodded. "Yes, that's precisely why I'm here. I would like to request that you consider my Haruka as a candidate."

"Lady Asou," Hiashi kept his voice polite and level as he spoke. "I understand your daughter is comfortable with our family and she has developed a strong friendship with Neji. I'm sure you understand that the affections of our youth don't often come to bear fruit. Neji has a bright, promising future in the Leaf. With the right arrangement, he could look forward to many opportunities in his career and a comfortable life for himself and his future family."

"I think Haruka would be an excellent person to consider in that regard," Yuki explained. "Although we aren't well known in Konoha, my clan, as well as her father's, predate Getsugakure. We were both well respected as shinobi and as spiritual leaders in the Land of the Moon. As for more recent matters, her father was the ambassador and Haruka has succeeded him. She has extensive political connections."

"Although Haruka has lived with my daughter for several years, the fact of the matter that her ties to home are too strong." Hiashi said. "With her position, she would need to potentially return to Getsugakure or to another shinobi village for an indefinite period. Were she married to Neji, the expectation for him and any children they had to follow her is not something we are willing to accept.

"Family is always a priority," Yuki could feel the sweat forming on her back as her mind raced for counterpoints. "Haruka would retire early as ambassador and rescind her citizenship to Getsu, as is customary. She would be marrying into your family, so with your family she would stay."

Hiashi watched her carefully. "From her time with us, and after speaking with her father previously, it was my understanding that Haruka was raised to withstand the rigors of the life of a shinobi and an ambassador alone with her father for most of her formative years. I admit I find myself concerned about her ability to withstand the very different burdens that a mother and matriarch would be expected to carry in this family."

 _I would have been able to better prepare her if your village was a little less enabling of certain ronin,_ Yuki thought but held her tongue. "I understand those concerns, but my daughter was able to almost seamlessly transition into her father's position in a matter of weeks. With the support and gentle guidance of existing Hyuuga matriarchs, I'm certain my daughter would thrive."

Hiashi fell silent for some time, stewing on her worlds. When at last he spoke, Yuki didn't like his sympathetic tone one bit. It sounded far too much like rejection. "As a parent, I can understand wanting the best for your daughter. For many young people, marriage is about love and happiness. In clans such as this, it is about security and the mutual benefit and support of both families. It would be a disservice to Neji, in the blindness of his youth, to allow him to throw away an opportunity like this one for his future success."

"Are any of the candidates orphans?" Yuki sipped her tea.

Hiashi shook his head. "Each of the young ladies is fortunate enough to have both of their parents."

"As ladies of birth, I'm assuming they have land, shares in businesses, those sorts of assets, yes?" Yuki kept her face deadpan. It took all her strength to suppress the fox like grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"As Neji deserves." Hiashi watched her carefully, unsure of her game.

"This is quite a bit of to do about a branch family member, wouldn't you say?" Yuki cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "I understand he's a prodigy, but such a fuss seems a bit out of place considering other arrangements made by your family recently."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "What would you be referring to?"

"Your eldest daughter, the clan heiress." Yuki's smile broke free. "Uzumaki Naruto is a clanless orphan living off nothing more than the sweat of his back and a dream."

A shadow crossed Hiashi's face. "Make your point."

"I'm assuming that you, as a parent, ultimately decided that he was a better choice than more 'traditional' candidates your daughter would have been presented. That's your prerogative as a father, to make sure your daughter ends up with a good man," Yuki set down her cup. "That's what I'm doing here. I'm advocating for my daughter's happiness, her safety, and her security. Neji certainly seems fond of her. As his closest surviving relative, shouldn't you be advocating for him the way you did your daughter?"

"The situation is very different," Hiashi began but Yuki dared to interrupt him.

"We aren't so different, you and I," Yuki stared him dead in the eye. "We're both widowed, bereaved of both our partners and oddly enough, our twins. I won't pretend to know what your brother would say in this situation. In his absence, though, I ask that you remember that when you make this decision, not only are you making it for Neji and your clan, you're making it for your brother as well."

"Is that all?" Hiashi asked, an edge in his tone.

Yuki nodded and sighed. "Yes. I've used enough of your time." She bowed politely. "I'll see myself out, thank you." Hiashi allowed her to walk to the door on her own, where she paused. "I'll understand if you don't decide on their marriage. If I found out the reason is a stupid one, rest assured my next action will be to make it my life's work to completely destroy Neji's reputation so no one will touch him."

"There's the Yukihana I've come to expect," Hiashi glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"I played nice as long as I could," Yuki shrugged. "But this is my bear cub I'm protecting."

Yuki let herself out. Hiashi waited until Yukihana's footsteps had died out to finally exhale. He pressed his temples with his fingers and took a deep breath. He lowered his hands and looked at the door. "Hanabi?"

Hanabi stepped inside. "Yes, father?"

"How much did you hear?" Hiashi asked.

Hanabi looked at her feet. "More or less all of it."

"That wasn't your business." Hiashi gave her a tired look. "Why were you eavesdropping?"

Hanabi shrugged. "Beki's mom never comes around, especially dressed like that. I was curious."

"Keep this to yourself, please." Hiashi stared down at his desk. "This is going to be an interesting next couple of months."

…

Training with Team Gai always made Beki feel like she was being productive. Gai had never minded Beki tagging along, in fact he seemed to enjoy having another person to play with the dynamic of his team during the different techniques he tested on them. If he noticed that Beki had been coming along more frequently than less, he didn't say anything. Neither did Tenten or Lee. They were always just as happy to see her. Tenten liked having another girl around and Lee was just...well, Lee.

Beki had sat down on a rock after Gai had run off to go grab heavier weights for them to work with. No one had struggled enough under the ones he had brought. Gai would never stand for such a lightweight workout and headed off for home immediately. Beki was convinced that Might Gai's house looked like a body building gym. She wondered if he even had a bed. Somehow it was just easier to picture him dozing on a lifting bench.

Tenten, Lee, and Neji had been talking but Neji had wandered off somewhere, leaving the pair alone. Beki smirked to herself as she watched Lee and Tenten talk. It was obvious Tenten liked him just in the way that she looked at him. It was so obvious; why hadn't Beki noticed it before? _I should talk to her about it sometime,_ Beki smiled. _In her own way I bet Tenten was trying to help me and Neji along. Maybe there's something I can do to help._

Was this how Yuki had felt, watching Neji and Beki circle each other for months? She just wanted to yell "Kiss him already!" or lock them in a closet together to figure things out. Beki blanched at the thought. Yukihana was really rubbing off on her.

There was a sudden blow on her back, lurching Beki forward onto the grass. She caught herself with her hands and knees and looked at her assailant with a surprised expression.

Stepping up onto the rock, blocking out the sun, was Neji. "I'm King of the Rock."

Beki jumped up with surprising speed considering the armor strapped to her body. "I didn't even know we were playing! That isn't fair!"

Neji cocked his head. "Oh, it isn't fair is it? Go on. Try to defend your title, then."

Beki dropped low and circled him. The cocky bastard didn't even bother looking at her when she was behind him. Beki knew he was baiting her, though. She'd spent enough time with Hyuugas to know that they were always aware. The only thing she could do was to move faster than he could react. Beki leapt-

"ROTATION!"

Beki was blasted backwards, flew three feet in the air and slammed on the ground, knocking the air out of her chest. "No fair." She wheezed.

"Oh, and you using Watery Grave on the beach was fair?!" Neji called out. "Concede!"

Beki threw herself at him a few more times only to be rotationed right back onto her rear. "Okay, fine. Long live the king."

Neji looked around and pointed at a slightly smaller rock. "There. You can go be queen of that rock."

Beki stuck out her tongue. "I won't take your pity title. I'll just train that much harder to dethrone you.

"I would like to see you try," Neji grinned arrogantly.

"Sneaky ass Hyuugas," Beki grumbled as she got up. "Always blitzing me when we aren't even playing!"

Neji winced although Beki didn't see it. It was eating at him, knowing about the betrothal and keeping it to himself. He had told himself to take a week, just enjoy being together without having another drama to worry about. Yuki had told him she would take care of it. Maybe she had told Beki about it. Then again, if she had, Beki would have surely come and talked to him, either to bring him in on the plan or more likely to freak out about the problem. Why was Yukihana keeping it from Beki? Was she afraid there would be some part of her scheme Beki could mess up?

"Beki?" He asked from atop his mount. "Obviously not right now, but would you want to marry me in the future?"

Beki sat quietly on the grass with her hands folded in her lap. "Yeah. I want to get married. I want to have kids, all that stuff I never got to have. I don't…I don't want to be a stay at home mom, though. I mean, I could, if that's the way it needed to be." Beki looked up at him. "I've had to kind of sit around my whole life. It's been waiting for my dad to get out of meetings, waiting in Konoha, waiting for Gaara…I hate waiting. I'm sick of waiting. Being a housewife, you're waiting for the kids to get home, you're waiting for your husband to get home. I just think I've run out of patience."

"So, you'll want to keep working," Neji folded his arms. "I think the only way that can't work is if only one of us is on active duty. That way the kids couldn't get orphaned if we fell during missions."

"I could take a desk job," Beki nodded. "I could even volunteer at a school or something."

"You just want to be busy," Neji offered and Beki smiled.

"You get it." Beki looked off toward Lee and Tenten again. "After training, what do you want to do?"

Neji shrugged. "Get something to eat, go home and shower, maybe read for a bit, and go to sleep together."

Beki cocked her head. "Maybe you should sleep in your room tonight."

Neji gave her an offended look. "A few days in and you already want your space?"

"No, dummy," Beki laughed. "I just think we might be making things a bit too obvious. Suddenly, you're sleeping over at your cousin's house every night? People aren't stupid."

Neji nodded. "You're right. It…it's just going to be hard falling asleep without you."

"You just said yourself, its only been a few days." Beki laughed. "Don't tell me you're that used to it already?"

Neji sighed. "Is it so bad that I want to be with you?"

Beki rested her chin on her hand. "It is a little puppy dog-ish, but I don't mind the attention, really."

Neji fell silent. "If I have to sleep alone, can I at least shower with you again?"

Beki grinned. "Sure, handsome."

…

It had been a week since Hiashi had broken the bad news to Neji. He had put off telling Beki, partly out of fear and partly for his own selfish need to have one drama free week with her. Now that the week was up, he planned to keep his word and telling her the truth. Based on her behavior, Yuki had never told Beki the news, meaning the burden fell on Neji. _Beki, I'm so sorry but they're arranging my marriage. I really love you and want to be with you but there's nothing I can do if I'm given an order._ Would Beki be angry? Would she ask him to run away with her? Neji shook his head. That would never happen. His fate was sealed. It was follow his family's will or die.

Neji left his room early and headed towards Hinata's house.

"Hey!"

Neji looked up to see Hanabi waving him over. "What is it, Hanabi?"

She jerked her head in the direction of Hiashi's office. "Father wants to talk to you."

Neji blinked in surprise. _Has he come to a decision so soon?_ "Thank you." He nodded to Hanabi and walked towards the office. Anxiety built in his chest with every step, dragging his feet like he was moving through high water. _I won't get another chance to be with Beki. This week was all we were ever going to have._ The thought tugged at his heart and stung in his throat. _All we ever wanted, gone. How sad is the bird that tries to soar only to remember it's in a cage?_

Neji knocked on Hiashi's door and heard him beckon from within: "Come in."

Neji opened the door with his face completely neutral, lest he betray his disappointment. As soon as he did, his eyes widened in shock. "Beki?"

Beki looked at him like a deer in headlights and shook her head as if to say, "I don't know why I'm here either."

Neji tentatively took up the space beside Beki, so they were shoulder to shoulder as they faced Hiashi.

"Haruka, you have probably been unaware that we have been in the process of arranging a suitable marriage for Neji." Hiashi spoke and Beki blanched.

"I... I was unaware."

Hiashi nodded. "I have spoken with the clan elders. There were many promising candidates, all of whom would have made excellent brides. It was a difficult decision and took several days of deliberation, but we have made our decision."

The silence that followed was deafening. It seemed to stretch eons, distorting not only time but space. Neji felt like an island; if he had reached out for Beki he was certain he'd be unable to physically reach her even though she was right beside him.

"Tsukimori Haruka," Hiashi looked at her. "I have spoken with your mother. If you are willing to surrender your Getsugakure citizenship and resign as ambassador, you have our blessing to marry."

Neji felt the weight of the world lift off his shoulders. He turned to Beki, a smile on his face that quickly disappeared. Beki had no idea about any of this. To call her expression "shocked" would be an understatement. Beki looked downright blindsided.

"I…." She shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to recover some measure of her composure. "I'm honored."

There was a ghost of a "but" at the end of her sentence that turned Neji's stomach to knots. _This was never part of the conversation. Beki thought she was going to keep being ambassador._ She fought for that job, bled for it, suffered to finish her father's work. Without any warning, Hiashi was asking her to throw it all away to be with Neji. _I could never ask her to do that._ Neji felt pressure building in his chest. He opened his mouth to protest but Beki had already started talking again.

"Please understand that the nature of my position is a delicate one," Beki spoke in a measured tone, slowly, more for herself than for her audience. "It will take some time for me to make the arrangements for my replacement."

"So, you're accepting the arrangement, then?" Hiashi asked.

Beki nodded. "Yes."

Neji could have kissed her at once but he held himself back. _She's picking me. Everything Beki has ever worked for, all her hopes and dreams, and she's betting all her chips on us._

Hiashi nodded. "I understand it will take several months to resign and file for a change in citizenship. Within that period, you are welcome to remain living with my daughter while we work on securing you and Neji your own living arrangements. Your mother insisted she be involved in the process, both in planning the wedding and in seeing the two of you provided for when you move in together."

Beki was doing a good job keeping it together for appearance's sake but Neji could practically hear her internal screams. Unable to contain himself, he reached out and took her hand. Beki gladly accepted it, giving it a vicelike squeeze in a desperate plea for reassurance.

"Thank you," Was all Neji could manage to his uncle. Never once had he mentioned Beki was a candidate. Yukihana must have done something to convince Hiashi. He had no idea what, but he was eternally grateful to them both. Not only had he finally gotten to have a relationship with Beki but now it was all but ensured for the rest of their lives. "May we be excused? We have a lot to discuss."

Hiashi nodded. "Welcome to the family," He said as Beki passed. She paused, gave a polite bow, and followed Neji out. They closed the door and walked away, their footfalls quick in their retreat. Hiashi looked off onto the wall at an old picture of him and Hizashi. Hiashi had been so focused on the benefit of the family, to ask Neji to sacrifice, that he nearly forgot what the boy had already lost. Life was short and could be torn away unexpectedly at any time. Neji had worked hard his whole life for the glory of his family. The least Hiashi could do was guarantee him this small measure of happiness, the way his father would have if he had lived to see the boy grow.

…

As soon as they were far enough away, Neji scooped Beki up in his arms and swung her. She clutched on until he let her slide back down to earth. Neji tried to have her face him but Beki buried her face in his chest and let out a bellow like a cow in distress. He stroked her hair. "I was going to tell you-"

Beki shook her head. "Neji, that was worse than any meeting I have ever been in. And I've been in meetings where there were fistfights and broken glass."

"I'm surprised your mother didn't say anything." Neji shook his head. "She's a confusing person."

"So, you knew about this and mom knew about this, but no one told me?" Beki sighed and shook her head, slowly burrowing herself further into Neji's shirt. "I guess you guys figured you had it under control. It would have been nice for me to know I was going to get put on the spot like that."

"Beki," Neji held her tight. "You really meant it? You'll give up everything you have and marry me?"

"If we're being honest," Beki emerged from her safety pocket to look at him. "You've been better than everything I've ever had. It's scary, yes, to let go of everything, but I haven't been to Getsu in years. I hardly had friends there, and I had to take my dad's job because he was murdered for it. Ishida is going to kill me when I break the news to him."

"Shame there isn't a way for you to yank that old request and just tell him you're quitting, huh?" Neji pet her.

Beki shrugged. "Whatever. When it's all over, it's all over, right?"

Neji took her face in his hands and kissed her. It was a long kiss, but it was sweet, absent any carnal desire. "I honestly can't believe this is happening. We're going to get married, Beki. We're going to live together-"

Beki put a finger over his lips. "I get that you're excited and all this is just...wow, really a lot, but could we maybe not talk about it for a bit? I'm going to have, you know, there will be a lot of thingsI'm going to have to do to figure all this out and Ren is going to kill me for not telling her sooner and she's going to absolutely DEMAND to be my maid of honor but then Hinata's going to expect it because I freaking live with her and I'm marrying her cousin slash genetic half-brother-"

"Whoooooa girl," Neji hugged her head to his chest, effectively muzzling her. "Deep breaths."

Beki pouted and let out a half cry. "Can we go get ice cream?"

"Yes, my love," Neji kissed the top of her head. "My fiancé." He tasted the word in his mouth and smiled. "We'll get you some ice cream."

Beki reached up and plopped her left hand against his face even though she was still muzzled. "Didn't you say you were going to propose? Where's the ring then?"

"I didn't know I was marrying you until today!" Neji sighed with exasperation. "Give me a little time! I have to figure out what kind of budget I'm working with-"

Beki growled, and he pet her hair again. "Let's...let's talk about this after the ice cream." Neji laughed. "You're impossible to talk to when you're hangry."

…

Beki was halfway through her sundae when her mother came bursting through the door. "Did he tell you?!" Yuki practically screamed.

"Yes," Beki said through a wad of cookie dough. "Thanks, by the way, for letting me know-"

Yuki threw her arms around Beki and squeezed, squealing and bouncing excitedly. "Please tell me you had more composure with Hiashi?" Beki grumbled and Yuki sobered, dropping her daughter back in her seat. She straightened her shirt and cleared her throat. Neji's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"You didn't."

"So apparently no one has ever girlishly squealed and hugged Hiashi ever," Yuki stared at her feet. "That was, um, new for him. He informed me it was completely unprofessional, so I reminded him I was family now and it might have taken me twenty minutes to reconvince him to allow the marriage."

Neji looked at Beki. "He was baiting you to see if you would do the same thing. That's why he kept looking at you so weird."

"Thanks, Mom, for putting another obstacle in front of me," Beki sighed. "Okay, go ahead, I know there's a million things-"

Yuki dragged up a seat and plopped down beside her. "So, I don't know if you want to use an antique or have a new kimono made; either is fine with me. I just need to know because I'll either need to have the antique cleaned and restored or we'll need someone out here to get your measurements. There will be swatches of silk patterns for us to go through-"

"Okay," Beki sighed.

"I was going to ask Ishida to walk you down the aisle, you know, because he was your dad's best friend and we've kind of um, _ruined_ all our relations with your father's brothers," Yuki spewed. "And then Neji, if it's okay with you, I wanted you to walk me down the aisle-" She inhaled sharply. "What should you call me now?!"

Neji winced. "Isn't 'Yuki' okay?"

"No," Yuki swatted his arm. "You're marrying my daughter and you don't have a mom. That makes me 'mom' at least by default!"

Neji winced and Beki chuckled behind her spoon. "Welcome to my hell, Neji."

He shrugged. "Okay _mom._ " It was like pulling teeth, but Yuki looked satisfied.

"You guys are probably really overwhelmed," Yuki sputtered. "I'll leave you be to...whatever this is. Have you told all your friends yet?"

Beki shook her head. "I've got to start writing letters tonight."

Neji paled. "Can... can we keep this a secret from my team for a while?"

Beki furrowed her brows. "Why?"

"I... Lee is going to want to plan my bachelor party and I think someone more reasonable should do it first," Neji explained. "You know, so they can include him, but he can't be in charge."

Beki blinked. "Who would be better than Lee?"

"Anybody," Neji took a bite of the ice cream. "He'd have us go on some ten-day hike through the wilderness with no gear with the premise that bringing me close to death will solidify my commitment or some such nonsense."

Beki nodded. "We'll probably just do the hot springs, honestly."

"See, everything is so much easier with girls," Neji shook his head. "They're going to expect me to get wasted and go to a strip club-"

Yuki smacked the table with an evil smile and the two jumped, having forgotten her for a moment. "I'll call some of my old friends!"

"Please, no," Neji sighed.

Yuki ran out the door. "Nope! It's happening now!"

"If it makes you feel any better, we usually get into massive splash fights and/or try to drown each other," Beki shrugged. "Then we try to smack each other's boobs or butts in the shower…"

Neji frowned. "I want to go to your party."

"Nope," Beki ate another bite. "Girls only. You can just go hang out with your guy friends and cry."

Neji gave her a tired look. "You remember I can see through walls, right?"

Beki shrugged. "I can't stop you. I can just tell everyone else so they'll all come beat the crap out of you."

Neji frowned. "Fair point."

…

When Neji walked Beki back to Hinata's house, they opened the door and Hinata immediately threw herself on Beki. "Congratulations!"

Beki smiled and hugged her back, rocking her. "It's pretty great. There's a lot we're going to have to do before hand, but I think it won't be too much trouble."

In the kitchen beyond, standing with a face wrought with conflicting emotions was Naruto. Hinata had baked Beki and Neji a cake, the happy little rosettes a strong contrast to the frowning man beside it.

Neji sighed. "Okay, Naruto. We know you aren't happy."

"It's not that I'm unhappy," Naruto grimaced. "Its just that this is going to be a mess."

"Remember back in the Sand when I told you I liked Beki and you told me I should just tell her? Well I did. And this is what happened." Neji folded his arms. "Sorry I followed your advice."

Naruto threw up his hands. "Neji, I'm not a smart guy. I'm big enough to admit that. Sometimes when I say things I haven't thought it through all the way. I don't understand the blowback until after it's happened."

Beki blinked at him through Hinata's hair. "How are you going to be Hokage?"

Naruto shrugged. "I was thinking I would just hire Shikamaru to do all the heavy thinking for me."

"Well, he's thinking like a kage," Beki shrugged. "Delegate away all the responsibility till you're just muscles in a hat."

"Enough bickering," Hinata sighed. "Who wants cake?"


	105. Raincoats

**Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your feedback so far. As I've said before, I'm out of bulk publish material so you can expect slower production on my end. I've really enjoyed hearing all your thoughts on the last few chapters and I can't wait to hear what you all think of this. Enjoy!**

* * *

After the little surprise party, Beki and Neji headed upstairs to her room. Once the door was closed, Beki let out a frustrated groan.

"What's wrong?" Neji put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's just so much so fast," Beki pressed her palms to her eyes.

Neji hesitated for a moment, then chastised himself. He started to rub her shoulders to relieve some of the stress. "You're pretty tense."

Beki sighed and bowed her head. "This helps a lot, thank you." After a few moments, she stepped away and started to pull off her shirt. She tossed it to the side and then unhooked her bra. Neji's hands hovered unsurely, his eyes on her bare back.

"That good?"

Beki laughed as she backed up to him. "No. The clothes were in the way."

Neji chuckled and went back to work on her shoulders, savoring the warmth of her skin. Neji dug in deep with his thumbs, then his elbows and Beki hissed. "Okay, too hard. Too hard!"

"You have a knot," Neji held fast to her left shoulder as he worked on the knot on her right side with his elbow. "I don't even need the Byakugan to see this, Beki."

Beki let out tiny yelps and tried to dance away. His grip was too strong so she quickly conceded defeat, soldiering through the pain with closed eyes and ragged breaths. Once he was satisfied with his progress, Neji released her. "Did that help?"

Beki cocked her head hard to the left and it popped four times. She rolled her shoulders and nodded. "I feel like a different person!" Her eyes widened. "Wait, I can ask you for backrubs whenever I want now, can't I?"

Neji nodded. "Just so you're aware, my fee is one kiss."

Beki grinned and kissed him. Neji couldn't help but smile at the feeling of her body as she leaned against him for the kiss. He embraced her and kissed the top of Beki's head after she had pulled away. "So, Neji, what would a foot rub cost me?"

Neji reached down and clutched ahold of her rear, a cheek in each hand and she yelped. Beki shot him a searing look and he laughed, gave her bottom one more squeeze and let her go. "Go sit down."

Beki grumbled something, covering her butt with her hands protectively as she scurried over to the bed. A foot or two away, Beki leapt up on top of it so she landed closer to the far side. She rolled over so she faced Neji and held up her foot expectantly.

"You have cute feet," Neji said as he took ahold of it.

Beki furrowed her brow. "How are my feet cute? They're huge!"

Neji shrugged. "They're proportional to the rest of your body. If they were smaller, it would look weird. I mean, come on. These long model legs and then baby feet?"

"I guess you have a point." Beki sighed and laid back on the bed. She closed her eyes as Neji worked the tightness out of the muscles in her feet. "Can you believe two weeks ago I was still dating Gaara, set in my job, on my way to a promising career at court in Getsu?"

Neji put her foot down and picked up its mate. "Is that a bad thing?"

Beki shook her head. "No. I feel like a lot of that was me just getting carried along by the current. It was the easy path, it took no work. I was sort of thrown into all those positions by circumstance."

"So how is this different?" Neji asked.

Beki was quiet for a moment. "I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere I want to go. So far I've had the chance to make decisions for myself for once and for the first time it seems like my life is going to be better for it."

When Neji finished with her other foot, Beki hopped off the bed and finished stripping down until she was just in her underwear. Neji watched her gratefully. It was a fine show until she reached into her drawer and started to pull on a nightgown. "You don't need that!" He protested.

Beki stuck out her tongue at him. "It gets cold at night!"

Neji shook his head as he pulled off his own shirt and ran over to her. "I'll keep you warm!"

Beki squealed and struggled half heartedly against Neji as he wrestled her nightgown back off. He tossed it on the floor, wrapped his arms around her, and threw himself backwards onto the bed. Beki tried to wiggle away but he held her tightly. "At least let me put the covers on!" Beki grabbed at the blanekts.

"No," Neji smirked.

"But I'm cold!" Beki's skin started to heat up rapidly, a soft glow filling the room. Where she was in contact with Neji's bare skin, he began to sweat.

"Ew," He rolled her to the side and gave a frustrated groan as he released her.

Beki playfully stuck out her tongue and pulled the blankets up to her ears. "Ah, much better."

Neji cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why bother with blankets at all if you can just Burned Maiden your way through the night?"

"Because it ruins my sheets." Beki frowned. "Don't think I haven't tried that already."

Neji shook his head and pulled her close. He put an arm around her and caressed the curve of her waist and the top of her hip. Beki snuggled into him, her head against his chest and a smile on her face. The sight of her grin made Neji's heart throb happily, pulling a smile out of him as well. He leaned down and kissed her brow affectionately. The day had been as confusing for him as it had Beki. Just a short time ago, his love was unrequited and his world was without hope. Now, not only had he found out Beki returned his feelings, but the two had been promised to be married. It was incredible how quickly their dynamic had changed, from friends, to lovers, to partners-in-the-making. Neji's mind and heart were constantly battling. It was a struggle sorting through all the conflicting emotions: confusion, joy, anxiety, hope. It was reassuring to know that they had time to work out all the kinks, though. It gave Neji the excuse to concentrate on all the happy aspects of their impending wedding. He reached up and ran his thumb over the breadth of her forehead, the curve of her cheek, the line of her jaw. He broke contact only to run his finger down her nose and over her lips. Beki screwed up her face at him and laughed. "What are you doing, weirdo?"

Neji shook his head. "I was just imagining what our kids would look like."

"Kids?!" Beki balked. "You're jumping quite a bit ahead, Neji. Give me a couple years at least."

"So, you do want kids?" Neji asked.

Beki nodded. "Yeah. I grew up without much of a family. I'd love to have a happy little house full of boogery little back-talkers."

"Sounds like you want more than one," Neji rested on his elbow.

"You don't?" Beki blinked. "You grew up alone, just like me. Wasn't being an only child crappy for you?"

Neji shrugged. "You forget I didn't exactly like other people when I was younger. I was sort of full of myself."

"So Tenten tells me," Beki shot him a shifty look. "If you had a brother or sister taking care of you or for you to take care of though, don't you think you might have had a better temperament faster?"

Neji thought about it for a moment and nodded. "I suppose so. Then again it could have just made my competitive nature worse if they had been my rival."

"I was always alone. If I had someone to talk to, to play with, to help me…I think I would have figured out a lot of my problems much faster," Beki sighed. "I can't tell you how much of a difference having my mom added to the picture has made."

"I'm not against the idea," Neji said. "You do understand what life will be like for them, right? They'll be my kids, so they'll be branch family members."

"Meaning the seals," Beki bit her lip. "What if they take after my family more? No Byakugan or anything?"

Neji tapped his fingers on his leg. "That's a good question. Maybe the seal wouldn't take if there were no eyes to attach it to."

Beki shook her head. "We'll deal with that when we get there, right?"

"You know, if we got you pregnant it would speed up the whole getting married process, right?" Neji feigned an innocent look but there was mischief in his eyes. "Ishida would have no choice to push through your requests so you wouldn't dishonor your village as ambassador-"

Beki smacked him with a pillow. "You letcher! You're just looking for an excuse to get laid again!"

Neji protected his face, laughing, taking blind shots at Beki with his free hand. It finally connected with an arm and Neji yanked Beki toward him, throwing her off balance. Neji turned her as she fell, so Beki's back was pressed against his torso. "Alright, that's enough rough housing."

"You getting on me about my bedtime, dad?" Beki's verbal protest in no way matched the way her body settled into his. She relaxed into his embrace, hugging his arms as he held her. Soon, Beki was snoring softly. Neji smiled to himself. Everything about her was cute. The snoring, the cuddling, the rough housing; he loved it all. As sleep slowly crept in on him, Neji wondered if things would always be this way. Would they always love each other like this? Would they still be so playful when they were in their forties? Or would they slowly sober, their passion simmering in the face of adult responsibilities and parenting? Either way, Neji was enjoying the process immensely. It nothing else, these memories would be the ones to keep him warm when he was old and gray. Neji just hoped they would still love each other enough that at that point, a wrinkled Beki would be sitting in the chair beside him holding his hand.

...

It was late at night, well past a decent calling hour when Yuki heard a knock at her door. Her visitors were always few and far between, meaning that unless she was about to be attacked, the person at the door could only be one of two people. Yuki rose from her armchair and opened the door casually, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

"Hey, Kakashi," Yuki grinned wickedly. "Couldn't sleep without me?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not going to sleep at all tonight."

Yuki furrowed her brow as she let him inside. "That doesn't sound as sexy as it should."

"I'm being sent to the Five Kage Summit," Kakashi explained. "Things sound like they're escalating."

Yuki set her jaw. "You'll be deployed a while, then." Yuki blinked. "Wait, do you mean you're leaving tonight?"

Kakashi bowed his head. "I know that you understand how this all works but it doesn't make the worrying go away."

Yuki laughed. "You think I'll lose sleep over this?" She looked Kakashi over, a haughty look on her face. "Do you think I'm going to be biting my nails, worrying about you the whole time you're gone?"

Kakashi shrugged. "That's usually how these things go."

"Well you misunderstood me," Yuki stepped forward and poked his chest accusingly. "Because I wouldn't be dating you if I thought you were some half baked amateur. I'm with you because I know you're so damned good I can be confident you'll be coming home."

After a moment, Yuki dropped her head to his chest and hugged him tight. "That's what I'll tell myself, anyway."

Kakashi rested his head on top of hers, planting a kiss on her crown. He breathed in the smell of her hair and closed his eyes. Knowing that a moment like this wouldn't come again soon, Kakashi concentrated on memorizing every detail of it, from the silky hair against his cheek to the rhythm of Yuki's breathing. "I'll miss you, Yuki."

Yuki groaned in frustration and pulled away. "Hold on." Kakashi watched her with mild concern on his face as she marched into the kitchen. There were some drawers opening and closing, cursing, and several more groans before Yuki returned. "I have something for you."

Kakashi gave a soft laugh, then reached up and held her face in his hand. "Are you going to give me a lock of your hair for good luck?"

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Who the hell do you think I am? As if I would ruin my haircut for you," She scoffed as she presented the item. "I'm much more practical than that."

"The key to your heart then," Kakashi chuckled as he took the small gold key.

"No, it's a key to my apartment." Yuki folded her arms. "Its…its my way of saying we're official. That way, if you get back in the middle of the night or something you can just let yourself in."

"You expect me to head straight here? I don't even get to go home first?" Kakashi asked.

Yuki furrowed her brows. "What could you possibly have to do that it couldn't wait until you saw me first?"

"I guess you have me there." Kakashi reached out and embraced her again, this time squeezing her tight. Yuki returned the hug, practically smothering herself against his chest.

"If something happens to you, Kakashi, I will cause a blizzard the likes of which humankind has never seen." Yuki glared up at him. "So when all those innocent souls that freeze to death meet you up in heaven, they'll have you to blame for it."

"Can you not threaten mass homicide?" Kakashi sighed. "I'd much rather you go back to being a priestess or something."

Yuki's expression soured.

"You know I can't promise nothing will happen," Kakashi rubbed her shoulders. "The only thing I can guarantee is that I love you."

Yuki pouted. "I love you, too."

"On the bright side, I won't hear about any of the plans you make for your daughter's wedding," Kakashi grinned. "So after everyone else is sick to death of hearing about it, you can absolutely drown me in all the details about napkin colors and fights you have with the florist."

"I guess that's true." Yuki relaxed back into his arms. "But you have to lay me twice for every week you were gone first."

Kakashi blinked. "Yuki, we could be looking at a month here."

Yuki glared up at him. "I know."

"Fair enough, I suppose," Kakashi chucked her chin. "I have to get going soon."

Yuki nodded and reached up towards his face. Kakashi let her gingerly pull down the mask. He leaned in close and Yuki kissed him. It was a deep kiss, the pull of it full of longing and desire. Yuki was trying a little to hard, holding him too close. "You're trying to make this hard for me."

"Damn right I am," Yuki glowered. "I need to give you a reason to get home as fast as you can."

"I already do," Kakashi kissed her again and pulled up his mask. Yuki watched him expectantly, her ears ready for whatever endearment he had in store. "The next Icha Icha movie is supposed to come out soon."

Yuki let out one of her pterodactyl sounds and pounded on his back as he scurried out the door. She clutched ahold of his flak jacket for a moment. "Seriously, though. Come home safe."

"I'll do my best," Kakashi reached up and brushed some hair out of her face. Yuki let go of the vest as he headed down the stairs, watching long after he had gone out of sight. Yuki pouted as she closed the door. In their time together, Kakashi had been deployed several times, but not for anything that sounded this serious. It left her wondering if the ripples were big enough to reach Getsu, and if so, how that would affect Beki's plans to resign.

…

Since the engagement, things had settled down in Hinata's house. Naruto had to leave to meet Tsunade at the summit for reasons he was not allowed to share. Hinata had taken it upon herself to serve as the new couple's mentor in the week that followed. Most of her instruction went Beki's way. Many of the essential housewife skills were in place, so Hinata spent their time together teaching her advanced tactics: how to get grass stains out of light colored clothes, scrubbing out tough stains, and how to optimize efficiency when multitasking chores. Neji insisted that he be present for any cooking lessons. Despite all her training as a shinobi, Neji always got nervous when he saw Beki brandishing kitchen knives. It was Beki's fourth test: a deceptively difficult karage lesson.

Neji hovered reassuringly by Beki's side as she struggled through the subtle technical process of coating the chicken in corn starch and panko bread crumbs. Hinata had taken a hands off approach; she sipped some tea while reading a book at the kitchen table.

"No, Beki, don't put the chicken in the pan to fry one at a time," Neji explained as he grabbed another plate out of the cabinet. "It all has to go in at once so it gets cooked evenly."

Beki glowered up at him, her hands covered in the stomach wrenching (at least for her) combination of raw chicken juice, cornstarch, and breadcrumbs. She rubbed her fingers over the plate of raw chicken, globs of the grainy mixture falling off onto the plate. "Blech," She stuck out her tongue. "Can we just agree to never eat this?"

Neji rolled his eyes. "You're willing to eliminate an entire category of entrees because you don't like frying meat?"

"I don't like this!" Beki waved her gummy fingers in front of his face. "I'm sure it'll taste great when it's done-"

"We aren't going to be able to go out to eat all the time," Neji wrapped an arm around her waist as he held the plate for her to put the chicken on after she had coated it. "If we can learn a few good recipes like this, we can save a lot of time in the long run. The leftovers can be lunches-"

Beki rolled her eyes. "Neji, I can cook. You know, enough. Hinata's taught me a bunch but what I'm having a problem with is I don't like handling goopy meat."

"Okay," Neji kissed the top of her head. "In the future, I'll do the raw meat part, okay? You'll just have to fry."

"Fine," Beki groaned. "I just don't understand how a person could do this without making an absolute godforsaken mess of it!"

Quietly, Hinata rose from the table and walked into the kitchen. She reached passed Beki, taking a pair of chopsticks out of a holder on the counter, and in a serious of quick beautiful strokes had coated the chicken and placed it gingerly in the oil. Beki stood silently and watched as Hinata turned the chicken, a serene look on her face. She removed the steaming piece of beautifully crisp meat, blew on the top, and held it out for Beki. Beki leaned in, took a tentative nibble, the chicken crunching tantalizingly between her teeth. Hinata's face was expressionless but Beki's immediately soured. She chewed the meat with a furious look on her face. "I hate you."

Hinata offered the rest of the chicken to Neji, who munched on it appreciatively, then booped Beki on the nose with the back of her chopsticks. "It just takes practice, Beki. I've had a lot more time to prepare than you have."

Beki gave her an ugly, jealous look. "Did you start practicing when you were five, you little stalker?"

Hinata was unfazed. "Neji, spank her."

"Lady Hinata-" Neji balked.

"That's an order."

"Hey!" Beki protested but Neji had no choice but to obey. He closed his eyes tight and frowned as he pulled back his hand and swatted her bottom.

Hinata returned to the table, ignoring Beki's scathing looks as Neji whispered reassurances. The pair continued to fry the chicken, Beki doing her best to imitate Hinata's skill. Neji ran a hand over her back, his eyes drawn to her ringless fingers. "Any word from Ishida?"

Beki shook her head. "It's actually beginning to worry me. I know I sent him a parcel but he should have gotten it weeks ago. He would have sent a reply by bird and that would have taken no time at all. I don't know if he hadn't gotten to my first request yet when he received the resignation request. Maybe he's just tied up trying to work all of it out."

"What else could be the cause of the delay?" Neji furrowed his brow. "Does Getsu have storms this time of year or something?"

Beki shook her head. "The only thing I can figure is business at court. And that's never good news."

…

Neji and Beki left the house surprisingly satisfied. "That didn't go as poorly as I expected," Neji rubbed his chin thoughtfully and Beki swatted at him.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad."

Neji nudged her back playfully. They walked in silence for a little while. The further they moved from the Hyuga compound, the paler Neji grew. His eyes widened, his jaw tensed, and he clenched his fists. Beki watched the slow transformation and laughed. "Really? You're that worried about this?"

"You don't understand," Neji hissed. "The problem with these people is they are completely unpredictable. We could go to anyone else in the village and their reaction would go exactly one of three ways."

"Do you really think your team is going to act bonkers over this?" Beki furrowed her brow. "Its not like Lee is going to sock you in the face or something-"

"That's where you're wrong!" Neji threw up his hands. "He could be so excited he knocks me out! With joy!"

Beki shrugged. "Do you want to wear my armor just in case?"

Neji shook his head. "As if it would fit me, Beki."

"I could tape pillows to you," Beki tugged at his sleeve. "Maybe put a helmet on?"

Neji jerked his arm away. "Knock it off."

Beki continued to harass him all the way to the training field. It succeeded in keeping Neji from worrying, but he was completely irritated by the time they got there. Gai, Tenten, and Lee were all chatting but they stopped at the sight of the approaching pair.

"There you are," Gai's grin gleamed in the afternoon sun. Lee imitated his sensei's flawless smile and Tenten waved.

"So, what's the big occasion, calling us together for a meeting?" Tenten put her hands on her hips. She was doing her best to feign annoyance, but the ghost of a smile was on her face.

Neji took a deep breath. "I know that there have been some rumors floating around." He looked at Beki. "We figured you all should hear the truth directly from us." Neji reached out and took Beki's hand. "Beki and I are engaged."

Tenten gasped and leapt over to Beki, grabbing ahold of her hands. She let out an excited cry and started to jump up and down, an action which Beki mirrored. Neji watched the strange interaction, which seemed oddly coordinated for such a spontaneous show of excitement until Lee and Gai knocked him out of his thoughts with a tearful double embrace.

"NEJI!" Lee cried and Neji felt his tears soaking through his shirt.

"The two of you were in love?!" Gai cried. "How could you hide this from me?! The firey passion of your youth-"

"They didn't," Tenten rolled her eyes. "It was obvious they had a thing for each other."

Gai gave her a questioning look. "For how long?"

Tenten looked at Beki. "How long have you been here?"

Beki blinked. "Three ish years?"

"Three years, give or take an ish." Tenten grinned. "So Beki," Tenten wrapped an arm around her waist and casually began to guide her away from the group. "I hear that you'll be needing some bridesmaids and I want to explain why I would be a good candidate for the job…"

As the girls' voices faded, Gai heaved a deep sigh and clapped Neji hard on the back. "I always knew this day would come."

"That I would get engaged?" Neji asked.

Gai shook his head. "That you would become a man."

Neji gave him an exhausted look. "Gai sensei, I'm nineteen. I've been a 'man' for a while-"

Gai squeezed him so tight it cut Neji off, then released him. "I guess that since your parents passed away while you were young, this responsibility falls to me, your sensei."

 _Please don't ask to walk me down the aisle,_ Neji prayed. He could almost picture Gai in full drag, with a horrible wig and doll like makeup, crying daintily into a handkerchief by Neji's side.

"Someone needs to talk to you about the birds and the bees." Gai folded his arms, his face determined.

 _This is worse!_

"Gai sensei, I already-" Neji began.

"The birds and the bees, sensei?!" Lee's eyes sparkled. "Is that some secret technique?!"

Gai sighed. "I guess you might as well hear about this too, Lee. You're going to be a man soon, too."

Lee stepped forward, a confused but eager look on his face. What secrets was Gai sensei about to impart on them about manhood?

"So when you get out in the real world and you see some action you would like to take a piece out of, I know your first instinct is going to be to just charge in, Dynamic Entry style, without hesitation!" Gai explained and Lee punched the air and cried enthusiastically. "That's how it's always been on this team but romance is a tricky foe. More so than any shinobi, it will tempt you to disregard your discipline and cave into the fiery passions of your youth! You should always purse those fiery passions, but you need to take precautions. If you don't, you could end up put out of commission through injury, illness, or obligation."

Neji buried his face in his hands but Lee was enthralled with his sensei.

"Protection, sensei? Like a helmet?"

Gai froze. "More like… a raincoat."

"I always wear my raincoat!" Lee cried. "And my rain boots!"

"That's…that's good Lee. If you just keep it up, you should be just fine." Gai looked at Neji, who was groaning into his hands. "What about you, Neji, do you always use protection?"

"What are you guys talking about?" Beki and Tenten had wandered back up and Neji's faith that there was a higher power was confirmed.

"We were talking about-" Gai started

"Nothing!" Neji leapt over and grabbed ahold of Beki's arm. "It was really nice seeing you all but we have a lot of preparations to make goodbye!"

As Neji ran away, dragging Beki in toe, Tenten looked at Gai with such intensity it could cut glass. "Gai sensei, did you say anything that could ruin my shot at being a bridesmaid?"

"I have obligations to you all as a sensei," Gai began. "Those duties transcend any temporary things like participation in a wedding-"

Tenten pulled out a weapon scroll and Lee and Gai took off running. Their screamed apologies mixed with the sounds of weapons swooshing through the air and colliding with trees and glancing off rocks.

…

"That didn't go so bad," Beki hip bumped Neji and he shook his head furiously.

"No. No. It was worse than I could have ever imagined." Neji cried. "I could crawl into a hole and die right now."

"What happened," Beki laughed. "Did Gai ask to marry us?"

"He gave me 'the talk', Beki," Neji looked at her, pure torment twisting his expression into one of mortal anguish. "Gai. Talked. To. Me. About. Sex."

Beki burst out laughing so hard she stopped walking. Her knees went weak and Beki sank down to the ground, holding onto Neji's arm for support. He glared down at her.

"I'm so glad my suffering brings you so much joy."

"Hold on-" Beki gasped. "Hold on, I can't, I can't breathe!"

Neji threw her arm off him so Beki collapsed on the ground. Instead of reacting, Beki curled up into a ball and continued her fit.

Did Lee get it?!" Beki grabbed his pant leg. "You have to tell me-"

"No," Neji shook her off his leg. "Lee thought we were talking about literal raincoats."

Beki reached the point of laughing where she had ceased making noise. She was lying in the road in the fetal position, exhaling silently, her face contorted in laughter. Neji took off his shirt and threw it over her. "You make me sick."


	106. The Call of Duty

**Hi everyone, here's the next installment. I've loved hearing from all of you and I hope you will enjoy this arc as much as you have the others. If you have any questions/comments/etc, you can PM or review and I'll try to clear up what I can. This next arc is taking a lot of research and development, so the next few chapters might come a little more slowly than normal. I have a lot I would like to get in, so the good news in all this is that the chapters will probably be on the long side (as these last few have tended to be). So, all that said, enjoy this next chapter and I look forward to hearing from you soon!**

* * *

At long last, Beki received her response from Ishida. It was a small, unassuming scroll. As Beki walked down the steps from the aviary, she unfolded the officially sealed message to read six words that would change the rest of her life:

 _WAR IS COMING. GET HOME NOW._

A chill went down her spine as the adrenaline kicked in. Beki looked around at everyone going about their lives: people laughing, children playing, couples bickering. No one knew. Beki rolled up the scroll and stuffed it into her kunai pouch, walking with purpose to her mother's apartment. She did her best to keep her face expressionless. It wasn't her business to tell the people of Konoha. Beki was still technically an ambassador and the responsibility of bearing this burden was hers. _Let them have a few more days of peace,_ she thought. _Some of these people will never come home. They deserve a chance to leave some happy memories behind them._

Beki's resolve broke when she reached Yuki's apartment building. She raced up the stairs two at a time, ran to the door, and pounded on it. Within moments, Yuki opened the door with an annoyed look on her face. The second her eyes landed on Beki, the expression evaporated. Beki fished out the letter and handed it to her. Yuki unfurled the scroll. Her eyes roved the paper, her jaw squared, and she yanked her daughter inside the apartment. As soon as the door closed, Yuki swore.

"No one knows, right?"

Beki shook her head. "I figured they'll find out when they're supposed to."

Yuki nodded and started gathering her belongings. "We need to go as soon as possible."

Beki stood there feeling helpless. "I have to go say goodbye to everybody."

"Yes, you do." Yuki walked over and took her daughter's face in her hands. "You make sure it's a good one. You tell every single person you love them. Spell out exactly what they mean to you. Shinobi wars are no joke, Beki. Entire villages have been wiped out before. There's a chance that when all this is over, the only thing walking these streets will be ghosts."

Yuki pulled her daughter into a tight hug to still Beki's shaking. "It's okay. I'm going to watch out for you. You will be just fine."

Beki nodded and headed for the door. "We'll head out at dusk," Yuki called out. "If anyone asks, we have a family emergency back in Getsu."

Beki walked out the door and headed down the stairs.

 _War is coming._

Trained to be soldiers from a young age, shinobi were hardened to face death every time they were deployed. Deaths happened in the exams, lives were lost in training accidents. Beki had killed and seen the life flicker out of someone's eyes before. Those instances were very rare. The nightmares occasionally came, bodies reaching out to her from the void, their raspy voices cursing her name. Ever since she had awakened the Burned Maiden, the number of hands had nearly doubled, the new limbs clawing for her were mangled, bubbly skinned or blackened by flames, missing fingers, and peeling flesh. It was something they all dealt with. Beki had been taught to justify the body count: for King and country, for her friends, for her family, for the mission, for her own survival, those deaths had been necessary.

Seiichiro had been in the Third Shinobi World War. Beki had come home from the academy one day, full of a bunch of watered down generalizations and glossed over historical facts about the war. When she came home and told her dad about it, Seiichiro had sat her down and told her the ugliest stories she ever heard. Constant warfare on the mainland, the great nations up against an unending tide against each other and the smaller nations around them. Seiichiro described the horrible smell of bodies rotting in the sun, seeing friends and enemies die in the most painful, traumatizing ways, and how the conflict lasted so long the nations began to run out of shinobi. Seiichiro described the way the combatants became younger, less experienced, children barely out of the academy throwing themselves into the fray. It was the reason her mother was admitted into the ranks; Yuki had killed raiders in Getsu so efficiently that the King and court had decided her to be a valuable albeit disposable asset in a war where it looked like the person with the last living soul on the field would be the victor. A shadow crossed over his face as Seiichiro shared some of his worst memories. The one that stuck with Beki was towards the end of the war, Seiichiro was exhausted beyond reason. Everyone else on his team had been killed except for Yukihana. It was hard for the two of them to keep watch at night on their way back to camp and their supplies were completely depleted. Yuki was filling up their canteens in a stream while Seiichiro kept watch behind the tree line a several feet away. It was a new moon, so when Seiichiro saw the shinobi throw himself at Yuki he reacted without hesitation. Yuki was grappling with the body, trying to fend them off, and Seiichiro saw the faint glint of a kunai in the lowlight. He grabbed ahold of the figure and threw them away as hard as he could. The body collided with a tree and then collapsed on the ground. When Seiichiro approached to confirm the kill, his body had gone cold. It was a genin, no older than twelve. The boy looked like he was starving, his body and clothes were filthy. In his kunai pouch, he was carrying the headbands of his fallen squad mates and a picture of his mother. Yuki tried to convince him that the kid had been dying anyway, that he wouldn't have made it through the week, but Seiichiro had wept bitterly.

Would Beki have tiny, helpless hands reaching out to her in her nightmares, too?

When she walked through the gates to the Hyuga compound, Beki beelined for Hinata's house. Beki let herself in through the kitchen door and called out Hinata's name. Hinata stuck her nose out of the laundry room with a confused expression. "What's going on, Beki?"

Beki took a deep breath and kept her voice low. "This doesn't leave the room, okay?"

There was a soft knock at the kitchen door. "Come in," Hinata blinked in confusion, her afternoon clearly thrown off. Neji came through the door, smiling. "Beki, I saw you heading up and I thought-" His voice trailed off when he saw the look on Beki's face. "What's wrong?"

"War is coming." Beki folded her arms. It was hard to stay calm. Her skin felt like electricity was dancing across it, her mind racing at all the possibilities. "I don't think they've started mobilizing here, but I've been called back to Getsu."

Hinata's eyes widened in terror. "Naruto's at the summit!"

Beki shook her head. "He should be fine. That's where this information is coming from. It must have been sent to the leadership of allied villages."

Neji shook his head. "It goes without saying your resignation didn't come up."

Beki gave a humorless laugh. "I think they need me more than ever, unfortunately."

Hinata nodded. "Beki, I don't mean to put you in this position, but do you think I could talk to my father about this?"

Beki heaved a sigh. "You know what? Yeah. Go ahead. Your family has put me up. I owe you all the truth. It's not like you won't find out anyway."

Hinata headed for the kitchen door and glanced at the pair. "I'm sure you have some things to discuss, anyway."

The door closed behind her and Neji looked at Beki. "Beki…"

Beki shook her head and ran to him. Neji embraced her, his limbs stiff with shock. "I never would have thought we would live to see a war."

"No one does," Beki closed her eyes tight. "No one wants to see the signs. I guess in retrospect it's been building up to this."

Neji pet her hair and gently pulled her towards the stairs. "Come on." Beki let him lead her until they were in her room, where they wordlessly climbed into bed. Neji held her close, stroking her face and watching her carefully. "Are you worried?"

"I'm scared, Neji," Beki furrowed her brows, her lower lip sticking out. "The last couple of weeks have been the best in my life. It's been like a dream, being with you, making plans for our wedding…"

"I know," Neji frowned. "I understand that loss is part of our job and death is something we face all the time-"

"I don't know what I'm going to do if I lose you, Neji." Beki's voice was trembling, her lip quivering as she held back tears.

"Shh," Neji held her head to his chest and embraced her tightly to still her shaking.

"I hate to admit it, but I am seriously losing it over this," Beki whispered. "Everything is just going so wrong suddenly. Forget worrying about our wedding and all that, everyone we know could die- "

Neji squeezed her. "It's all going to work itself out, Beki. This would be the Fourth Shinobi World War. People survived three of them. People will survive this one. There will be losses, but we have to stay positive- "

"What if we all turn on each other? What if this starts out as an Akatsuki thing and then turns into a grab for power and all the villages turn on each other," Beki was nearly hyperventilating. "What if we have to fight each other, Neji?!"

Neji buried her face in his neck to calm her. "Beki, I know this is going to sound out place, but do you think making out for a while would make you feel better?"

Beki looked up at him, her brows furrowed and her jaw set. "Are you trying to be funny, Neji? Now is obviously not the time- "

He landed three blows to her back before Beki could even register what had happened. The effects of the attack, however, were unlike anything the gentle fist had done to her before. Beki narrowed her eyes. "Neji, why am I suddenly horny?"

Neji chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I opened your tenketsu flow."

"That works both ways?" Beki asked. "Then why have you guys just constantly tried to incap me with it?!"

"We couldn't let you know all the family secrets, Beki." Neji smiled and Beki felt a tug of longing inside her. "We shouldn't waste this time together. There's no telling when we'll get to see each other again."

Beki pouted but snuggled closer. "You're right. It just isn't fair you just get what you want when you want it." He attempted to let her go, as if to say "well, if you don't want to", but Beki kissed him. Neji kissed her back with a small smile and rocked her gently. Neji nibbled on her neck as he worked her shirt up around her shoulders, then over her head. Beki unbuttoned his shirt and Neji shrugged it off his shoulders. There was some awkward stumbling as they both stepped out of their pants and then their underwear, hardly ever breaking away from their kisses. Beki had been overwhelmed with a physical desire, a need for Neji. She didn't just want him for the physical satisfaction of the act but also for the emotional comfort; the two of them coming together and being one person.

That's why even though they were both ready to go after they climbed into bed, Beki and Neji spent some time holding each other. Beki laid on top of him, running her hands over his chest, up his neck and into his hair, settling on holding his face in her hands as they kissed. Neji held her close, his hands caressing her up and down her back. When they finally did make love, it was a slow, gentle, loving thing. Much of the kissing and holding remained throughout the process. Once they were finished, they snuggled up under the covers with their limbs intertwined. Neji kissed her temple and gave her a relaxed smile. "Feeling better?"

"Yes," Beki puffed up her cheeks. "Jerk."

"You weren't calling me jerk ten minutes ago."

"You aren't a jerk because you got your way," Beki pouted. "You're a jerk because you're always right."

Neji sighed, his tone one of mock martyrdom. "It's my burden to bear, I'm afraid."

Beki reached over and took his hand. "I'm not freaking out anymore but I am still worried, Neji. What's going to happen to us, Neji?"

Neji kissed her shoulder and squeezed her hand. "I think we're going to be okay, Beki. I don't think we would have fought this hard to get here for us to just lose it all."

"If I died, you would still have your friends and your family," Beki's voice was muffled by his shirt. "I would have my mom and my job. I would never be happy again, Neji. I wouldn't have anything to look forward to if you were gone."

"Do you think it would be any different for me?" Neji ran his fingers through her hair comfortingly. "To wake up each day, realizing that you were gone...it would be a world without color, or music, or reason. I would exist, Beki, and that would be it."

"Even if we make it out, can you imagine our wedding? We couldn't even have one. We would just have to go down to the courthouse and sign the papers because there would be nothing and no one to celebrate." Beki groaned.

Neji shook his head. "None of my friends would feel that way. They're all the exact kind of people that they would want us to be happy, to have a wedding, to carry on for them."

"I know you're right, but I would still feel terrible, running around eating cake and opening presents," Beki sat up. "I... I have to start packing. You don't have to leave. I would like it if you stayed and kept me company."

Neji kissed her hand, looking into her eyes with nothing but the deepest love and affection. "Tsukimori Haruka, you are my one, my only. I never knew love before you and if I lose you I will never know it again."

Beki smiled sadly. "Hyuga Neji, you are everything I ever wanted, ever needed, and could ever pray for. I'm lost without you."

Neji gave her a weak grin. "We should write those down. They would make pretty good vows."

Beki let out a small laugh and started to pack her things. It was odd. For all the years she had lived there, Beki had come and gone as she pleased. Packing up her belongings this time, she was forced to think in the long term. How many months would the war last? How much of this would she really need while she was gone? Most of it seemed unnecessary now, her jewelry, her everyday clothes, headbands, and hair clips.

Neji watched her quietly, consciously trying to memorize everything about Beki: the faces she made, the way she walked, the way that the light reflected off her hair. As she dressed, he paid special attention to the curve of the small of her back, the shape of her breasts, the way her legs became her rear. How long would it be until he saw her again? Would they somehow run into each other during the conflict? For years, Neji had been by her side in almost all things. They had trained together, run errands together, and more recently they had been sleeping together. It was the best rest of Neji's life. Waking up to see her face in the morning still sent a thrill through him. Now, nearly as quickly as they had come together, they were being torn apart by duty. Neji got up and put his clothes back on, the sounds of his dressing blending in with Beki's packing.

"Beki…?" Neji had felt the silence creeping in and with it, his mind was running away with every terrible thing that could happen. He was picturing Beki with amputations, crutches, burned and scarred skin, sightless eyes, and a broken nose. Beki's smile dispelled the phantoms.

"What's up?"

"I know we haven't really had a big fight yet," Neji folded his hands. "But it will happen."

Beki cocked an eyebrow. "You feel like we need to start one before we go? Let's see, you don't ever…." Beki furrowed her brows and frowned. "No. Can't think of anything to fight with you about. Usually going after being smelly with a boy is a safe bet but you're even too clean for that."

Neji shook his head. "That isn't what I was going to say. You know how couples when they get in a bad fight, someone goes and sleeps on the couch?"

Beki nodded. "That's pretty standard."

"Let's not ever do that, okay?" Neji pleaded. "I don't care how mad you are at me or how angry I am with you. I want to always wake up next to you when I'm home."

"That seems fair," Beki agreed. "Should we get it in writing or is this a gentleman's agreement?"

"You aren't a gentleman." Neji narrowed his eyes.

Beki puffed up her chest. "Why, sir, I am most certainly a gentleman!"

Neji watched her, a retort on the tip of his tongue, but he instead stood and hugged her tight. "I don't know how I am going to get by without you for so long."

Beki gave a sad smile and hugged him back. "I'm going to have a hard time without you, too."

Neji reached into his back pocket and pulled out a palm sized box. Beki blinked in surprise as he held it out to her. "That's an awful big box for a ring, Neji."

"It isn't a ring," Neji opened the box. The comb overall was plain, made from unadorned metal and cast in the shape of a butterfly. The wings were the best part. Delicate veins were etched into the metal so realistically Beki half expected it to fly away. She looked up at him and Neji gave a sly smile. "When I went to the jeweler and told him I needed a comb for the girl who caught fire all the time, this is what he made."

Beki took the comb out of the box and walked over to her mirror. She spent a few moments adjusting the heavy piece until it was placed and supported just right. "I really like this one. I'm guessing I can't melt it?"

Neji nodded. "That was the idea. We talked about painting it or putting stones on…"

"But the stones would crack and the paint melt off," Beki smiled. "This is much smarter."

"Do you really like it?" Neji took her hand.

"Yes," Beki smiled at him in the mirror. "It'll be my good luck charm." Her expression darkened playfully. "But next time you show me a jewelry box it had better have a ring in it."

"Point taken." Neji kissed her temple. "Let's get you packed up."

…

Beki walked downstairs, her bag slung across her shoulders. Hinata looked up at her friend, dressed in ancestral armor and yet so completely natural in a modern home. The thinly veiled concern on her face tugged at the knot forming in Hinata's stomach. _We're all thinking the same thing. This could be the end._

"What did your dad say?" Beki asked.

"He didn't say much. He told me to thank you and then excused himself to start preparing the family," Hinata fidgeted nervously. "Are you heading back to Getsu now?"

Beki nodded. "Mom wanted us on the road at dusk." She looked off towards the door. "I don't know how she can stay so level headed."

"She doesn't have a choice," Hinata said. "We'll be in that same spot someday, having to be brave for others even if we're scared."

"I hope I can do it," Beki sighed. "I mean, I've stared down death before. We all have. This is just...different, somehow. Akatsuki attacking jinchuuriki, the villages all coming together for once; it's spooky. I can't help but feel like there's something big, seething out there under the surface waiting to break free."

"Maybe that's just the war," Hinata offered. "I can't imagine it just snaps, from zero to conflict. It's been gathering for a long time, like a thunderstorm."

"I guess that could be it," Beki shrugged. She gave Hinata a sad smile. "I really should get going."

Hinata opened her arms and Beki met her with an embrace. She squeezed Hinata so tight that she could feel the armor digging into her skin. "I love you, Hinata," Beki said. "You're the sister I never had."

"I love you too, Beki," Hinata ignored the pain and squeezed Beki back. "Be careful out there."

"No promises," Beki grinned. "You all keep showing me up, being all heroic all the time. I might just have to do something rash."

Hinata swatted at her. "Don't you dare!"

Beki laughed. "Alright, I'll be careful." She kissed Hinata on the corner of the mouth and headed out the door. Neji followed her, staying close until Beki reached the gates. They shared one more long, sweet, and sad kiss, said their final goodbyes, and Neji watched her walk out the gates. His eyes followed her long after she went out of sight as he said a silent prayer that they would get to see each other again.

…

Beki and Yuki had slipped out of Konoha without incident. They traveled at full speed, hardly taking notice of the scenery shifting around them. Long periods of silence stretched between them, broken only by the occasional random thoughts Yuki blurted out. Ever since they had left Konoha, Beki had been stewing on her thoughts of war, family, love, and loss.

"You were in the last war," Beki glanced at her mother. "Dad didn't like to talk about it, but I remember him mentioning the two of you went in together."

Yuki was unfazed by the sudden outburst and simply nodded. "It was an experience…" Her voice trailed off and her expression twisted with discomfort.

"What was it like?" Beki asked and Yuki immediately sighed.

"It," Yuki took a deep breath. "It was fun. For me, anyway." Yuki swallowed and kept her eyes off her daughter. "I was going through some complicated changes in my life. Having failed as a priestess, I got to shine as a shinobi. I felt powerful, in control. Your father and I as a team, Beki, it must have been terrifying. I can't tell you how many shinobi tried to take us down. We moved like clockwork, mowing through flesh and armor, crushing plate, shattering limbs...It was a mean, wicked event. I can't lie and say it doesn't feel good to beat the mean and wicked at their own game. There's a gratification in being the baddest. Your father and I weren't the worst, that's for sure, but baddest would be a safe claim."

Beki paused, unsure of how to process those remarks. Her father had talked about the war like it was hell, a torturous and agonizing experience that haunted his nightmares. Yuki described the same scenario but sounded proud of the havoc she had wrought. It was a hard moral battle, judging her parents against each other. They committed the same acts but for different reasons. Did that really make one so much worse than the other? Beki thought back to her own satisfaction at ending the lives of the ronin who had helped kill her father, to hear their screams and know they were no longer in the world. That realization made her sick and took away her power to judge Yuki. In her own way, in her own time, Beki was guilty of the same sin: self-righteous pride.

The two traveled in silence for some time. At about midday, the pair stepped off the road a bit and settled into a clearing to rest. Up on the path above them, Beki spotted a cloaked figure traveling by. He seemed to take no notice of them, and although Beki always found black-cloaked figures a tad creepy, he didn't seem like a threat. Yuki ignored him as well, sipping out of her canteen as casually as if they were on vacation and not on their way to war.

"You know who I had a dream about?" Yuki stretched. "Your little ronin buddy."

"Miki?" Beki blinked. "Since when do you care about her?"

Yuki shrugged. "I don't get to decide what I dream about, Beki. The dreams just come."

"So, what happened in your dream?" Beki asked.

Yuki rubbed her chin. "That was the thing, it was Miki, but it wasn't Miki. It was clearly her face, her body...I could even sense her presence-"

Beki wrinkled her nose. "What do you mean, her presence?"

Yuki returned Beki's confused look. "You can't recognize people by their…? I don't know, they give off, like, a vibe," Yuki gestured her hand in a circle. "I could always do this thing, where I could sense your dad in the dark versus an enemy shinobi just by… _feeling it._ " She snapped her fingers as she looked for the word then gave up. "Whatever, anyway, it was Miki. No mistaking her. I was seeing her through the eyes of an old man. He was worried about her; she was wounded, bleeding, shaking in the cold. Her clothes were torn up and her eyes were glazed over with fever. He asked her who she was and Miki just kept saying, 'I'm don't know, I'm lost'."

Beki adjusted the kanabo across her shoulders and shook her head. "I really hope she's okay. I haven't heard anything about the Sound Village in a long time."

Yuki cracked her knuckles. "Her hair had been hacked off."

Beki pouted. "I really hope that wasn't true."

"I don't know," Yuki shook her head. "When I have these dreams, it doesn't always make sense. There were...other things. Flashes of images, sensations, fears...In parts I felt like I was Miki, other parts I was the old man...then there…" Yuki shook her head. "Like I said, very little of it makes sense."

"So, the only part that made sense was the part with the old man?" Beki blinked, thinking back on all her conversations with Miki. "Tell me what else you saw. Maybe I could make some sense out of it."

Yuki closed her eyes slowly and took a deep breath. "A sense of freedom. I felt hopeful, for the first time in what felt like forever. Then feathers, falling from the sky. Things getting dark, a figure, somewhere in front of me sheds their skin revealing a great white snake. I can feel it, that we're both starving in this wasteland. Only one of us is going to make it..."

There was something in Yuki's tone that was different than Beki had ever heard it. It was close to how sometimes her mother got "weird feelings" about something. Once in a while, when they were out on the road or in town, her mother would grab her arm and say "not that way" and yank her down a different path. Hardly ever did Beki ever hear that some ill fortune had just missed them. That didn't stop her from heeding that low, cautious tone her mother spoke with. Beki heard it in her voice now but it was more detached, almost disembodied, like it wasn't Yuki anymore. Yuki was just delivering a message. A chill crept down Beki's spine, her hair slowly raising on end. Beki had no idea what Yuki was talking about but somehow, she was just as certain that what she spoke was true. Her friend was in terrible danger. Beki had hardly noticed that Yuki had fallen silent, as if in a trance, trying to recall all the details.

"Then what happens?" A strange male voice behind them nearly caused Beki to leap out of her skin. She turned and looked up to see the black cloaked figure from before hovering a respectful distance away.

"Can we help you?" Beki asked cautiously.

"I overheard your tale," He glanced at Yuki, who was still staring blankly ahead. "I couldn't walk away with a cliffhanger like that lingering in the air."

Beki's eyes switched back and forth between her mother and the cloaked man. Beki could barely see any of his face. His skin was pale and it looked unhealthy. Scaly, like he had a skin condition.

"You ate her." Yuki looked up at the cloaked figure as if she knew him. "You consumed her and she let it happen because she loved you. Miki didn't want you to starve."

Both the man in black and Beki jumped. Yuki slowly stood, never taking her eyes off him. "I remember you." Yuki smiled, that dangerous, vulpine grin Beki only ever saw her use when she was hunting. A predator's smile. "I never saw your face but I could feel you, Soundling."

Beki rose to her feet, completing the triangle. Her gaze turned to the man in black. "So, it's true then. You knew Miki. Where is she? What did you do to her?"

He dipped his head and Beki saw his face break into a humorless smile. "She's out of the picture."

His sickening smile, the dismissive way he talked about Miki, the fact that he had hurt her friend all stirred up the fire within her. "You bastard!" Beki's skin went white hot, sizzling her clothes as she stepped toward him. Yuki held up a hand for her daughter to stop, keeping her eyes on the man in black: "You're different." He gave no reply, but Beki saw stirring inside his cloak. It was disturbing, the unnatural wriggling movements in places there should have been no movement. "You walk away, we walk away," Yuki offered. "Never saw each other."

"We might be past that," The man said, his words more chilling thanks to the friendly tone in which he shared them.

Yuki shook her head. "You have more important places to be. So do we."

He bowed his head and leapt out of sight. Beki's heart was racing, her system rushed with adrenaline. She looked at her mother, tears of rage in her eyes. "Why did you let him go?! He hurt Miki!"

Yuki shook her head, her eyes still locked on the path. "She's alive, Beki. And probably safer for it, to be honest."

"You said he ate her!" Beki hissed.

"I told you, Beki, it isn't always so easy to figure out what all this shit means," Yuki stole a glance at her. "Besides, I'm not worried. He's getting what'll come to him."

Beki blinked away the tears. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"The last thing I saw before I woke up," Yuki grinned. "Was a crow feasting on a dead snake."

…

The remainder of the journey to Getsu was uneventful. Yuki hardly rested on the trip, growing more restless the closer they came to home. More than once, when it was Beki's turn to keep watch, she had seen her mother stirring in her sleep. Yuki tossed and turned for hours until at last, she sat bolt upright, her eyes wide and full of fear, gasping for breath. When Beki asked her what was wrong, all Yuki would say was she had a nightmare. At that point, she would either rise and tell Beki to go to sleep or ask for them to set out. From there, Beki would overhear her praying softly to herself, muttering things about hands, hair, teeth, and horns. Bloody lips and the blank, lifeless eyes of a corpse. It creeped Beki out but she kept it to herself. For all she could tell her mother was just having nightmares about the last war.

They arrived in Getsugakure in record time, only having spent a week on the road. To their surprise, they found the town still about its normal business. Confused, Yuki and Beki headed to Seiichiro's old office to find Ishida. When they arrived, the office was a mess, it's lone occupant up to his nose in paperwork and haggard as a cadaver.

"Ishida?" Beki knocked softly on the ajar door. He stood bolt upright, his eyes full of fear for a moment until he recognized her.

"I'm sorry," He shook his head and heaved a sigh. "I think I had dozed off."

Beki walked over. "So, have they not made the announcement yet?"

Ishida shook his head. "No. The king will be making an address in two days' time."

"So, what can I do to help?" Beki looked around the familiar space, lovingly untouched since her father's passing. Ishida had kept everything almost exactly the same, the exceptions being her father's ashtray was absent and he had opted for a smaller chair to fit his frame.

"First off," He looked at Yukihana. "I have a favor to ask of you."

Yuki raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Me? You're trusting _me_ with something?"

"You're sort of the only man for the job," Ishida adjusted his askew glasses and tugged at his wrinkled shirt. "I need you to go to the Village of Gods and Demons and deliver the summons to the shinobi who live there," Ishida sorted through his desk drawers until he found an official looking decree. "Your people aren't especially keen on the capital types. My logic was they would take the news much better from one of their own."

"I've been dead to them for twelve years," Yuki cocked her head.

Ishida looked Yuki dead in the eye. "I wasn't really that surprised you crawled back out of hell. Your old neighbors will be less so."

Yuki nodded. "Fair point. So, you'll be nanny goat to Beks in the meantime?"

"Haruka can help me get a handle on this," Ishida gestured frustratedly to the office.

"While you go take a shower upstairs and steal a couple of hours sleep," Beki gave him a concerned look. "And brush your teeth while you're at it."

Ishida breathed into his hand to check his breath and swore. Both girls jumped at the sound and he leered at them. "What?!"

"You never cuss," Yuki teased. "Seiichiro's office is wearing off on you."

"To hell with that," Ishida growled. "You have no idea what a pit of vipers this hell hole has been the last few months. Everyone debating on whether or not we should help the five nations, whether we should ask to be paid by the other daimyo to help…Greedy little bastards." He shook his head and then his expression softened. "I guess you're right. I am starting to sound like Seiichiro."

"The five o'clock shadow helps," Yuki tapped his chin with the summons and he swatted her away.

"You go and take care of that little errand," Ishida pointed at her. "And Haruka...you're right. I'm going to go upstairs and practice some decent hygiene."

"Please and thank you," Beki gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'll order some food for you in a bit. I bet you haven't had a decent meal in a while, either."

Ishida sighed and shook his head. "No. And I have to admit that sounds amazing."

Beki waved him away and he clopped up the steep stairs to the suite above. Yuki looked around the office and let out a soft sigh. "It still kind of smells like him, huh?"

"I know, I didn't think Ishida was capable of sweat but it's like…seeped into the place." Beki stuck out her tongue.

Yuki shook her head. "No, dummy, your dad."

Beki paused and sniffed the air. "I mean, yes. Old wood, leather, and cigar smoke."

Yuki felt a pang in her heart being in that room, surrounded by reminders of her husband. It wasn't the old throbbing ache she used to get, but instead a bitter sweetness. She smiled, shook her head, and reached for the door. "I'll be back in a couple of days. Ishida may be a shinobi, but it is only in the most rudimentary of senses. While I'm gone, you're holding down the fort."

Beki saluted. "Aye aye." Her sudden movement upturned a half full coffee mug that had been sitting on the desk for days. Beki gasped and desperately began mopping it up. Yuki chuckled at the armored warrior before her reduced to secretarial duties and ducked outside.

…

Later that night, Beki called in an order at a nearby diner for enough food to feed five people. Ishida was probably starving and Beki was still famished from the trip to Getsu. An hour later, when there was a knock at the door, Beki opened it expecting the delivery boy. Instead, she found Daiske.

"Daidai!" Beki squealed and threw her arms around him. Daiske grinned and returned the bear hug.

"I missed you, Beki," Daiske grinned. "I'm friends with some of the guys at port. They told me you came into town with some hot chick?"

"My mother," Beki explained and Daiske visibly winced. He dropped his voice, his eyes darting about suspiciously.

"She isn't here, is she?" He hissed.

Beki laughed. "No. She's headed back to our hometown."

Daiske blinked. "Without you? Why?"

"There's big news on the horizon and Ishida wanted mom to be the one to deliver it to the yokels." Beki waved him inside. "Come on in. I've made it mildly hospitable in here."

Daiske looked around. "It's different than when your dad worked here but not much." He looked at the steep stairs at the back of the room. "You almost expect him to come plodding down any minute."

Beki nodded. "Yeah, I feel him, too."

In the hours Ishida had been sleeping, Beki had done her best to organize the paperwork and then clean. She tossed out trash, wiped down surfaces, and sterilized where necessary. The kitchenette hidden from the view of the office front proper, for instance. Or the bathroom. The bathroom had taken Beki awhile. If it hadn't been for all her years on the road, Beki might have fainted at the grubbiness of it all.

Her hard work rewarded her with a couple of couches and a coffee table for them to visit at. Daiske plopped down across from her with an expectant smile on his face. "So, what brings you home?"

"It isn't good news I'm afraid," Beki frowned. Before she could continue, the pair overheard Ishida coming down the stairs. He had showered and shaved, the few hours sleep under his belt reviving his appearance somewhat.

"Before we get into why you're here," Ishida said as he walked over to the coffeemaker. "I'm going to need you to explain what happened with Suna."

Daiske glanced at Beki. "Did something happen between you and the Kazekage?" He set his jaw and glowered. "Am I going to have to kick his ass?"

"No, Daiske," Beki sighed. "I broke up with him."

"You shouldn't have been dating him in the first place. I spoke with your father about it a year ago," Ishida sighed and shook his head. "But what do I know? I don't have any children. All my experience in politics can't hold a candle to that- "

"Are you going to let me talk, Ishida, or am I supposed to just nod and agree with everything you say?" Beki gave him an impatient look. Ishida sighed and spread his arms.

"You have the floor, Lady Ambassador."

"It was a natural parting of the ways," Beki picked at her pants. "Our jobs just made it impossible for the relationship to work."

"So why can't you work with him anymore?" Ishida asked as he tapped ground coffee beans into the coffeemaker.

Beki shook her head. "Gaara is a fixer. I don't think he would ever be able to fully accept the relationship is over."

"What I'm confused about was the subsequent resignation request I received," Ishida spoke without looking at her. "With the current political atmosphere, I obviously can't grant your request."

Beki furrowed her brow. "If you're implying I cheated on Gaara, you're wrong. Part of the reason I broke up with him was I realized I had developed feelings for someone else."

"Someone you immediately formed an arranged marriage with, without consulting me, your direct superior?" Ishida turned around and folded his arms. It made Beki a little uncomfortable, seeing Ishida staring her down the way her father would have.

"The arrangement was something my mother struck up with his family-" Beki began but Daiske's expression of confusion was so exaggerated it was enough to stop her mid-sentence. "What, Daiske?"

"You're engaged?! It's clearly not to the Kazekage, so who is it?!"

"Hyuga Neji," Beki said softly.

Daiske shook his head slowly. "What? I thought him and Ren liked each other- "

"It was a ploy they came up with to make me jealous. I guess Neji had liked me for a long time and Ren was trying to help him." Beki explained.

"That right there is why I never had children." Ishida sighed. "Your behavior makes no sense, any of you."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of dinner. After Beki had paid and brought it inside, she looked at Ishida as he loaded his plate. "So, does that mean you won't walk me down the aisle?"

Ishida furrowed his brow as he brought a wad of noodles to his mouth. He chewed for a while in silence, never taking his cutting gaze off her. "It would be my pleasure."


	107. Kami to Akuma

**Boop.**

* * *

Although fall hadn't quite set in for the rest of the world, it always came early in the Village of Gods and Demons. A small shiver crept its way down Yuki's spine as she hiked the trail that led to the only place that had ever really felt like home. Tall trees with bark like grave bones dripped blood red leaves onto the gray-brown earth below, the scent of their decay sharp and pungent as they crackled underfoot. Nestled in the valley between two short mountains, the village suffered from rolling mists most of the year as the clouds made their way up the range. It was an ancient place, formed long before the foundations of the first buildings in Getsu were made. Many of the structures were in poor repair; their retaining walls crumbling, shingles missing from rooves, warped wood, and cracked plaster went as far as the eye could see.

To an outsider, the sight of the village would harken something out of a ghost story. It was a hidden little decrepit oasis; no one could possibly live there. And yet, they did, spitefully so. Most of the founding clans were dead or dying out, Yuki's clan being no exception. The only family that seemed unfazed were the Tsukimori. Although there was bad blood between her and her late husband's clan, Yuki wasn't worried about them. The villagers were all her people. When she was a girl up at the shrine, it was she who tended their wounds, performed the rites for their dead and dying, and prayed over their ill. If the Tsukimori wanted to start something with her they would be well advised to do it far out of sight.

It was early in the morning; the sun had not yet broken the horizon. The fog was thick, dense, and nearly waist high. Yuki moved through it surefootedly. Nothing in Kami to Akuma ever changed, even the footpaths. Besides, it was in these streets Yuki frequently found herself wandering in her dreams, searching for answers in the mist. As she entered the town proper it was clear all the inhabitants were still asleep. Curtains were drawn tight against the morning chill and the sleepy streets were deserted. Yuki knew someone would be awake, the telltale sound of metal on metal nearby confirming her suspicions. She approached the great blacksmith's forge silently. The sight of Toramura's lean but impossibly strong limbs bringing the hammer down on the anvil sent Yuki back to her childhood. It brought a smile to her face. Toramura, as if hearing her muscles pull, looked up at her. Eyes ablaze like the flames behind him beneath wiry brows, his gaze almost seemed to bore through her. Yuki's smile only grew.

"I always wondered when you would wander back into town." Toramura lowered his sinewy arm but kept his hammer in hand.

 _I can't blame him. Who would know what to expect from the risen dead?_ "You don't seem surprised at all." Yuki raised her hands in a gesture of resignation. "You could at least look impressed."

"Who would be impressed by a wolf wandering back into its birthplace?" Toramura watched her cautiously. "We always expected you were a halfling or some such. When your father wandered in from the mountains all those years ago, the men wanted to put him down. We were sure he was a trickster who had seduced your mother."

Yuki looked around, savoring the familiar air of home. "Funny how no one tells you these things till you're an adult."

"I'm telling you because you show up almost fifteen years after your death looking not a day older." Tora gripped his hammer tight. "So, either you're a halfling or a Shinigami."

Yuki's vulpine smile returned. "Sorry, Tora. I'm not here to bring you to the other side today." She held up the official scroll. "Just to deliver the summons, I'm afraid."

Tora's gaze fell on the seal. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "I'll gather the other village elders."

As he took off his apron and laid down his hammer, Yuki felt a strange nostalgia taking over. It was a sensation she had nearly forgotten: being feared and respected in equal measure. Tora stepped through his gate and gave Yuki one more look. "You can remain here by the fire until I return."

"Blessings to you, Toramura." Yuki's voice took on its old formal tone.

"Is the source of that blessing holy or demonic, priestess?" Tora stared her down.

Yuki shrugged. "The line on that is rather blurry, don't you think?"

Tora shook his head and left Yuki standing out in the open, a ghostly figure in the fog.

…

The village elders, absent Seiichiro's older brother, took Yuki's arrival much the same way Toramura did. Ishida had been right. If Yuki had been a more sensitive person, she might have been offended with the almost annoyed way they addressed her. "Oh, you're back," they said. "What do you want now?" Tsukimori Daichiro had remained mostly silent, his gaze upon his sister-in-law nothing shy of searing. A muscle twitched in his jaw as Yuki spoke but blessedly, he held his tongue. As for the rest of the elders, they responded similarly to the news that the shinobi world was going to war as they had to Yuki returning from the grave: gruff grunts, sighs, and one emphatic "this shit again" that almost drew a chuckle from her lips. When the meeting concluded, which had taken less than enough time for Yuki to finish the cup of tea she had been offered, Toramura strolled up to her.

"So, what now, winter-one? Blowing away with the fog just as quickly as you rolled in?"

Yuki shook her head. "I need to go to the shrine. The Tsukiyama are being called to war as well." She took a sip of tea and shrugged. "Besides, I'm curious to see how my old home has been holding up under Reika's leadership."

"Not well." Toramura folded his arms. "Strange things are afoot there. I can't give you specifics but no one has dared travel there for some months. Most of the old priestesses have either passed away or left. The only one of them we see anymore is Ren and she only comes into town every other week for supplies."

Yuki cocked an eyebrow. "Alright, you've convinced me. Now I definitely need to know what's going on."

"Whatever deity you're tied to, make peace with them." Toramura gestured towards her. "In case we can't find a body to bury. The last thing we need is you skulking around this place as a spirit."

"I promise I won't haunt your forge," Yuki laughed. "I've got better people to pester."

"Do you still have the gauntlets?" He asked. "It might not hurt to have some steel on you."

Yuki reached into her pack and extracted the trusty pair. Toramura took them reverentially and turned them over in his hands. His eyes traced the metalwork, his expression darkening every moment. "I used to think these were my best work."

"They've never failed me in a fight." Yuki smiled. "They served my daughter while I was away as well."

"They're crap." Toramura shook his head. "It looks like an amateur made them."

"They are nearly twenty years old, Toramura. I imagine you've improved," Yuki offered. "I'm just letting you know even your old work stands its ground even today."

Toramura looked down at the metal in his hands and was silent for some time. "Let me take these."

Yuki nodded, offering no argument. "You forged them."

"I can't let you tell people that, not when they're this garbage," He rattled the gauntlets. "It's an embarrassment to both of us. When you come back down from the shrine they should be ready."

"What will I owe you?" Yuki asked.

Toramura shook his head. "Nothing. This is the least I can do for letting you run around with a set of pig stickers for twenty years."

Yuki nodded in agreement and bowed in thanks. Toramura left without another look at her. It was nothing new; the villagers had always been a hard lot. One by one they had all filed out, save Yuki and the last person in the world she cared to talk to: her former betrothed. Daichiro stood there, staring down at her with pure hatred. The eldest of the Tsukimori brothers was nearly as tall as Seiichiro and slightly taller than Yasahiro had been. He was the darkest of the brothers but his hair was the fairest: olive skinned and snow white hair with eyes the color of iron. He shared Seiichiro's strong jaw and fondness for top knots and traditional dress. While his younger siblings had their own unique appeal, Daichiro lacked any. Yasahiro had lacked the raw animal power of his brothers but made up for it with charm and wit. Seiichiro had his morality and the determination and resoluteness of a brick wall. Daichiro was mean. He was cruel and took no precautions to conceal it. He walked around with the inflated ego of an entitled heir, beating his horses and intimidating his servants. Yuki hated him almost as much as Seiichiro had. A flicker of a smile passed over her face when she observed how naked he looked in his clothes. The armor that had been his birthright was only a city away on her daughter, who had followed in her father's footsteps by absolutely trouncing Daichiro's son. For a long time they stood there in silence. Yuki brought the tea to her lips and after tossing back the dregs, set down her cup.

"Is there something I can help you with, brother of mine?"

"Animals don't have siblings." Daichiro sneered. "Neither do witches, for that matter."

Yuki shrugged. "Call me all the names you want. It doesn't change anything, Daichiro."

"Shouldn't your daughter have been the one to bring us the news, seeing as she is _ambassador_ and all?" Daichiro had a way of speaking his questions like statements. Everything he said came out like a growl.

"My daughter is busy with preparations for war." Yuki grinned. "Besides, I hadn't seen home in nearly fifteen years. I missed it."

Daichiro let out a dark laugh. "It didn't miss you. No one missed you."

"I've proven time and again not to give a single crap about what any of you people think." Yuki cocked her head. "Don't project your own insecurities on me-"

Daichiro slapped the teacup beside her onto the floor, coming aggressively into her space. "I don't have the patience for your game, woman."

A dangerous smile spread across Yuki's face, unfazed by his display. She stood her ground against his intimidation. The air around them slowly but noticeably began to cool. "I don't play games, Daichiro. 'Playing games' means there's a chance I lose."

"You had better mind your business while you're here, Yukihana." Daichiro spat. "Just because you're some freak who ate her twin don't think you can just sail in here and do as you please."

"Are you finished posturing or what?" Yuki cocked her head. "As funny as this is, I have places to go."

"Posturing?" Daichiro's voice dropped low.

"Yeah. It's what all the sad little orphans clinging to their daddy's legacy do." Yuki reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, making a point to flash that it was Seiichiro's favorite brand. She lit up and smiled, smoke billowing from her mouth into his face. "The only reason you run that clan is because you were lucky enough to be born first. That's where it ended, I'm afraid. How's prison life going for your deadbeat son?"

"Shinichi isn't in prison," Daichiro glared. "The only reason he was arrested in the Cloud was because your daughter was sleeping with that sandy creep, the Kazekage."

Yuki shook her head, a laugh on her lips. "No, it was pretty public how your son tried to murder her in a hospital bed. You know, because she mopped the floor with him and just like you, his ego is easily bruised-"

Daichiro wrapped a massive hand around her throat, choking the words. Yuki felt his grip tightening. "Don't you dare talk about my son-" Daichiro screamed.

"You have three seconds to take your hands off me before I shatter your fingers." Yuki's voice was low and calm, despite the strain on it due to the pressure on her larynx.

Daichiro's grip remained. The skin of Yuki's neck dropped to an impossibly low temperature. The rapid change caused instant discomfort in his fingers, stabbing his flesh like pins and needles. Her eyes milked over in a cadaverous gaze. Yuki's skin paled until the blue veins stood out bright as the blue sky. Their breath came out in clouds and the color faded from her hair. Within seconds, where there had once been a beautiful young woman, stood the Yukionna. She was the reckoning of Kami to Akuma, its horrible legendary protector. The sight of her turned his stomach. Daichiro had seen what she did to the marauders twenty years ago; in the mountains, they were still finding the occasional shin perfectly preserved in clumps of ice. It set his heart racing as the adrenaline coursed through his system. Daichiro's body sensed the imminent danger and his hand released her instinctively. The moment his hand was free, Yuki plowed her knee into his groin. Daichiro sputtered, the motion dropping him like a sack of potatoes. He leered up at her, his eyes watering and a scowl on his face.

"You like to play with your food, wolf?"

"You aren't worth killing, Daichiro." Yuki stood and walked towards the door. "I would say 'see you on the battlefield', but we both know you're too much of a coward to go and fight yourself. I guess I'll see whoever you pay to stand in your place."

The door slammed shut behind her. Daichiro was left alone in the meeting room with only his shame and humiliation for company. He hated her. Daichiro hated that woman with every fiber of his being. He despised Seiichiro as well but not as much as Yukihana. The brothers had never really gotten along, but Daichiro was convinced that Yuki had been responsible for the final break. She had turned them against one another and tore the family apart. If she had done her duty, married Daichiro, and kept with the main family line, his daughter would be the Burned Maiden. Perhaps he could have forgiven her somewhat if Yuki had relented and allowed their children to be married. If she had only surrendered to Daichiro's authority, either then or now, his clan wouldn't be in the dilemma it was in. Seiichiro's daughter, the Burned Maiden as well as an ambassador, was a much more fitting candidate for matriarch than his son was for patriarch. With no union for the two in sight, it was threatening to split the family in two. Daichiro feared his son would inherit the smaller piece of the wishbone. He had almost resigned himself to this, that his heir had simply been too weak to carry on the family line. Seeing Yukihana alive, feeling that old deep hatred stirring again had reset his resolve. He would destroy Seiichiro's family. Daichiro would put both Yukihana and her little whore daughter in their proper places by taking away everything they ever held dear.

All the pain had passed, aside from the throbbing ache he knew would persist for a few hours, so Daichiro rose. He took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off his brow. He was a patient man in times like these. It would benefit him immensely if he let Yuki and her daughter think that they were safe, that they were secure, before he brought the hammer down on them. So much sweeter would be their surprise and anguish. Daichiro headed out the door for home, ready to sit down his son and start preparations for the final demise of the descendants of the Asou.

…

Daiske shook his head, leaning on his broom as he waited for Beki to finish dusting the shelves. "I can't believe you're getting married."

"Well," Beki chuckled. "Believe it."

Daiske rolled his eyes. "It's just...don't you think you're a little young?"

Beki paused, rag in hand, chewing her lip as she looked for the words. "You know, somehow I always knew I was going to get married young. I guess my dad being in politics, I expected to get sold off. In a way, I feel like marrying Neji is going to save me in the end."

"Then it'll be impossible for you to get sold off," Daiske nodded. "I get it. Not that I think Ishida is the type-"

"It's never been dad or Ishida I worried about." Beki glanced at him. "We have a king, you know."

Beki stretched her hands up high and then leaned deeply to the left and then to the right.

"Still travel sore?" Daiske asked, taking her rag and setting the broom against the wall.

"Yeah, I haven't made a trek like that in a while." She walked over to her father's armor stand and started to unfasten herself. "I feel like I'm packed into this thing from the bloat."

Daiske shrugged. "You've got a lot against you. Different altitude, more moisture in the air, that big ass salty dinner you had last night…"

"You sure you don't mind helping?" Beki asked as she laid down on the couch, her feet up on the arm.

"No," Daiske shook his head. "It's good seeing you again. Even if that means I have to do some manual labor, I'm down."

Beki grinned. "I know. Once Ren gets here, it'll be like old times."

"Not really." Daiske was still smiling as he dusted, but it was a stale smile, like he had been waiting too long for someone to take his picture. The muscles strained to keep the shape but the arch was caving under the pressure. "We can't ever go back, you know? As good as the old times were, everything is changing. Ren's going to be a priestess, you're getting married...It's never going to be the three of us picking blackberries off of wild bushes out on hikes with Kobiyashi sensei, playing hide and seek in graveyards, or sneaking into movies we're way too young to see. We might still see each other from time to time. Our bonds will keep us friends but we aren't kids anymore."

An understanding silence fell between them. It was the ugly truth of growing up: responsibility and distance pulling apart friendships, other relationships pushing friendships further down the priority list, personal independence overwriting the seamless cooperation of a good squad.

"What are you going to do, Daiske?" Beki asked.

He shrugged as he dusted a shelf of books. "With you getting married, that leaves a junior ambassador slot open, right?" He smiled to himself. "I wouldn't mind getting out of here and seeing the world."

Beki echoed his smile, albeit with a little sadness. "It's a beautiful world out there. You see some ugly shit on the road...bandits, burned out towns, gutted animals...Everything else is totally worth it, though. You see villages carved out of cliffs, waterfalls as tall as a building, sleepy seaside towns. The people you meet, the food you eat, the stories you hear," Beki's voice trailed off as she sifted through her childhood memories. Before she could finish her thought, Daiske interrupted.

"Do you think I could do it? Be an ambassador?"

Beki nodded. "If Ishida teaches you. He could teach a fish how to be a good ambassador."

Daiske sighed. "You're right. I'll...I'll talk to him about it."

"He'll give you the fourth degree. Just don't cave. Ishida will want to make sure it's something you really want and not just a whim," Beki explained. "This job is his life and he'll expect you to treat it the same."

After a moment, Daiske resumed his dusting. The two sat in silence, enjoying the gentle sounds of the wind outside and voices on the street.

"Does Neji treat you well?" Daiske broke the silence at last. "You guys seemed like pretty good friends, but...dating is different."

"Yeah," Beki said. "Neji watches out for me. He's saved me more times than I can count, gets on my case whenever I'm doing something stupid, always makes sure I'm fed-"

"You make it sound like you're a dog," Daiske laughed. "Is that really all there is to it? That's all it takes to make you happy?"

"It doesn't sound like a lot but it is," Beki explained. "To have someone that just understands you completely. You never have to lie to them, to never have to hold anything back...to completely be yourself. It's a blessing that I've never had before."

"You're lucky then," Daiske said as he picked up the broom. "I don't think that's something a lot people ever get."

Beki shrugged. "Hey, maybe you'll meet someone at the wedding."

"Who says I want to go?" Daiske put a hand on his hip in mock indignation. "I mean, to travel all the way to Konoha to have some dry wedding cake and awkwardly bump shoulders with all your friends over there seems a little unreasonable."

"It wouldn't be dry cake," Beki laughed. "My mother would flay them alive. This is going to be some over the top shit, Daiske. If she has her way, there'll be a live band and a champagne fountain."

"Well, if there's booze," Daiske grinned. "I guess I'll go."

Beki furrowed her brow. "Daiske, should I invite Bo and Yuu?"

"What?" Daiske screwed up his face. "Are you crazy?"

Beki shrugged. "You know, to be all 'no hard feelings'?"

"You know Shinichi didn't go to jail, right?" Daiske asked.

Beki sat up. "How?!"

"His daddy got him out of it, same as always," Daiske explained as he swept. "You know how he always walked around looking like he just ate a bad lime? Well, now Shinichi looks like he ate a frog."

"Maybe his face finally got stuck like that," Beki stood and walked over to the coffee pot, dumping out the grinds and rinsing the mesh filter in the sink. She spooned some loose tea into the filter and replaced it in the pot. Her mother would have had a heart attack, seeing Beki make tea that way. This was how Seiichiro always made his tea, and being in his office, it only seemed right to follow his example.

"He wants your job." Daiske kept his eyes on the floor. His words sank in and a sick feeling gripped Beki's stomach. She looked around the office, at all the reminders of her father.

"No," Beki shook her head. "He would ruin everything!"

"That's the other reason, I'm going to go for it, Beki," Daiske looked up. "I know I don't have your family's pedigree and I know I don't come from money. The last thing this village needs is for Shinichi to be representing us, that's for sure."

Beki set her jaw. "Whatever I need to do to help you, Daiske, I'm game."

…

The hike up to the shrine filled Yuki with an anxious excitement. Initially, Yuki had been eager to go just to revisit all her favorite childhood spots. To walk down those ominous halls, knowing they would seem so much smaller as an adult. Yuki wanted to smell the lake water, hear the whisper of the wind through the trees, to sense the calm that she remembered presiding there. After talking to Toramura, however, Yuki was becoming interested in its inhabitants.

Growing up on the shrine, there had been maybe a dozen priestesses of varying ages and at least as many attendants. There were three main buildings to the shrine. The largest and most opulent of the three was the shrine proper. It contained the shrine in a main hall, iron bells, sacred ropes, and all other holy relics in alcoves along the walls. Off the main hall were smaller ceremony rooms and the rooms of the head priestess. Beneath the shrine proper were the archives. It was a catacomb-like space with ancient scrolls, books, and artifacts that didn't quite have a place in the room above. Behind the shrine proper was a deck onto the lake they used for special ceremonies, dance practice, meditation, and the occasional summer nap.

The smallest building was the servant's quarters. It housed the kitchen and storehouse, as well as the spartan but comfortable accommodations for the attendants. Yuki had always been welcomed there, her hands were never swatted away from cooling cakes and the cooks made small snack sacks packed for her whenever she went out on an excursion. It was the one place on the shrine Yuki was never expected to do anything. Why would a future head priestess need to dirty her hands with chicken livers and fish bones? Yuki laughed at the thought. That was the one place she really should have put the most time into.

The third building was within sight of the main shrine. It housed the rest of the priestesses, their belongings, a few smaller private prayer rooms, and guest rooms for prestigious visitors. Yuki had spent most of her life in that building, sleeping in a room with all the other priestesses, being dressed by them and having her hair combed. The room they all shared for sleeping was subdivided with great screens. The youngest priestesses were furthest from the door, then another subdivision, and then the eldest priestesses were closest to the door. The logic was the elders were most likely to be called out in the dead of night to attend to shrine duties. Yuki always liked the privacy of being in the corner. The older priestesses had always been kind, if not a little wary of her. In those rooms Yuki had been taught to sew, weave, play koto and shamisen, calligraphy, poetry, and how to take care of herself. It had always helped having a friend to giggle with when the elder's backs were turned.

Reika. Yuki winced at the thought. Years ago, she had thought the pair had buried the hatchet between them. After Beki's birth, Seiichiro and Yuki had made the pilgrimage back up to the shrine to have Beki blessed. Reika had been delighted to see them. She had a feast prepared at their arrival and had doted on them constantly. Ren had just been born a few months before. Reika had been taking care of her and was happy to have a crib mate for her little sister. Ren was such a tiny thing and had seemed sickly, but when Beki was with her she always slept soundly and ate like a horse. _Just like us,_ Reika had said. In the years that followed, Seiichiro would take time off work and their little family would travel up to the shrine for a few months. When he went on long deployments, Yuki would stay at the shrine with Beki until he returned. Things were never the same between her and Reika as they had been in their youth, however. Reika was always a little restless around Yuki. There was a look in her eyes that said there was something she was desperate to say.

Perhaps it was spite that kept Yuki from giving Reika the chance. She had forgiven Reika for her betrayal but that didn't mean she wanted to go back to how they had been. Thanks to all the training Yuki had received as a shinobi, honing her already inhuman senses, it made it nearly impossible for Reika to ever have a chance. Yuki's trick was to never be alone with her. She bathed with Beki and the other priestesses, climbed through windows if she knew Reika was waiting at a door. It may not have been kind or polite. Yuki didn't care. It was easier to keep things civil between them if there was never a chance for them to fight.

Then Yuki had been frozen. Maybe Yuki's feelings about the whole situation would have changed if Reika had stepped up. If she had truly been sorry for what she had done to Yuki all those years ago, upon her "death", Reika would have helped raise Beki. She would have taught Yuki's daughter everything they had learned, told her all about her mom, given her more options and opportunities in life. Instead, Yuki woke up to a daughter who vaguely remembered her from her childhood and no knowledge or understanding of who or what she was. And that pissed Yuki off.

When Yuki crested the hill, however, her mind went blank. What lay before her in no way resembled the home she had known and loved. Instead, in its place, was the stuff of nightmares. The paths were overgrown with all sorts of underbrush, dry and brittle barbs, nettles, and vines. The trees hadn't been trimmed back in some time, their branches reaching out towards Yuki like grasping hands. The sunset, instead of giving the place a warm inviting glow, made it look bathed in blood. The buildings had a formidable, ominous air to them, like they were haunted and condemned. Shingles were missing and the roof had partially collapsed on the main hall. The wood on all the buildings was discolored and cracking. Yuki approached cautiously, dodging the foliage as best she could. There was an unsettling silence about the whole place, too. Not the reverential, "this is sacred ground" kind of silence. It was a sentient blanket, stifling even the sound of Yuki's footsteps as she walked. Graveyard quiet.

The door to the priestess's quarters was off its track. If anyone wanted to enter, they would have to tug at it and squeeze through the small gap between the door and the door jam. Yuki bypassed the building. Her instincts were guiding her, feet following an unheard call. She was headed right for the main hall. The steps creaked dangerously with each step, the deck worn and warped enough to make Yuki stumble at the top. The great doors were open, the collapsed roof casting a ray of crimson light like a spotlight on a lone figure in the room. It smelled like mildew. The roof must have collapsed some time ago and the rains came through for it to smell so musty. The sacred rope that hung above the urns looked half rotten. The iron bells that hung on either side of the rope were in no better shape. The one near the collapsed roof was orange with rust and the other had fallen, smashing through the floor and lying there helplessly ever since.

Yuki recognized the person as Reika. She was on her knees before the three urns that held the remains of the Maidens. She was holding herself, softly mumbling and rocking gently back and forth. As she neared, Yuki noticed one of the urns had cracked and had been hastily patched up with what looked like glue. Globs of it bubbled the surface of the lines; it looked like a child had made the repair. Yuki scoffed. Reika stirred at the sound, slowly turning with an expression like a frightened doe. She blinked in the bright light, confusion wracking her face. "...Yuki?"

If not for the black, bruise-like bags under her eyes and the dirt on her face, Yuki would have to say Reika had aged well. She was nearly forty but her face was still smooth and blemish free. She had let her black hair grow like mad. The girl had always been vain about it, wearing it down past her waist even as children, but now it pooled around her like ink. Yuki imagined when she walked, it must have trailed behind her like the train of a dress. The confusing thing was her hair was pristine. Walking around here and outside, it should be full of leaves and rubble. Reika looked thin, like she had recently started to lose weight. She still looked healthy but the bones at her collar and her cheeks were slightly pronounced. The amber eyes turned upon Yuki were sharp but distant, as if she were perceiving a threat somewhere behind Yuki. Her clothes were threadbare, repaired dozens of times and slightly discolored from use.

"What happened here, Reika?" Yuki looked around. "This place looks like a hell hole."

Reika said nothing. Her eyes were still glued to Yuki, as if trying to detect if she was a hallucination or reality. "Was there another plague? What the hell?" Yuki waved in front of her face. "Hello, Reika, are you in there?"

Reika grabbed her wrist and held fast, a look of surprise on her face when Yuki didn't disappear at her touch. "You really are real."

"Yes, and I'm talking to you." Yuki yanked her arm away. "What. Happened. Here?"

Reika shook her head. "It…it started a while ago. Maybe last year? The older priestesses were the first hit. They started having these horrible nightmares. You know how the elders were, they didn't dare tell us what it was. They went through cleansing ritual after ritual, staying up all night praying at the shrine, begging for it to go away."

"Okay, then what?" Yuki folded her arms.

"They started dying." Reika looked up at her pleadingly. "Horrible freak accidents. One by one, we found them drowned in the tub, the stove exploded on one, and…" Reika's voice trailed off as she looked over at the bell wedged in the floor. Yuki's gaze followed. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the light, she noticed black-red stains on the metal. "You get the idea."

Yuki shook her head. "I don't understand. You're telling me everyone is dead or gone because of a couple of accidents?"

"No, they're either dead or gone because it was spreading. The nightmares were, like a virus." Reika rose off her knees and began to braid her mass of hair as they talked, from the crown back, the way they were taught to as young girls. "Before the first three died, they had confessed that they felt like they were going to die soon. Some of them had premonitions, you know, but it was so odd we just chalked it up to the nightmares. And they couldn't describe how they were going to die. It was always something general, like, 'I really shouldn't be cooking today' or 'Maybe I shouldn't bathe for a while.' But then they were dead. And they had died doing what they had said they shouldn't be doing."

"So they foresaw it." Yuki shrugged. "Big whoop. Did that really freak everyone out so bad?"

Reika sighed and nodded. "The thing is, Yuki, that the next set who started getting the nightmares...they wouldn't tell me about them either. It went on for weeks, waking in the dead of night to hear screams coming from the priestess's bedroom. Then, one day, they each came to me one by one without consulting one another, and said they needed to leave."

"Had they foreseen their deaths?" Yuki cocked her head.

Reika nodded. "They all refused to speak of it. They simply packed their things and left. It was quiet for a while. Then the attendants started claiming strange things were happening to them, as well."

Yuki rolled her eyes. "They all had visions and quit?"

"No," Reika dropped her voice. "Things started to go missing. Ancient things kept tight under lock and key. The odds and ends that aren't on the books. You went crawling around in the underbelly of the archives enough to know what I'm talking about."

Items of less repute, either stolen or of questionable origin, were kept locked up in the archives. Things people had claimed had belonged to the Three Maidens, valuable banned tomes, and so on. Yuki may have pilfered one or two of the smaller, less harmful seeming trinkets. The hairpin she stole was probably still in a jewelry box at her house in town. "So we had some thieves," Yuki offered. "They noticed all the priestesses were leaving, knew there were more gaps in security, and swept through."

"That doesn't explain the accidents, Yuki. Or the…" Reika cringed. "Omens."

"What kind of omens?" Yuki asked.

"Things flying off shelves, cabinets knocking themselves over, doors slamming shut. And voices." Reika explained. "They said there was soft laughter, always sounding like it was coming from another room. Then, they all claimed that at some point or another they had heard someone speaking right in their ear-" Reika held a hand over one of her own ears. "Whispering all their terrible secrets back to them. The handyman hung himself in the shed over it, Yuki. He wrote all over the walls 'make it stop make it stop' over and over again." Reika shuddered.

"So all that's left is you and Ren?" Yuki looked around.

Reika nodded. "It...it started happening to me a while ago. About eight months, I think. I woke up in the middle of the night, swearing I heard someone call my name. Then the dreams got more," Reika rolled a hand on her wrist as she searched for the word.

"Graphic?" Yuki offered.

Reika snapped her fingers. "Yes! In one, the shrine is on fire, another one, a huge tsunami has hit the island and we're all under water. Bodies, clawing their way out of the grave and grasping at me." She clutched her belly and shuddered. "They're always calling out for 'mother'. I don't have children, Yuki. I keep waking up terrified that I'm going to be pregnant or something!"

Yuki shook her head. "I don't think they're talking to us."

Reika blinked. "Yuki….you...The dreams, you've been having them, too?"

"I didn't die, Reika," Yuki explained. "I was trapped in ice." Reika opened her mouth to ask but Yuki shook her head. "It's neither here nor there why or how it happened. I was just locked in there for twelve years. I thought I was dead or in purgatory or something. I could hear voices, generally perceive light, that sort of thing. I had no sense of time or space. Something woke me up." Yuki tapped out another cigarette from her pack and lit it with slightly shaking fingers. "I haven't told anyone this. I thought it was just my imagination."

Reika paled with realization. "You heard them call."

Yuki nodded, taking a deep draft on the cigarette. "I thought it was nothing, you know. I've always had the dreams-"

"But your sight was the strongest out of any of us!" Reika hissed. "How long was this going on for you?!"

Yuki shook her head. "It's never obvious, Reika. It's not like one of the skeletons in my nightmare comes up and says, 'Yuki, XYZ is going to happen and it will happen at this place at this time'!" Yuki groaned in frustration. "So, head priestess, what the hell does all this mean? Why can none of us sleep and your people are all killing themselves or getting the hell out of dodge?!"

"They're coming, Yuki," Reika's voice shook as she spoke, her eyes darting behind her toward the urns.

"What are you talking about, Reika?" Yuki narrowed her eyes. "You realize how bonkers you sound, right?"

Reika took a deep breath and steadied herself. "There were things they kept from us, Yuki. Things that only a head priestess is told."

Yuki folded her arms. "And you're going to share it all with me now?"

"It seems pretty foolish to keep it all under wraps when no one is left," Reika looked up at Yuki, her catlike amber eyes clouded with worry. "At this rate there might not even be a shrine left to protect."

"You've piqued my interest." Yuki took out her cigarette and her finger hovered over it, ready to tap off the spent ash. She looked around for a proper receptacle but Reika sighed.

"Go ahead. It's not going to hurt anything. This place is already a dump."

Yuki almost looked pained as she tapped ash onto the floor, put the cig back in her mouth, and puffed.

"So, the big lie we were told," Reika gestured to the urns. "Is that the Three Maidens passed away and that's when the counter styles were built. The truth is," Reika squared her small, feminine shoulders. "The Three Maidens never died."

"Bull." Yuki spat.

"You just crawled out of the ice after a twelve-year nap and you have the balls to say 'boo'?" Reika cocked an eyebrow. "Come on, Yuki."

"You got me." Yuki smiled. "Go on."

"So, apparently the Three got a little too ambitious. They don't go into a whole lot about the details on why and how," Reika explained. "I was just told that the counter styles had been developed by their children in secret and that they were used to capture and imprison the Maidens."

"But even if they were buried alive they would be dead by now," Yuki offered. "No worries. The dead can't hurt us."

Reika started to walk toward the entrance and motioned for Yuki to follow. She had to drop her strides to half to account for Ren's smaller gait. As adults, Reika came up just past Yuki's shoulder. "Again, I don't get the specifics. The main point was that as they were locking them up, the Maidens claimed they would rise again. When they did, they would be acting as horseman for the apocalypse."

Yuki flashed a conspiratorial smile. "Ooh, apocalyptic prophecies? Those are always so fun. So, who are they heralds for? An elder god crossing onto our plane of existence to consume all life? A series of natural disasters that resets the earth to its natural, pre-peopled state? The gates of hell opening and spewing out legions of the undead?"

Reika swatted her. "No, Yuki. I don't know who they serve. The old writings are very cautious. They believed there was power in words, in what was said and what was left unsaid. If you spoke of something, you gave it power. If you struck it from our language, it was another way to keep it bound."

"I can believe that to an extent," Yuki put out her cigarette under her shoe and tossed it in a planter to pick up later. "It just makes it pretty damn hard to prepare for an enemy we don't even have a name for."

Reika was leading her deep out into the forest. It was dark and the woods were thick. There was enough moonlight breaking through the branches to light their path, however. The atmospheric light and their memories would serve their footing well enough. "Where are we going?" Yuki looked around. "There's nothing out this way, Reika."

"There is." Reika sighed and looked up at her apologetically. "Sorry, Yuki. This is another one of those Head Priestess Only type deals."

Yuki rolled her eyes. The two walked in silence for a short time, absorbed in their own thoughts.

"How...how is Beki?" Reika asked.

"You wouldn't know, would you?" Yuki scoffed.

The hurt was plain on Reika's face. "What is that supposed to mean?'

"Thanks for picking up the ball for me when I died," Yuki spat. "Did a real good job of making sure she had a mother figure."

"What could I do, Yuki? Train her to be a priestess?!" Reika glared. "She didn't want it. Her dad didn't want it. I don't have a lot to offer the outside world." She gestured to the woods. "This is my domain and Beki wasn't that interested."

"You knew about me. You could have told her about her mother," Yuki stared off ahead. "I came back and I was a stranger to her."

Reika fell quiet and bowed her head for some time. "How do you think I felt about your death? Did you ever consider that it might have been too painful for me? To help raise your daughter, to tell her about you, to pour out the fountain of my memories?"

"I don't care how painful it would have been, Reika, it was the right thing to do," Yuki glared. "This is the difference between us: you are weak. You cave in to whatever selfish whim you have, never doing the right thing and always taking the easy way out. The only person you are loyal to is yourself."

Reika stopped dead as if she had been slapped. Her brow furrowed, her eyes watered, and she opened her mouth to respond. Instead, she clapped her jaw shut and blinked away the tears. "We're almost there."

The clearing they approached was one Yuki was familiar with. It was a break in the trees leading up to a steep wall of rock where the mountain continued its way up to the peak. There was nothing special about it; no upturned earth or suspicious carvings in the rock. Reika made a few passes with her hand and muttered some words.

 _It's a seal release,_ Yuki noticed. It was funny how her time in the ninja world had solved some of the mysteries of her youth. Here, Reika was using ninjutsu and probably wasn't even aware of it. Seams carved themselves into the rock, hinges appearing out of nowhere. Yuki gasped. She was looking at a door.


	108. Ghosts

**Okay guys, I'm really excited about this one. Time to get into the lore! Can't wait to hear what you guys think.**

* * *

Yuki stood in front of her ancestor, the first Drowned Maiden, Asou Ouse. Although separated by a carved stone coffin, Yuki had an almost supernatural clarity while looking at her. Perhaps it was the mysterious fluid filling the coffin. The colors within seemed saturated; Ouse's hair was unnaturally black, so dark and inky it almost seemed to absorb the light from Reika's torch. Her skin was almost luminous. It was paperwhite, as smooth and young looking as a teenage girl's. Her long black eyelashes, like the wings of a butterfly, gently rested on her freckle-free cheeks. What stuck out to Yuki the most was Ouse's lips. They were as red as blood on snow, the lines so sharp they looked freshly painted. It made Yuki wonder what they had her in that it could keep her makeup sharp for hundreds of years.

Ouse appeared to be resting peacefully, at least. The other two Maidens didn't share her dreamless oblivion. The first Tsukiyama, Ruri, was bound from neck to ankles in ropes, her face wrapped in saturated bandages. If you looked closely, you could make out the impressions of her features beneath the wraps: an oval face, a button nose, and a mouth open in a soundless scream. That at least was better than the first Tsukimori, Haruka. They'd buried her in tar. Yuki felt heat radiating off the coffin and it made the whole room reek with fumes. When Yuki had gone to touch the stone, Reika had yanked her hand away. "We aren't supposed to touch them." Reika explained. "Something about chakra vampirism or power transference or sentience projection…" She shook her head. "I've never been able to make much sense of it. I just read the warnings and follow what they said."

Yuki looked at Reika. "Seems silly to follow rules you don't understand."

"Seems silly to risk hastening the apocalypse because ancient lingo didn't translate well," Reika scoffed. "Have you seen enough? This place gives me the creeps." Reika glanced around nervously and gasped.

"What?" Yuki turned her head to follow Reika's gaze. "Spot a rat?"

"No!" Reika ran over to an alcove set in the wall and held up a small beat-up lacquer box. "This is one of the items that went missing!"

"What's in it?" Yuki asked.

Reika winced. "It's one of the effects of the Maidens."

"That isn't creepy or serial killer-y at all. We kept trophies from them?" Yuki cocked her head.

Reika bit her lip. "I think the first priests and priestesses were nervous. They had angered and betrayed the Maidens. Maybe they thought by honoring them and making them offerings they would appease their restless spirits."

Yuki shook her head and looked back at the coffin. Was she imagining it, or was Ouse smiling? Yuki leaned in closer and watched for any movement. Twitching in the face, muscle spasms in the arms, anything. Somewhere behind her Reika was still prattling on but Yuki had blocked her out. Her concentration on the body also heightened Yuki's awareness of her surroundings. The air had changed in the room since they had come inside. It had fallen still, stifling and coffinlike, the way a small room with no circulation did. The staleness and stillness built up to an almost ominous presence; a weight hanging in the air like a raincloud. Yuki felt the sensation of a person hovering right behind her and figured it was Reika leaning in to show her something. Right in her ear, she heard her name and it wasn't Reika's voice. Hair rose on Yuki's neck and traveled all the way down her arms. She spun around, ready to fight, but her suspicions were confirmed: they were completely alone. "Well, I think you're right. These Three are the source of all the trouble." Yuki turned, faced her ancestor, and smiled. "Was that you, Ouse? Do you have something to tell me?"

Reika walked up beside her. "Why are you talking to her?"

Yuki kept her eyes glued on Ouse. "I can feel her watching me."

Reika peered at the coffin, a frown tugging at the corners of her fine lips. "Her eyes are closed."

Yuki gestured up above and around them. "All Three of them. I don't quite know how to describe it." She shook her hands out nervously. "I've felt this before. When I've been in the dark or dense woods with enemies. You can't see their eyes but you can feel them on you."

"Yuki, that can't be," Reika watched the coffins cautiously. "That's is crazy talk."

The moment they stepped into this space, Yuki had felt the Three. What she hadn't shared with Reika about their presence, in part to keep herself calm, was exactly how they were observing the pair. The Three were watching them like predators circling lame prey; so overwhelmingly strong by comparison that there would be no contest. Reika and Yuki would be consumed. Why hadn't they pounced yet, then? What was their goal in luring Yuki and Reika down into their tomb?

In her travels, Yuki had heard about shinobi being able to take over another's mind for a time. What were the chances Ouse was weaseling her way in, setting root in Yuki's mind to take over her body? Or was this going to be a more physical form of substitution? It would make a strange sort of sense that in order for the Three to leave their prisons one of their descendants would have to volunteer to take their place. Was that why the old edicts stated one of each Maiden must be present at the shrine at all times? Before she had a chance to stew on her worries, Reika grabbed ahold of Yuki's wrist and squeezed hard. "Yuki, we need to go _now._ " Yuki had been so focused on Ouse that she hadn't felt it. The ground beneath them was shaking softly, foretelling the arrival of a much worse tremor. "Right."

The two headed up the walkway. Before they were out of sight, Yuki stole a glance backward. Pressed against the stone of her coffin with a ghoulish grin was Ouse. Her eyes were wide open, cadaverous, and milky white, seeing without seeing, looking right at Yuki as she rose out of sight. It took all the discipline in her body not to scoop Reika up and run for the exit. It was dangerous to let monsters know you were afraid.

Once they were out, Reika reset the seal. She panted and collapsed into Yuki's arms. The tremors had settled as the seal reestablished itself. "Do you see what I mean?! Do you see how bad this is getting?!"

Yuki said nothing. Her eyes were locked on the rock face where the door once stood. In her heart, Yuki knew that the pair had been incredibly lucky. They had unknowingly wandered into a spider's nest and somehow escaped with their lives. "They're barely contained."

"I think that's why they've been killing the priestesses," Reika breathed into her hands for a moment before surfacing, stabilizing herself. "They're trying to weaken the seal."

Yuki shook her head. "That would make sense but then again, it could be anything. The ninja world is going to war again. Maybe it has something to do with that. Has there ever been this much activity before?"

"I...I don't know," Reika shook her head. "We should check the archives."

…

"There's your answer," Yuki sighed after reading a passage from an old journal. Reika had access to a secret cabinet Yuki had never known about, containing forbidden writings and the personal records of the head priestesses before her. Yuki had fished out the journal of the last head priestess, during the time of the previous shinobi war. "It says here that during the last war, many additional ceremonies had to be held to maintain the seal on the Three Maidens. The Maiden's acts weren't nearly as pronounced as they are now. I think it was just limited to the occasional voice and the dreams. That was still enough to set the whole shrine to work, though. There's no way we could mobilize like that now, especially since they made a point of killing or scaring off our help."

"So, are they stronger because there's less of us?" Reika asked. "Or is it something else?"

"From what I'm reading, it looks more like these Three are a time bomb waiting to go off," Yuki explained. "And this shrine was just a bandage to try to waylay it for as long as possible."

"What are we supposed to do, Yuki?" Reika groaned. "There are no men left in my clan and you're the last of your family line. I think Daichiro's boy knows the three counter styles, but how is he supposed to stand up to them alone?"

Yuki shook her head. "He can't. So, you should get some guys down here, collapse the cavern, and burn this place to the ground. Once the smoke clears and you're sure it's gone, leave and never look back."

Reika balked. "What?!" She shook her head and furrowed her brow, thinking hard on the issue. "Yuki, what if we tried to take them on? You, me, Beki, and Ren?"

"It's clear that we are dealing with old powers here, Reika," Yuki looked up at her. "First off, you never had any formal shinobi training. Second of all, shinobi today don't have anything on the old ones. It's like," Yuki leaned against the wall and sighed, searching for the words to explain to process to an outsider. "Powers water down along the bloodline. If these Three were the sources of our strength, they're going to make us all look like toddlers on the battlefield. There's no way to salvage this, Reika. We should stop screwing around and shut this down for good; make it so the bitches can never get free."

"Yuki...I can't do this alone." Reika gave her a pleading look. "Do you think that you could stay and help me?"

"No," Yuki clapped the journal shut. "I've killed enough time here. I need to find Ren and tell her she's going to war."

"So, I show you that this whole place is coming down because the Three are waking again and you're just…'okay, thanks, bye'?" Reika furrowed her brow.

"Reika, my daughter is an ambassador. She's going to be sent out to the front lines probably before anyone else. I need to be with her to keep her safe." Yuki explained. "I promise if there's anything left of this place afterwards, then I'll deal with it."

Reika crossed the room and took ahold of both of Yuki's hands. "I need you here, Yuki. Please, stay with me."

Yuki tried to jerk her hands away but Reika held fast. "All those years ago...I made a horrible mistake. More mistakes than I could have imagined, really." She looked up into Yuki's eyes, her lashes dewy with tears. "My first mistake was ever thinking I was as good as you. We were both trained to be head priestess, but you were just so much better at everything. No matter the subject, things just came easily to you. I worked as hard as I could to keep up but I was constantly drowning in your shadow. It made me jealous, Yuki. Jealous and spiteful."

"I forgave you for all that, Reika." Yuki shook her head. "Leaving this place ended up being the best thing to ever happen to me. God works in mysterious ways."

"I thought I wanted this job, Yuki," Reika squeezed her hands. "I should have let you have it. You would have done so much better of a job. You would have brought people here, made this place the way it was in the old days. I should have been happy to just be by your side, the way I was when we were younger."

"That's all over." Yuki pat Reika's hands. "Let it go and move on. You'll be better off for it. Torch this place and go find work in town. Be around people, be happy."

"I haven't been happy since you left." Reika swallowed to keep the tears at bay. "I still love you, Yuki. I miss having you here, seeing you every day, being with you. I swear I can smell your hair on my pillow sometimes. I miss holding you in my arms-"

Yuki pulled her hands away with a frustrated expression. "Reika, stop this."

"No!" Reika's tears spilled over onto her cheeks. "I've been holding onto this for twenty years, Yuki. I knew I hurt you. For a while, I justified it, that I deserved this and maybe some time in the real world would tone down your attitude some. But then the years went on and I never stopped waiting for you to come back. Any time the door blew open during a storm I expected to see you there with that cocky smile on your face. Instead, you came back here with a baby and that bear of a man on your arm...it was like I never meant anything to you-"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Yuki furrowed her brows. "You throw me out into the world and expect me to come crawling back to you? Who the hell do you think you are? What makes you so damned special?"

"I thought I was special to _you._ " Reika cried into her sleeve, desperately trying to reign herself in.

"You were," Yuki stared her down. "I thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. You were more than my best friend, my girlfriend, whatever. You were my family. Then you go and sacrifice me for your own benefit. You cost me my career, my home, the only family I had ever known. Sorry the whole world isn't as shitty as you and I was able to move on."

"Seiichiro is dead and your daughter is an adult," Reika had stilled her sobs, but her cheeks were still stained with tears. "What does that world have for you? Why can't we start over?"

"Endless possibilities." Yuki shook her head and started for the stairs. "I figured that out as soon as I left this place. I'm still only twenty-five, Reika. You on the other hand, are almost forty. Even if I was interested in you, there's a fifteen-year age difference between us. That would have made it hard for me to come back to Seiichiro. Everybody misses 'the good ole days'. They're gone, Reika. Stop holding onto the past and move on already. As far as I'm concerned this place is dead to me. And you, you're literally just a friend to me. If you keep this clingy shit up we won't even be that anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find Ren."

Reika watched the love of her life storm up the stairs into the night. Yuki, like her powers, had always been cold and aloof. When they were younger, however, Reika had been in Yuki's circle. Things between them had always been warm and bright, albeit with a little jealous rivalry. Now that Reika knew that she was cut off from that warmth, that only ice and darkness remained, a pit formed in her stomach. All those years pining, praying for a chance to make amends, and Reika was just too late. She had thrown Yuki out into the abyss in the hopes it would be so traumatizing she would come home humbled. Instead, Yuki had flourished, evolving and growing in her new roles. Reika laughed bitterly to herself. She should have known. That was one of the traits that she loved about Yuki. That had been the exact opposite of what Reika should have done. How many other ideas had Reika held dear for all these years been wrong all along?

The archives seemed to shrink around her, pulling her in and trapping her between the shelves. Reika collapsed into her chair and looked at the ancient volumes and dusty tomes. This place had been a goldmine in her youth, a source for great wisdom and comfort. As girls, Reika and Yuki had parked themselves in the corner on stormy nights and had tried to dig up the worst dirt they could find on the old ones. Maybe Yuki was right. Reika should burn the place to the ground. Looking at piles of ash would be less painful than seeing Yuki's ghost in every corner, hearing her laugh down the corridors, bitterly trapped in the memories of her.

As Reika sat there, stewing in her misery, a darker thought took hold.

 _Why stop at the shrine?_

The idea startled her. It was grim and out of place, a rasping voice inside her head that didn't quite sound like Reika's conscience. But it was there. As frightening as it was, that voice was a part of her. Even though she had never heard it before, Reika could feel its kinship. A darkness inside her she had never quite brought herself to acknowledge. She had judged Yuki so harshly for murdering the marauders, but now that she was brought low by circumstance, Reika couldn't really find the harm in it. As the dangerous web spread in her heart, Reika found it harder and harder to care about anything.

 _The world is the problem._

Reika rose, taking a look at the wisdom around her. She headed for the stairs, ignoring the warnings of the past printed on old vellum, turning a blind eye to the ideals they embodied. As Reika left the main hall, barefoot and shaking in the evening chill, it felt as though she were the only living soul for miles. Maybe she had been hallucinating Yuki, having lost her mind alone at the shrine for so long.

 _The world has taken everything from me._

The seal broke much more quickly than before. Reika didn't know the process behind the seal and how it worked. Whether it required time to recharge or it was simply weakening with age, she didn't care. The door appeared and Reika unlocked the padlock, tossing the chain and key into the dirt once they were free. She descended into the pit, the warmth of the enclosed space comforting after her frigid walk. Reika had been taught to keep this place locked tight, to keep the Maidens in check. That had seemed right to Reika. She had no reason to question it. Only now, in the loneliness of her middle age, did Reika stop to consider that maybe she had been lied to. Or perhaps, the reasoning behind those decisions were flawed. She could feel the Maidens now, the way Yuki had claimed to. The Three rested peacefully within their coffins but Reika could feel their eyes probing her in the dark. Her eyes fell on the beautiful Ouse. She shared Yuki's carbon black hair and her smooth, almost paper-white skin. As Reika stood in that space alone, surrounded by their power, it was as if her frequency was realigned with theirs; her spirit attuned to them. Instead of the fear she had felt before, Reika could sense their feelings: the Tsukiyama's anger, the Tsukimori's hunger, and the Asou's longing. Reika ran her hands over the long-faded text carved into the stone. She wondered if the Three really were alive in there. If Reika just popped off the lid, would they be able to step out and breathe? Would they need to eat and sleep like everyone else? Would they need to love? Reika's gaze traveled up to Ouse's fresh painted lips, shimmering like rubies in the dim light. She swallowed hard, memories bubbling to the surface at the sight of them.

 _It's been so long._

Reika could barely remember what it had felt like to be wanted. Her entire body, her heart and her soul craved love. She wanted it selfishly, jealousy, to own someone entirely. If Reika freed someone from their prison, that seemed a good reason for them to owe her. Her hand stopped at the seam of the coffin, a tiny, choked out voice from somewhere deep inside her threatening caution. Reika stepped away from the stone and began to form the hand signs for the seal's release.

 _I'm done being cautious._

…

The door flew open, drawing stares from the room's three occupants. The sight of the figure silhouetted against the moonlight drew smiles from two of them and a disgruntled groan from the third.

"So what the hell is this office turning into?" Ishida slammed his fists on the desk. "Some teenage crash pad?!"

"Ren!" Beki cried, leaping off the couch and nearly overturning the coffee table.

"Beks!" Ren jumped up on Ishida's desk and leaped over him, throwing herself at Beki. She looped her arms around her friend's neck and Beki swung her around in a circle.

"I missed you so much," Beki nuzzled into Ren's neck.

"What are you doing here?" Ren kicked her dangling legs excitedly.

"You people realize I'm trying to work here, right?" Ishida gestured at his desk.

Beki sighed, set Ren down, and switched on the radio in the corner.

"What is that supposed to do, mask your noise with more noise?" Ishida frowned.

Beki smiled warmly. "Come on, Ishida. You know you secretly enjoy having company."

He shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "Did Seiichiro have to deal with this nonsense?"

Daiske nodded. "Old man Tsukimori used to let us stay up all night playing board games and eating junk food. We would crash on the floor and he'd take us to breakfast in the morning."

"How did he get any work done?" Ishida shook his head. "Did he have selective deafness?"

Beki shook her head. "No, if we ever got too rowdy he would make us run laps around the neighborhood."

"Then go do some laps," Ishida waved at the door. "I have to get through this proposal."

"That worked for old man Tsukimori," Ren grinned. "But he had like, a hundred and fifty pounds on you."

"Shh," Beki squeezed her. "Leave the poor guy alone. We can be quiet."

Ren sighed, going limp in Beki's arms as she tried to put her down. "Come on, Ren, be a big girl."

"I don't wanna," Ren pouted but Beki set her ragdoll form on the couch anyway. Her preferred playmate now seated safely across from her at the opposite couch, Ren was left with Daiske for physical affection. "Meow?"

Daiske shook his head and sighed in resignation as he lifted his hands up out of his lap. Ren set her head down on his leg facing Beki, curling the rest of her body up on the couch. He started to scratch her head absently as the conversation kicked up. "So, what brings you to Getsu?" Ren asked.

"Well, the short of it is that we're all headed into the Fourth Shinobi World War," Beki fidgeted, rubbing her hands together between her knees.

Ren's eyes bugged out and she sat bolt upright. "What?!"

Daiske shushed her and lowered her head back onto his knee. "Easy, girl."

"The funny thing is, Asou Yukihana headed up to Kami to Akuma looking for you to deliver the news," Ishida chimed in. He would never outright admit it but Haruka was right. It was nice to have company in his office for a change.

"So why were you in town, Ren?" Daiske scratched behind her ear. "I never see you anymore now that you're officially training to be head priestess."

Ren shifted self-consciously. "I needed to get away for a while. Reika...My sister has always been a bit of a quirky duckling, you know? Now that things on the shrine are going to hell in a handbasket she," Ren's voice trailed off as she tried to find the words. "She's losing it, man. I've caught her wandering around in the middle of the night, wearing nothing but the skin God gave her, muttering to herself."

Beki furrowed her brow and looked at her teammates. "What's going on at the shrine?"

Daiske glanced at Ren, as if to say "Do you want to explain or should I?" Ren shrugged in response, so Daiske started to speak. "There were a few strange deaths. Accidents. It's an old set of buildings with abysmal safety measures. Someone slipped and drowned in the lake. An old bell in the main hall fell and brained somebody. An old stove exploded...you get the gist."

"It was all the old women, too," Ren added. "Before it happened we were sort of worrying that their minds weren't quite right anymore. Their memories were going, that sort of thing."

"I mean, that's really sad," Beki leaned back on the couch and after checking to see that Ishida wasn't watching, put her feet up on the coffee table.

"Feet down, Miss Tsukimori," Ishida said.

She pouted and put her feet back on the floor. "As sad as a bunch of old priestesses having fatal accidents is, that doesn't sound like 'hell in a handbasket',"

"They had been having really freaky nightmares they wouldn't tell us about," Ren propped herself up on an elbow. Daiske stopped scratching her head and she glowered at him, grabbing his hand and putting it back on her head. "Reika said they were having premonitions of their deaths. Then the younger priestesses started to have them. Instead of sticking around to test whether they would come true or not, they all bailed."

"It sounded to us like they were just looking for a chance to duck out of their priestess-y duties," Daiske explained. "Ren said two of them had boyfriends on the side and wanted to get married. Then there was the one that always wanted to be a photographer-"

"And the two girls whose parents made them join the shrine after a few scandalous incidents," Ren nodded. "None of them were especially called to the craft."

Beki shrugged. "I don't know, guys. Maybe something is going on. My mom's been having a lot of dreams like that, too. Prophetic stuff. Some of them might have been lying. There might be some truth to it, though."

"That's the thing, your mom lived and breathed this stuff. Reika didn't talk about Yuki that much but she did say that her abilities were legit. The marauders invading came to her in a dream. That's how she knew to meet them at the pass." Ren explained. "These guys...not so much."

"What about you?" Beki asked. "Is it weird to you?"

Ren bit her lip and looked at Beki, then at Daiske. "I've had some weird stuff happen. I just chalked it up to my imagination, though. You know how spooky those woods are. Sometimes you think you see something or hear something. It always turns out to be a trick of the light or a rabbit."

"Except that _one time._ " Beki gave her a knowing look. "Was it like _that one time?_ "

Daiske blinked, his brows knit in confusion. "Are you guys just going to keep playing the vague game or are you going to let me in on the secret?"

"We might have wandered into somewhere we weren't supposed to once," Ren laughed and waved dismissively. "Shrines are full of places that are kind of grotesque and give tiny little minds nightmares." She looked up at Beki and gave her a grim nod and a mouthed "yes".

A chill ran down Beki's spine but she kept her face unreadable. She hadn't visited the shrine in years but even without firsthand experience her gut was telling her something was awry. "I hope mom is okay."

"Your mom is fine, I'm sure," Ren adjusted. "I think it's in everybody's heads, personally. The Maidens have been dead three hundred years and there is no such thing as ghosts." An almost palpable silence came over the group. The only sounds were their breathing, the almost inaudible music on the radio, the tick of the clock, and the scratch of Ishida's pen. Ever the diplomat, Ishida was the one to pleasantly break the quiet.

"Have you told Ren the good news yet, Haruka?"

Beki's eyes widened. "That's right! Thanks, Ishida!" She looked at her confused friend and grinned. "Good news: I'm getting married."

"WHAT?!" Ren nearly flung herself across the coffee table. Daiske caught the waistband of her pants and held her back from mauling Beki. "WHY DIDN'T YOU START WITH THAT, YOU SLUT?!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," Beki laughed as Ren swung at her. Daiske gave Ren's pants a good yank and she sailed back, bottom first onto the couch. She folded her arms and pouted, giving her the look of an infuriated four-year-old. "We haven't even set a date yet."

"So what made you finally decide to say yes to the eyebrowless wonder?" Ren glowered. "What made proposal number fifty-seven so special?"

"That's the thing," Daiske booped her nose. "She isn't marrying the Kazekage."

Ren's jaw dropped. "You really are a slut! Who is it then!? Who dares to take my Beki away without so much as a Ren seal of approval?!"

Beki felt the heat rise in her cheeks and she grinned sheepishly. "Neji."

Ren squealed and started to jump up and down on the couch. "OHMYGODYESSSSSSSSSS FINALLYYYYYY!" Daiske and Ishida protested in equal measure, although for Ishida it was to save the furniture but Daiske was incredibly concerned about the possibility of Ren accidentally stepping on his junk. When Daiske tried to steady her, Ren leapt like a squirrel over the furniture at Beki. Beki screamed and threw her hands up to protect herself but Ren was already there, shaking her. "YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SUCH ATTRACTIVE, FREAKISHLY TALL BABIES!"

"We aren't that tall!" Beki laughed. "Everyone is just freakishly tall to you!"

Ren stopped, her jaw slightly open and a suspicious look on her face. "That isn't why you guys are getting married, right? You didn't have some drunken one-night stand and now you're getting hitched to cover for the little Hyuga bastard inside you?"

"I sure as hell hope not," Ishida turned, his tone and searing glare a dead ringer for Beki's late father.

"No," Beki chuckled uncomfortably, feeling everyone's eyes on her. "We've just been a couple for a really long time without realizing it. And...we finally realized it."

"So of course, your mother probably blackmailed Hyuga Hiashi into arranging your marriage," Ishida shook his head. "Poor man."

"I don't think it came to that," Beki scratched her head. "I've been living with the family for years, so he knew I would get along with Neji just fine. Plus, as much as everyone likes to forget I have an okay pedigree."

Ren narrowed her eyes. "Do you think your mom paid him to do it?"

Beki shook her head. "Hyuga Hiashi is too good to be bought."

Ren shrugged. "He can't hustle for crap, then," All at once, the intensity of her gaze turned up to smoldering as she roughly took Beki's face in her hands. "That begs the question: who is going to be your maid of honor, me or the pretty little porcelain heiress?" Ren's voice up ticked in pitch at the end, a threat balancing unsaid on her tongue like the edge of a knife. Beki was undaunted. She had predicted exactly this sort of reaction from Ren.

"Ren, you know I've known you longer than anyone else and I love you dearly," Beki began, feeling Ren's grip on her face tightening. "But I'm marrying into Hinata's family, first of all. The Hyuga are close knit. As in 'I'm lucky to be marrying Neji because I'm not his cousin' close knit. It'll score major brownie points if I have the heiress of the clan as my maid of honor. That will get me some serious swaying power if things take a turn I don't like. Second of all, you're halfway around the world. I can't ask you to spend up to a year in Konoha getting all the arrangements together."

Ren released her face, a shadow over her eyes. "I see how it is."

"Come on, Ren," Beki snuggled her. "You know I'm not doing this because I don't love you or something."

"She's going to make this about boobs," Daiske whispered to Ishida, who gave him a confused look in response.

"Just because the Hyuga girl has G cups or something doesn't mean she's better than me!" Ren growled. "Or because she is tall enough that she doesn't have to shop in the children's section for most of her stuff!"

"I know," Beki pet her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not picking Hinata because of her endowments-"

"It's convenience!" Ren slapped Beki's breast and she hugged herself protectively in response. As she spoke, Ren wiggled around, poking Beki's breasts wherever her defenses were weak. "You aren't sticking by me like you said you always would!"

"Ren, you're still going to be a bridesmaid!" Beki whimpered and slapped away Ren's hands. "You're still in the wedding!"

Ren took a deep breath. She leaned in uncomfortably close, her mouth mashed up against Beki's. "Do I get to pick the bridesmaid dresses?"

"Yes," Beki's voice was muffled by the presence of Ren's face against her own. "We can do that here in Getsu before I go home. After the war."

Ren sat back, placated. "Bows on the butts. Built in padding. Ruffles as far as the eye can see."

Beki cringed. "Are you trying to devise the ugliest bridesmaid dress in history?"

Ren nodded. "It has to be awful. So terrible, I will get all sorts of attention out of sympathy for my plight."

Beki fell quiet, her mind wandering with the idea. "You realize people will think I'm a bridezilla, right?"

Ren glared at her. "You owe me this, boo."

Beki sighed. "Then you're going to need puffed sleeves and matching updos."

Ren squealed and hugged her. "You're the best, Beki!"

Ishida looked at Daiske. "I'm assuming it's like this with them all the time."

Daiske sighed and nodded. "Sometimes they forget I'm here for hours at a time."

Ishida glanced at the pair as they prattled on about lace and petticoats. "Should we go and get some air?"

Daiske hopped off the couch. "Sounds good to me."


	109. Exodus

**Hi everyone! I know there's been a bit more of a delay on this one. I appreciate your patience. The shinobi war has a loooot going on and I have a lot to coordinate for it. I'm going through the process of figuring out how my story/characters are going to fit into all this and its proving to be pretty challenging. I had a lot of ideas for what I was going to do with the fourth shinobi world war but logistically they aren't all working out. That means a lot of reformulating and putting some of the content I'd already developed on the chopping block.**

 **For this arc, once the war gets started, I think we'll be doing the longer chapters (the 10k ones, I think). What that'll mean for you is a slower posting schedule but you'll get longer chapters. Seeing as the ninja war only took place over the course of a few days (which seemed waaay longer to me for some reason. And I read the manga. I don't even know how you guys got through it with all the filler arcs in the anime. Hayate? Seriously?! He died in season one! I don't think he was ever mentioned again in the comics after the chunin exams.) I have to tell you, I'm hella sad my canon doesn't really go anywhere near the Kabuto vs Itachi fight. Or Tobirama. That would have been a lot of fun, but what can I do? I know there are a lot of things you guys would like to see from the war. I can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter or any thoughts or ideas you have going forward. Feel free to PM or review for any questions/comments you have. That said, enjoy!**

* * *

Yuki made her way to the priestess's living quarters. It was late evening, near midnight, and Yuki figured that Ren had probably come home while she had been down in the tomb with Reika. As Yuki walked up those familiar steps, she experienced déjà vu. Just as she suspected, the doors were impossible to open normally. After a few minutes of trying to wiggle her way inside, Yuki sighed and kicked in the door.

"Ren?" Yuki called out. Her voice reverberated off the walls, like mocking ghosts whispering back at her. Looking around, Yuki could tell this building was a little more taken care of than the others and attributed the extra caretaking to Ren. Even as a babe, Yuki recalled Ren always making the best of her situation. She had a second-hand porcelain doll that had been dropped, its arm broken and carefully glued back together. Ren would wrap little ribbons or her own jewelry around it to make it pretty. Yuki saw similar "bandages" on the ugliness here: fresh flowers in cracked pots, carefully mended tapestries covering drafty cracks in the walls. Yuki even noticed a new handmade rag rug in the old bathroom.

The room Yuki had shared with so many priestesses was now a sort of studio apartment for Ren. She had subdivided the room a little differently. Her sleeping space was the same one Yuki had used as a girl in the back corner of the room. Pictures of her with her team, baby pictures of her and Beki, and postcards were pinned to a corkboard she'd hung on the wall. There was a study space with a simple desk stacked high with old tomes and new letters. Her clothes and other personal effects were in the section opposite her bed. Yuki walked over to Ren's desk and spied an open planner draped over some of the books. Marked in sparkly acid green gel pen in all caps was a line that ran through the current week and a message that said, "SUPPLY RUN TO GETSU".

"She isn't even here," Yuki tossed the planner back on the desk. "Would've been nice if _someone_ would have mentioned that." Yuki glared off in the direction of the archives. "Then again, I'm starting to get the feeling Ren is the responsible one around here. No use in sticking around, then."

As she walked towards the center of the room, she got a better look at Ren's pictures. A familiar blonde braid caught her attention and drew Yuki in for a closer look. In one, Ren and Beki were academy age and were sporting bright foil party hats. Ren had hers poised in the center of her forehead like a unicorn and Beki's had fallen off center. They were both holding up shiny new Getsu headbands over a graduation cake. Yuki smiled at her daughter's gangly preteen body, all elbows and knees and teeth too big for her head. The only difference in Ren's appearance was her cheeks were a little chubbier then. The other pictures were similar ones, some with Daiske hovering awkwardly beside or behind the girls and some without. The three always looked happy, though, which brought Yuki some comfort. It pained her heart to see those memories and to not have any personal connection to them, but such was life.

The prevailing silence of the shrine had almost become background noise, Yuki slowly growing accustomed to only the sound of her breathing and heartbeat to keep her company. Which was why when she heard the singing her heart leapt into her throat. She crossed over to the window and slid open the shutters cautiously. At first, Yuki thought it was fog rolling in from the mountains. Then she remembered it was coming from the wrong direction. This fog was coming from the direction of the tomb. The other thing that stood out was this fog was too thick and too high. It wasn't fog at all; it was smoke. Yuki searched the sky for any sign of fire and found none. She recalled the overgrown underbrush, dry and brittle as tinder. Regardless of where the fire started it would rip through the woods and old buildings like they were doused in gasoline. Her eyes widened, and she froze for a moment as she watched the smoke clawing its way from the woods towards the shrine.

Yuki ran out the door as fast as her legs would carry her towards the main hall. "REIKA!" Yuki screamed as she slammed through the front doors, knocking one of them off their hinges. "Reika, we have to go now!" She pounded down the stairs, her heart throbbing to the rhythm of her feet on the steps.

Nothing. Reika was gone.

Yuki's eyes darted around the archives, hoping somehow she had missed her. She tried to think where Reika could have gone in such a short amount of time. As she surfaced, the smoke had reached the shrine proper. Yuki choked on the gray smog and it stung at her eyes. She cried out Reika's name again as she stumbled out the doors, weighing her options. Tears streamed down Yuki's cheeks. She ripped down a curtain, tore off a rag sized piece, and soaked it with fine ice. The ice melted into the cloth. She held it over her mouth to filter out the smoke. The measure was successful in easing her breathing but did nothing to alleviate the daggers in her eyes.

The singing was getting closer. It seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, a long slow chanting accompanied with the occasional chiming of bells. The voices were all different, some high and sweet, some raspy, some deep and rich. It was beautiful. Yuki recognized it as something ceremonial in nature, mesmerizing and mysterious, but she couldn't quite make out the words. Her curiosity almost matched her fear. Fortunately, for Yuki survival was always a stronger instinct.

Yuki took one more desperate look around for any signs of where Reika had gone. The smoke made it hard to see tracks. Yuki's only option was to pray that Reika had seen it coming before she did and headed down the pass to safety. Yuki took to her feet then, as quickly as the treacherous smoke would allow her. The process was disorienting and Yuki had to watch her footing carefully. She prayed she was heading for the pass. Under normal conditions Yuki would reach the trailhead in a few minutes but with no visibility, it seemed to be taking forever. Yuki payed close attention to the singing. Regardless of how pretty it was, the sound was unsettling. Her gut was telling her to keep her distance. To her surprise, no matter where she went, it never seemed to get closer or further away. After what seemed like an eternity, Yuki recognized the narrowing in the trail and the skeletal trees that marked the end of the shrine and the beginning of the pass.

Yuki's feet stopped dead, almost skidding cartoonishly to a halt. Her body had reacted before her mind had processed it: a figure vaguely discernable in the smoke and shadows. It was hunched over, moving in inhuman jerks along the trail as if searching for something. For the first time in Yuki's life, she was truly afraid. Hair stood up on the back of her neck and her heart beat so hard she was terrified the sound would give her away. The creature raised its strangely shaped head and let out a bone chilling cry, a mixture of anguish and blind rage. At last, Yuki could feel it, the same sensation she had felt down in the tomb. The smoke, the singing, and now monsters. No, not monsters. The Maidens were free. Somehow being able to identify her enemy brought her no comfort.

Knowing she had only moments before she was detected, Yuki dropped low and cautiously stepped off the path into the woods. She moved slowly, practically crawling, through the underbrush on her hands and knees to avoid detection. She could hear the thing nearby, wheezing, rasping, making guttural snarls. Yuki heard it dragging something heavy along in the dirt beside it. She held her breath as she passed it, skirting as closely to the cliffside as she could but knowing that only put about fifteen feet between them. After what seemed like an eternity, Yuki stood back up, feeling she was a safe enough distance away to run normally without being detected. In her rush to get away, as Yuki stood she slammed her head into a low-lying branch. She stifled her whimper and held the spot as her vision swam. Yuki paused and held her breath again, praying that it had been soft enough the thing hadn't heard. It was quiet again. No singing, no rasping, no dragging in the dirt. Then Yuki heard the snarl behind her.

Not daring to look back, Yuki ran at full speed down the pass. Branches and bushes tore at her pants, the skin of her arms, her hair. Yuki never slowed, hearing the crashing in the underbrush behind her. She bobbed and weaved through the familiar woods in the hopes that her time playing in them as a child would save her. A branch caught her in the face. Yuki felt the warmth of blood trickle down her cheek, tasted the bile in her throat, but she kept running. She could hear the thing wheezing behind her, feel it groping the air, trying to grab her.

Up ahead, the pass reached its narrowest point. The mountainside pressed dangerously close to the steep cliffside, the path maybe only two arm spans wide. Yuki knew that was her only chance at survival. As she approached, Yuki transformed into the Yukionna and drew in all the moisture around her. The thing let out an otherworldly screech behind her, just inches from her back. Yuki let loose all the water she had gathered in a massive block of ice. It was like a glacier had been dropped square in the middle of the pass, too smooth to climb and jutting out enough beyond the precipice that it couldn't be swung around.

Yuki didn't stop running. She heard the thing wailing angrily behind her, but slowly the sound fell away. It was trapped. Yuki wouldn't let herself feel safe, though. That's exactly when a person was at their most vulnerable. Despite her heart beating like it was going to jump out of her chest and the screaming in her legs, she raced all the way back down to Kami to Akuma.

It was the middle of the night. The streets were barren and the fog was slowly rolling in for the night. Yuki made her way to the only person who would be up at this hour, the only person who would believe her.

"Toramura!" Yuki cried as she pounded on the door. "Open up, for the love of God!"

Within moments, the door swung wide and the exhausted face of the blacksmith stared out from the dark before her. "What the hell woman!? Your blades can wait till morning-"

"The Three Maidens," Yuki panted. "They're free. I can't explain how but the bitches woke up. There was smoke and singing and I don't know what else."

Toramura grabbed her roughly and pulled her inside. "What did you say?!"

Yuki swallowed hard and smoothed back her still white hair. "Its gone to shit up there, Toramura. Reika was showing me earlier, the seal on the Maidens...it was breaking. War is coming and I think the Maidens are coming with it."

"Did you see them?" Toramura asked. "How can you be sure it was them?"

Yuki looked him dead in the eye. "I saw... I don't know what I saw. I didn't get the best look at it. Let's just say if I'd gone in close enough to check, I wouldn't be here to talk to you. I felt it. Evil. Pure, enveloping, all-encompassing malevolence. It was everywhere, like a million eyes watching with an almost palpable hunger. We need to evacuate."

"Are we going to have enough time?" Toramura looked out the window to see if the apocalypse was politely waiting to be let inside.

"I blocked the pass." Yuki buried her face in her hands. "I really hope Reika got out. I couldn't find her. I tried..."

Yuki was gently slapped with something. She opened her eyes and looked at the source. Two gauntlets, gleaming even in the soft ambient light. "You're going to need these." Toramura dropped them into her hands. "For all the good they'll do."

Yuki nodded, swallowing hard. She slipped the two gauntlets on and tested the blades. The action was sharper, more precise, and the claws extended quickly and seamlessly. It was as if they were a part of Yuki, responding the way a real pair of claws would come out of a cat. They were sharp, too, and strong enough to be used without the ice tekko geki.

"Come on, wolf," Toramura said as he opened the door. "We have a village to rouse."

…

Yuki was grateful the village had been aware of the strangeness at the shrine before they called the evacuation order. They were annoyed but complied without question. Had Yuki come to them on her own, however, with no previous evidence to support her, she doubted a single person would have headed down the pass. The earth ninjutsu users raised a wall of rock behind them to seal off Kami to Akuma. _Only until the war's over,_ they had said. The ornery villagers planned to return to town and clearing out whatever evil had taken up residence at the shrine. Yuki held her tongue. It was not her place to tell them what to do. She could only pray that the whole situation would work itself out beforehand.

The trek down the mountain was quiet and uneventful. It was surreal for Yuki, having come home so hopeful and leaving with her tail between her legs.

Reika.

The thought hit Yuki like a runaway truck. Her friend, up there alone with those monsters. Reika had never been a fighter, a hunter, or even good at hide-and-seek in the woods. No one in town had seen her. Reika had either managed to slip past everyone or she was trapped back up at the shrine. Yuki bowed her head and closed her eyes tight, praying with all her might that was the case. A rough hand gripped her shoulder. Once Yuki had finished her prayer, she opened her eyes and stared at the source of the contact in the darkness. Toramura was facing forward. To an onlooker, it wasn't clear whether he was supporting himself on Yuki or if it were the other way around. In the gruff, unaffectionate way they had all been raised, he was trying to comfort her.

Toramura had only been ten years her senior when Yuki was born. As young girls, Reika and Yuki had been tasked with traveling into town for supplies. Toramura had been an apprentice to the old grizzly blacksmith at the time. His hair was pure black then and hung into his face as he worked. While Reika would dawdle talking with the other girls their age or gossiping with the old women in town, Yuki would go and watch him work. Yuki had looked up to him, adored him like an ornery older brother. Yuki would sometimes ask him questions about his work or tell him stories of what she had seen out in the woods. Toramura usually called her cruel names, like "halfling", "wolf", and "yurei". It never really bothered her, though. If he really had a problem, he would have told her to leave, and he never did.

Most of what Toramura made then were tools: plows, hammers, axes. He was skilled for one so young, but his work shined best when it was tools of war. The elder blacksmith had always tsked at Yuki's interest in such base arts but Toramura had understood. That's why for her fourteenth birthday, he had gifted her the gauntlets. "A wolf needs teeth," he had said.

Now he was old enough to be her father and that's how he was treating her. "She was troubled, Winter one." Toramura knew what was on her mind without needing to ask. "For years, even since before you 'died', Reika wasn't quite right. She made strange decisions, forsook traditions...Reika neutered the shrine. Turned it into a den of philosophers; thinkers, not doers. This place has never been kind to the soft or the weak." Toramura squeezed her shoulder again. "You've learned that time and time again. This wound is just a fresh one. With time, like all the others, it'll ebb to another dull ache in your joints."

Yuki nodded, making it look like she was wiping her nose on her sleeve when it was really wiping away her tears. "I know her odds aren't good but I'm hoping she's still got a chance."

He shrugged. "Maybe," He looked over at her. "Sounds like you're getting soft, too."

Yuki flashed him a quick, sad smile. "No, I just have faith in her."

…

The people of Kami to Akuma spilled into Getsu a few days later. Yuki headed to Seiichiro's old office, her heart heavy and her feet exhausted. When she walked through the door and saw Ren, the ache in her chest doubled. _I have to tell her about Reika and the shrine._

"Hey," Beki beamed. "How'd it go with the grouches back home?"

"As well as expected," Yuki collapsed on the couch beside Daiske, who recoiled somewhat. "There was...something unexpected happened."

Yuki was so much more somber than normal that all three were at full attention. Yuki was a live wire, more energetic and lively than an average person, even when under extreme duress. She cracked jokes on the battlefield, tracked enemies for hours without the slightest hint of getting tired. Sitting on the couch with them now was a zombie by comparison.

"Are you all aware of what's been going on at the shrine?" Yuki's eyes tracked them one at a time and each of them nodded in turn. "The situation there escalated."

Ren blinked. "What do you mean? Were there actual ghosts or something?" She couldn't imagine how the situation could get worse. Well, there could have been ghosts. And the ghosts could possess people, Ren supposed. That would be bad. But that sort of thing was impossible, wasn't it?

Yuki shook her head. "Reika and I tracked the source of all the activity. There was a tomb I was unaware of, deep in the woods to the south of the shrine."

Beki and Ren blanched so quickly Daiske could almost hear it happen. If Yuki noticed, she kept it to herself.

"The tomb contained the surprisingly well-preserved remains of the Three Maidens. The power they gave off in there was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was sentient and intense; violently angry." Yuki leaned forward and clasped her hands between her knees. "Reika and I did some investigating in the archives. We discovered that during Shinobi World Wars in the past, the Maidens would become active and 'incidents' would start to happen."

"Like the voices?" Ren asked.

"Yes," Yuki kept her eyes on the coffee table. "Reika suspected that the reason it was so bad this time is that the shrine is virtually empty. She thought that the Maidens killed off the other priestesses to prevent them from conducting the extra rituals and ceremonies to strengthen the seal over the Three."

Beki cringed. Only a day before, Ren and Beki had been talking with Daiske about all the real-world explanations for the phenomenon at the shrine. That was a practical person's knee jerk reaction to hearing about the occult: there was always a rational explanation. If anyone else were here, talking about rituals and paranormal activity caused by three priestesses that died three hundred years ago, they would be laughed out of the building. Yuki spoke with an authority that gave her words a chilling gravity. She spoke and it was truth. If there was a rational explanation, Yuki would have found it. All that remained was the ground shaking realization that the supernatural was real and it was coming for them on a fast horse.

"I was looking for you, Ren," Yuki glanced up apologetically. "The Three escaped their tomb. The Burned Maiden swarmed the place with smoke so thick you could cut it. I could barely breathe and I couldn't see for shit..." Yuki's voice trailed off, a haunted look in her eyes. "I tried to find Reika. I called out to her, went to her rooms, but she was nowhere to be found. I thought maybe she had felt it coming first and had headed down the pass for help. After I got to Kami to Akuma, I found out that wasn't the case. No one knows where she is. There's a chance she was able to slip past us or she's hiding up there."

Ren's jaw was agape, her brows knit and her eyes dancing darkly. "You just left her up there?! Did you even try to fight them?!"

"The Maidens?" Yuki scoffed. "Ren, I was alone up there, with three ancient powerful shinobi with the home court advantage!"

"You fought Orochimaru, didn't you? Isn't he all scary and shit?!" Ren kicked the coffee table furiously. It coasted across the floor and would have smashed into Yuki's shins, but she held up a hand and stopped it dead with an open palm.

"One on one, I fought Orochimaru," Yuki's gaze was steady and her tone level. There was the slightest hint of venom in her voice. "And I wouldn't exactly say that fight went well. This would have been like me taking on the three Sanin in their heyday in the neighborhood they grew up in. I would have gotten my ass handed to me and then no one would have been able to warn Kami in time. The Three Maidens would have swept through and killed everyone and would be descending on Getsugakure right now like a swarm of locusts."

Ren was seething but she bit her lip. There was no denying how heavily the deck was stacked against Yuki. It was a natural reaction to look for a culprit after losing a loved one. Yuki interpreted the lingering silence as a question and continued. "The thing that made the Maidens so terrifyingly dangerous was they were the ultimate team. What's the use of dousing the Burned Maiden when it strengthens the Drowned? What's the use of electrocuting the Drowned when you're being seared and choked out by the other two? It was suicide to take them on three hundred years ago and its suicide now."

Daiske shuffled uncomfortably and Beki reached out and put an arm around Ren. "I'm sorry," Yuki said at last. "I wish there was more I could have done. Despite our differences, Reika is my friend. I sincerely hope that she got away or that the Maidens were so focused on getting down the pass she was able to hide."

"Funny, seems like all your friends end up dead," Ren folded her arms and leered at her. "Your parents, your sister, your husband. Who's next, Yuki? Why don't you make friends with the Maidens so you can get them killed, too?"

Yuki held her tongue but her dander was up. Ren's words had strung a line of dead bodies before Yuki's eyes, some of which Ren wasn't aware of. Yasahiro had been her teammate alongside Seiichiro all those years ago and both were dead, now. Her twin sister's face, barely a ghost on the edge of her memory, holding her hand and shaking with eyes glazing over. Kakashi had died in the attack on Konoha, too, although he had managed to come back. That didn't erase the haunting visions of him draped lifelessly over the rocks, gazing blankly at a steely sky. _I'm a magnet for death, violent, ugly ends._ Struggling to keep her composure, Yuki stood and headed for the stairs. Ishida needed to hear the news as well. If they survived the war, the people of Getsu would need to rally to deal with the Maidens. Toramura's words echoed in Yuki's ears, that she was getting soft, and so she paused. She glanced over her shoulder at Ren.

"Hold onto that anger, little one. Channel that into your bow and take it out on your enemies during the war. If your sister really didn't make it, I'll be waiting. You can settle the score with me then."

…

Two days after Yuki returned from Kami to Akuma, everyone was called to arms. The King gave what Beki thought was a lukewarm speech about upholding the beliefs and values of the people of Getsu and sent them on their way. The march toward Kumogakure was mostly uneventful. The shinobi from Getsugakure traveled in a great pack, fueled by a strange mixture of excitement and anxiety. The fear of death was great but the tantalizing morsel that was glory always rode alongside his grim companion in war. Beki recognized many familiar faces in the crowd. Blessedly, Team Hunter had to be somewhere far behind them, because Beki saw neither head nor hind of Shinichi, Yuu, or Bo. Ren and Daiske traveled alongside Beki and Yuki. The playful mood the four had shared in the past was absent on this march. Daiske and Beki floated between Yuki and Ren. Although since the night in the ambassador's office there had been no open conflicts, there was no denying the icy glare Ren shot at Yuki whenever she looked her way.

They all were wearing their battle best. Yuki had kept with her all white ensemble, explaining that although she stuck out like a sore thumb three seasons out of the year, she blended in with her own attacks enough to compensate for the target she bore the rest of the time. Ren hadn't yet earned the rank of chunin, so she wore no flak jacket. Instead, she wore a sleeveless wrap shirt and leggings with her quietest pair of shoes. She brought along her bow and a couple of quivers of arrows. Whenever they had to stop for the night, Ren foraged for supplies and made herself more arrows. The arrows sticking out of her quiver were more colorful every morning; bouquets of bright fluffy feathers. Daiske clothes were the same as always, shades of brownish gray with his charcoal flak jacket to protect him.

Beki was of course decked out in full armor. Her father's set, shrunk down to her size, was even more ominous now than it had been when Seiichiro donned it. Black splatter patterns covered the dark green patina that looked suspiciously like baked-on blood. Something Beki had noticed over time was that although it was her father's armor in appearance, structurally it was slightly different. The shoulders were more pronounced on Beki's set, making her appear larger and more intimidating. The breastplate and back of the armor were elongated to give her the appearance of being a few inches taller. The decorative elements were more pronounced on Beki's set as well. It took so long to notice because Beki didn't make a habit of looking at herself in mirrors in armor; she wasn't going for appearances when she was wearing it.

In a weird way, Beki was sure it was her father's doing. When the armor had taken to her body, perhaps it was his discreet guidance behind the changes. He was doing whatever he could to make his daughter look bigger, meaner, and scarier. Alone it was intimidating enough. When she added her father's oni mask, however, she was transformed from a formidable shinobi into a demoness. The nights they spent on the road inspired Yuki's creative side, which she expressed by finding little ways to make her daughter even less approachable. She spent her evenings braiding and adjusting Beki's hair, until at last she settled into a faux mohawk. Yuki had braided Beki's hair in tiny tight rows, feeding into a fat, thick braid that ran right down the middle of her head. It gave her headaches at first, having her hair so tightly coiffed. Overtime, however, her head got used to the redistribution of weight. Beki started to like the style. It kept all her hair out of her face and shortened the length of her braid overall. A long braid was a serious safety hazard; an easy handle for an enemy to control her with.

At last, they arrived at the meeting place for all the allied shinobi's forces. Beki gasped at the sight of so many bodies; it was a literal sea of people. Some officials had walked over to the higher-ranking soldiers and were coordinating Getsu's placement in the ranks.

"How did this go last time?" Beki glanced nervously at her mother. "Did you guys have to stick to your own kind or were you tag teaming with people from other villages?"

Yuki glanced down at her. "What, in the Third War?" Yuki scratched her head. "We were against each other. Back then, we would be told killing people from X village was top priority. The next week, we would be assigned to work with people from X to take out Y. It wasn't like this, Beks. I know its hard for you but go with the flow. We'll get where we're supposed to go." Yuki gave her a reassuring hip bump. "I won't leave you alone. Don't worry."

Despite her mother's assurances, all Beki could do was worry. The closest thing to a widescale battle she had been involved with so far was the chunin exams. That had been structured, monitored, and controlled. This would be a free for all and to be honest, Beki didn't even know who they were up against. It sounded like they were taking on the Akatsuki, but from what Beki had gleaned there weren't really that many of them. Besides, Naruto had taken down their leader when he attacked Konoha. Were Akatsuki's forces so numerous that it would take an army of what looked like a 100,000 shinobi to stop them? Her eyes scanned the familiar faces of her countrymen. Some were friends, some enemies, none of which who would deserve the cruel fates about to be laid upon them. She swallowed hard, her memory slipping back to the burned-out aftermath of Suna and the rubble of Konoha after the Akatsuki's attacks on the villages. Was that what they all had to look forward to? Cities left in ruin and mass graves?

* * *

 **Someone asked a really good question about the shrine. Since I don't have any maps handy for you guys, the shrine is secluded up in a mountain range. There's really only one pass to access it, and that pass starts at Kami to Akuma. By Yuki putting up the glacier and the shinbi sealing off Kami to Akuma, the Maidens are sort of quarantined up there.**


	110. Maidens Lullaby

**Hi everyone. Thank you for your patience on these 4th Shinobi World War chapters. Before I officially started this arc I had already anticipated these being tough chapters to write. There's a lot of canon to sift through and additional information I have to stay aware of (troop movements, etc) that aren't directly related to my story but will have impacts later, and so on. Editing chapters of this length is challenging. I like to make sure I end a chapter at the end of an arc, so spacing the content to have fairly even content rich chapters is a priority. I have also been going through a lot in my personal life in that a close family friend passed away within the last week. Finding time and motivation to work on my story between working full time and dealing with funeral arrangements were few and far between. That being said I have put a lot of time and effort into this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. XO, ponchoninjax3.**

* * *

The shinobi stood, rank and file, for as far as the eye could see. They had been divided beforehand into divisions based on their skills and combat abilities. Ren had been placed in the Fourth Division with the other long-range fighters, while Beki, and Daiske were in the Third Division with other shinobi who specialized in close and medium range combat. While they were being placed, Beki noticed that Yuki disappeared for a while. After everyone had been given their assignments they moved into their respective divisions. Yuki had reappeared by Beki's side as though she had never left. She didn't bother asking but Beki suspected it had something to do with Yuki living off the books. If anyone else paid any mind to the unaccounted kunoichi in their ranks, they didn't say so. Perhaps she was white noise compared to the electricity in the air. The breath of death was on their backs, amplified by the deafening quiet and unnatural stillness of so many bodies crowded together.

All eyes were ahead on the kage stationed above them. It was a surreal experience, Beki was sure, for most of those present. At some point in the past they had all turned blades against one another. Yet here they were, standing side by side at the precipice, former enemies the only thing standing between them and mutual destruction. Beki shuffled uncomfortably. The sun was on the back of her neck, cooking her in her armor. Yuki was being subtle about it but she was scanning the crowd. She chuckled to herself from time to time.

"We're lucky," Yuki said under her breath. "I don't have any enemies in this division. We might just get away with this, Beks."

Beki didn't reply. Her muscles were wound so tight they could have snapped. The heat radiating off her body wasn't just from the reflection of the sun's rays. Beki was uneasy. Any moment now, they would be dispatched off into the world to face an unknown enemy in uncounted numbers. Yuki was confident that she could keep her safe but was there any such thing as being "safe" in a war? Beki tightened her grip on her father's kanabo involuntarily. At last, Yuki noted her tension and offered a hand.

"Pray with me."

Beki took the offered palm, her mother's new gauntlets blinding her in the glare. She shut her eyes tight while her mother muttered. Her nerves were screaming so loudly Beki couldn't understand what Yuki was saying. It was just soothing noise, a protective blanket she was invoking that had no shape.

At last, the kage stepped forward, ready to make their address. Instead of one of the more seasoned leaders, Beki was surprised to see Gaara lead the way. His voice projected well over the crowd absent any equipment. He spoke to the multitude of hatred, the destructive, selfish desires that shinobi and their villages had throughout history. He then brought up how the Akatsuki shared these traits, that their goals had affected each of the villages in turn. Gaara then explained how although everyone was hurt, that they each harbored their own personal and collective pain, it was possible to come together and bear no hatred to one another. This war went beyond the villages. All shinobi had to come together as one to stop this hatred once and for all, to save their friends, their villages, to save the entire world. It was simple and eloquent; full of passion and heartfelt emotion. Cheers erupted across the ranks, rising in a deafening tidal wave of sound. Yuki glanced over at her daughter to make a snide comment about whether Beki was so sure dumping him was such a great idea. At the sight of Beki's face, however, Yuki held her tongue.

Her whole life, Yuki had been gifted. In some ways, the gifts were a blessing, but her prophetic gifts, her supernatural instincts, had often felt more curse than boon. She knew things she shouldn't, saw what she couldn't unsee, floated through life questioning the validity of the reality she was witnessing. The warnings proved wise and the visions were always true. These innate gifts had been trained, however, honed like a sword to be concise as such intangible skills could be. Beki had received no such training. Her time at the shrine seemed like it had been for social visits and not education. Until now, Yuki was uncertain if any of her gifts had passed on to Beki. In that moment, though, she recognized the look on Beki's face. She had seen it in her own reflection: the twisted horror of impending doom. Yuki reached out and took ahold of Beki's hand again but her daughter's eyes remained transfixed, faraway and darkening by the minute.

"Beks?" Yuki squeezed her daughter's hand.

Beki shuddered moments later, shaking her head and glancing at her mother with a confused look in her eye. "Sorry, I think I spaced out for a second."

"What did you see?" Yuki asked.

Beki blinked. "Saw? What are you talking about?"

Yuki shook her head and let her daughter's hand go. She must have been wrong. It was probably just a case of prewar nerves fogging Beki up.

"I just...I can't shake this terrible feeling," Beki looked around and gave her mother a nervous smile. "I mean, everyone's scared. Maybe I'm just soaking it up, you know?"

"Sure." Yuki nodded unsurely and turned her attention back to their surroundings.

Once Yuki was distracted, Beki let the smile slip away. While Gaara had been giving his speech, Beki had sworn she heard bells. She had blocked him out, concentrating on the chiming. When she listened closely Beki could hear singing, too. The sound seemed like it had been coming from everywhere at once. It was beautiful but soft, a chorus of several female voices. The singing wasn't loud enough for Beki to make out what they were saying. For some reason it was strangely familiar, like a lullaby she'd heard as a kid and forgotten about. Yuki had snapped her out of her daydream.

People were coming around and handing out new headbands for everyone: instead of their respective villages, each headband simply had the character for "shinobi" on it. Beki had to respect the effort. Diplomatically, it was a genius move. It would make it easy for the combatants to forget whether a fellow shinobi was from their rival's village and help them focus on the fight at hand. Daiske was a few rows ahead, off to the left, and kept stealing nervous glances at Beki. She did her best to ignore him; Daiske had a tendency to spiral when he was worked up. He was much better off alone, able to process and deal with problems as they came along if he didn't talk about it. If he had a friend around, however, and started to vent, he would fixate on the issue and end up much worse off than he started. The leaders of each division came along after that and introduced themselves to their group. Beki suppressed a chuckle when Yuki choked at the sight of Kakashi.

She swore and did her best to let her bulky daughter conceal her from view. "You remember how I said its better if no one knows me?! Well that's all shot to hell!"

"Shut up, he's talking." Beki elbowed her.

"You don't get it, kid," Yuki hissed under her breath. "I'm dead, remember? I don't have a flag to fly under here. I'm not under the kage's blanket protection. Someone who has a beef with me from twenty years ago recognizes me and figures out I'm _that_ Yukihana, it's open season with no consequences."

Beki tsked fake sympathy. "That's too bad, Yuki. Maybe you should go home-"

Yuki socked her a little too hard and Beki swallowed a yelp. "And let you get yourself killed? Forget it."

As Kakashi explained where they were going and what they were doing, his eyes slowly moved over the group, taking in their faces. Beki noticed his gaze linger a little longer on her and Yuki, who was resting against Beki's shoulder and had her head bowed so low her face was hidden. It was a fruitless gesture, Beki knew. Kakashi was wicked smart. There was no way he was going to assume the black-haired woman with the same height and build that was side by side with Beki was anyone but her mother.

"Ooh," Beki said under her breath. "I think you're in trouble."

The Divisions began to file out towards their respective goals. Once the Third Division began moving, Beki made a point of putting on speed to catch up with Daiske. He still had his permanent frown in place, worry marring his features. Beki gave his shoulder a reassuring sock, smiling under her mask. Daiske took a few moments but his expression softened, too.

"I'm glad we're together, Beki," Daiske said softly, so the other shinobi couldn't hear. "We've always had each other's backs."

"Ever since you tried to stand up to those bullies for me," Beki adjusted her hold on the kanabo. "We make a pretty good team."

He laughed bitterly. "I found out you didn't need anyone to swoop in and save you."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about, though." Beki said. "Even if it's just one of us distracting the enemy so the other person can land the hit."

"I love being reminded I'm bait." Daiske scoffed.

"You're much better at it than Ren," Beki laughed. "You would think the child sized shinobi would be the one you bait and switch with, but man is she bad at it."

"Hey, you wanna come kidnap me?!" Daiske imitated Ren's overly intense battle face. "Come on and try!"

They shared a laugh at their friend's expense. Shortly after, they fell silent, consumed by their own thoughts. Yuki had hung back behind them, her eyes never off her daughter, but her own progress never noteworthy in the crowd. She became so numb in the rhythm of her breath, her heartbeat, and the sound of her footsteps, Yuki nearly leapt out of her skin when Kakashi appeared beside her.

"Do you have an excuse prepared for why you're here or can we just proceed on to there's no excuse for you to be here?" Kakashi had matched her half speed pace.

"I wasn't going to let Beki go to war by herself," Yuki shrugged. "I don't think that's so wrong."

"This is a _shinobi_ war, Yuki," Kakashi gave her a frustrated look. "You're out here of your own volition, for selfish reasons."

"I didn't say I wasn't," Yuki kept her gaze ahead of herself. If he wanted to, Kakashi could shut her down right now. The idea of being benched while Beki was on the frontlines was unbearable. Yuki told herself that at least if Beki died in her arms, she would have done everything possible to save her. She could make peace with that. But if her daughter died in a ditch somewhere, alone and forgotten, Yuki could never forgive herself. Yuki would rather rip her own heart out and crush it than let her that happen. That was something she hadn't understood before she had held that little bundle in her arms. It was something she didn't expect Kakashi to understand, so she kept it to herself.

"If you do _anything_ to jeopardize this operation, Yuki, understand I will do something about it." Kakashi kept his voice low and his tone even; the threat implied none the less.

Yuki nodded and gave him a halfhearted salute. "Don't worry. I'm a good little soldier today."

Kakashi picked up speed and headed off towards the front.

After a few hours of travel, once they had officially crossed the Land of Frost's border, the herd of shinobi saw a red flare go up from the Surprise Attack Division. The bodies shifted, moving like a school of fish towards the light. Yuki steadily picked up speed until she was beside her daughter.

"This is it," Beki said breathlessly. "This is where the war starts."

Yuki nodded. "Easy, girl. It'll be just fine. You've been in fights before. This isn't any different."

"I was part of a hit squad, mom," Beki shook her head. "We were sent in to snuff out single or double targets. They were priority, you know, but this….these numbers only mean one thing."

"We're lemmings," Daiske chimed in. "We're up against something bad enough that they're just going to throw bodies at it till the problem goes away."

It frustrated Yuki to hear the two of them be so negative about the situation. She reminded herself they were young, though, and there hadn't been a Shinobi World War for decades. These kids had seen violence, yes, but it was organized violence. They were deployed on missions where what would happen was completely spelled out. The rank system told them how much danger and how on their guard they would need to be. Suspected threats were identified and described for them. Even the terrain was usually dictated before deployment. War was chaos embodied; loosely organized warriors throwing themselves from fray to fray. Allies flowing into enemies, enemies becoming allies, civility suffocating under the cruel reality of humanity. A person had two choices: to do whatever it would take to survive or die. The same went for the people around them. If given the choice, the shinobi would have to do terrible, unspeakable things to save their allies, or cling to their humanity and let them die in theirs. Something needed to be said. The kids needed reassurance, meaningful advice, a mantra to carry while they were in war. There was a slim possibility Yuki could die, albeit it would probably be to protect them, but if that were the case she had to leave some sort of legacy behind her.

After a long silence, she spoke at last: "Don't think so much. War is instinct. Instinct is reaction and thinking is hesitation. Thinking will get you killed out here, so just trust your gut."

Daiske swallowed hard and nodded. Beki stole a nervous glance in her mother's direction but remained silent. It was hard, exposing her nerves to her mother. Yuki had no patience for weakness, and to be honest Beki couldn't stand it either. There was this nagging sensation, though, growing inside her like an evil seed, gripping at her muscles and tugging at her nerves. She was terrified of something floating out there in the abyss. It was a familiar fear, like a nightmare she had forgotten. As they neared the source of the flare Beki accepted that whatever the source of her horror, they would meet it soon. For better or worse, the matter would be resolved.

…

When they reached the location of the Surprise Attack Division, the shinobi of the Third Division fanned out around their leader. Before them were four shinobi that didn't look quite right. Their skin was deathly pale, covered jagged scars that almost looked like seams. Their eyes were unsettling; the corneas were an inky black, making their irises stand out in startling contrast. Yuki squeezed a hand on Beki's shoulder.

"The one with the bandages on his face. I know him from somewhere." Beki glanced at her silently but kept her focus ahead. Yuki searched the man for more clues, her eyes falling on the sword slung over his shoulder. Yuki swore, a prolonged hiss as she dropped lower onto her haunches. "I can't remember his name but he's a swordsman of the Mist."

Kakashi had stepped forward and seemed to be talking with the Swordsman and his smaller companion.

"I guess he knows them, too," Beki offered.

As quickly as the conversation began, it ended. The eyes of the enemy shinobi went blank, their speech ceasing. A mist formed. It was so thick Beki could barely make out her mother beside her. Yuki pulled Beki close and dropped low. Beki reached up and pulled Daiske down beside them. Yuki took a deep breath and exhaled silently. She reached out and arranged Beki and Daiske so their backs were to hers, forming a triangle with their bodies.

"They're hitmen," Yuki said as the death cries began to rise from seemingly everywhere around them. "Protect your vulnerable spots."

Just as soon as she finished speaking, something came shooting out of the mist right for Daiske's face. Yuki threw up her hand with her fingers splayed wide. Daiske was frozen in place, staring down the two ice senbon that had nearly found new homes in his eye sockets. Yuki clenched her fist and the senbon shattered harmlessly on the ground.

"Like that, Daiske," Yuki gave him a frustrated look. "Protect your damned weak spots!"

Beki sensed movement in the mist and swung her kanabo carefully, not enough to expose her ribs but enough to ward off an attack. Whatever it was slunk back into the ether but it wasn't gone. She was doing her best to take her mother's advice, to drown the voice in her head that tried to reason through everything. Beki was trying to just _be._ So far it was working. Suddenly, Daiske grabbed Beki and Yuki by the arms and pulled them down, putting up a wall of earth in front of them. An explosion went off on the other side. His wall held strong for the most part but the impact loosened some of the dirt. It fell harmlessly on their heads. Yuki grinned and clapped him on the back. "There you go! That's what we need!" The smile slipped off her face as she slammed their faces into the dirt. "Incoming!"

Senbon sailed right where their heads were, lodging themselves in the remnants of the earth wall.

And so it went. The attacks kept coming, seemingly without end. Soon, not only were they avoiding attacks but stumbling over the countless bodies of the shinobi that hadn't been fast enough to react. Beki heard Might Gai shouting encouragements somewhere in the fog. As much as she respected him, a pep talk wasn't going to help her here. She gripped the kanabo tighter, swinging it like a club to shatter incoming projectiles. A hand on her shoulder startled her. Beki spun, kanabo up, but Yuki stopped it.

"I'm going to do something crazy," Yuki looked her daughter in the eye, lowering her kanabo for her. "I'm going to power up and try to draw some of the fire." She looked around at all the young, cut-down-before-their-prime shinobi. "Or we won't have enough shinobi to call ourselves a division anymore."

Beki nodded and watched her mother get swallowed again by the mist. She took a few cautious steps back, watching over her shoulder as Daiske materialized behind her. He glanced at her as he swept the surroundings, nodding in acknowledgement as she pressed her back against his. The mist suddenly grew much cooler, dropping at least ten degrees, so the shinobi's breath began to fog as well. The pair could sense a great source of chakra nearby, slowly moving through the mist. Daiske's eyes grew wide in panic, his head snapping back and forth. He was practically hyperventilating.

"It's mom," Beki whispered. "She's trying to draw fire."

Daiske visibly relaxed and gave her a smile. "Finally. Maybe we'll just make it out of this alive-"

Before he had finished speaking, a pair of great hands formed from the mist and took ahold of his shoulders. The smile faded off his face and Daiske opened his mouth. He screamed as he was ripped out into the nothing, the sound cut short by a deafening thud. Beki was frozen in place with her jaw slack in her mask. She lowered the kanabo reflexively as her brain tried to process what she had seen. Those hands, as big as her head, calloused and rough; she knew them. It was so strange, to recognize a dead man by his hands. As Beki's legs shook, a hysterical laugh fell from her mouth at the irony of it all, the hands came for her.

…

Yuki spotted Kakashi, cleaving through the Swordsman she had recognized from earlier, and was closing in for an assist. Off in the mist somewhere behind her, Yuki heard Beki laugh. It was a high pitched, hysterical sound, completely out of place on the battlefield. Yuki immediately knew that her daughter was in trouble. The sound stopped her dead in her tracks, fear instantly gripping her spine. Yuki about faced and took off at full speed without knowing what was waiting for her out in the fog. She sailed over bodies, their life spilling out onto the ground, their hands reaching up to her in their last moments for aid. Yuki paid them no mind. They were already dead; they just didn't know it yet. If she didn't hurry it would be her daughter reaching for her like that, waving a final goodbye as she was stolen away to the afterlife.

A figure took shape in the mist. It was a strange thing, twisted and malformed by the low visibility. The closer she got, Yuki realized the form was in fact two figures locked together in combat. Or rather, a smaller figure desperately trying to hold off the larger. Yukihana threw herself at the attacker with her claws extended without hesitation. The grizzly looking man reached up a hand and caught Yukihana by the far wrist and threw her sideways. The force of his toss was incredible considering the second he had to execute it. Yuki's momentum was instantly canceled and she fell harmlessly to the ground. As soon as she landed, Yuki was back on her feet and ready to lunge again, her teeth bared in a snarl and her brows knit in fury.

At last she saw why Beki struggled so weakly against her aggressor. The face was older, more haggard than she remembered. His body had become denser over time, making him more barrel chested and his limbs tree trunks. Yukihana would know that face anywhere, though. It was her Seiichiro.

Seiichiro deflecting Yuki with one hand allowed Beki to struggle free of it's mate. She stumbled backward, nearly tripping over Yukihana in the process. It had been almost a year since Seiichiro disappeared. Beki hadn't really seen him; even though she had stumbled across his body that fateful night, she had hardly gotten a good look at her father. It was surreal in a knee locking way, to witness something that had been ashes and bloodstains on the floor whole again. His size struck her for what felt like the first time in her life. He had always been her father, a supportive, protective wall against the world. Now, on the battlefield, he was a colossus, towering above her. He possessed inhuman strength and impossible speed for a man of his stature. Beki was left with a nauseating mixture of joy for their reunion and bone shaking terror at the thought of taking him on. Yuki had regained her footing and stood equally as dumbfounded beside her.

"Sei..." It was barely more than a whisper, half to herself, but Seiichiro caught it. He stared them down through the mist. His gaze was stony, his silver irises suspended like moons in black skies. It was the face of death itself; the Reaper had risen and brought hell up with him. His unreadable expression flickered slightly, a shadow of recognition crossing his face.

"Yukihana," His brow furrowed as he surveyed her. "You were dead...but you aren't one of us."

"I wasn't dead," Yuki took a cautious step towards her late husband. "I was frozen. For twelve years I was trapped in that ice."

"That would explain why you still look the way you did then." His body didn't relax, his voice didn't soften. Slowly, his steady gaze fell on Beki, glancing her over in his armor. "At least you remembered something I told you."

Beki winced as if struck. "What is that supposed to mean?!"

The look Seiichiro gave her could have sent grown men sobbing. "Look at you. You're a disappointment and a failure. I blame myself for letting you grow to be so soft. I coddled you and made you weak."

"How could you say that to me?" Beki swallowed hard at the lump forming in her throat. She glanced at Yuki for some source of comfort. "That isn't really him, is it? Its some kind of illusion?"

Yuki kept her eyes on the Reaper. After a moment, she slowly shook her head. "There's no mistaking it. That's Seiichiro."

Seiichiro kneeled down and picked up the kanabo Beki had let fall out of her hands. Instantly her throat tightened. Unarmed, Seiichiro was challenging. With his trademark weapon, he became a nightmare. "I made you this way," Seiichiro spoke, a shadow over his features. "It's my job to fix it. I didn't prepare you for this world so it's my responsibility to put you down."

"That's enough of that," Yuki stared him down. "I don't know what's gotten into you-"

"I'm dead." Seiichiro was unfazed. "I see things clearly now. No attachments, no sentiment. You're no better, Yuki. You're unfit for this world as well." He moved so quickly Yuki barely had time to knock Beki to the ground and dive out of the way herself. He had crossed the space between them and swung the kanabo so hard it would have broken their spines. Beki was back on her feet and leaping away as he brought down the kanabo where she had been lying helplessly only moments before. The women were on either side of him, circling cautiously. Yuki had her gauntlets out, claws extended, but Beki was completely unarmed.

Beki had spent most of her life training with her father. His movements were all familiar. As she watched him, Beki recognized all his techniques. It was staggering to realize how much he had held back on her all those years. As she got older, Beki thought she was getting better, that perhaps she was approaching his level. That hubris smacked her in the face on the battlefield. The only thing that stopped him from bashing in her head was that she never stopped moving. The difference between his teaching style and Yuki's was Beki's saving grace. Her mother had put an insane amount of focus on speed, whereas Seiichiro's concentration had always been form. It was disorienting to be on the defensive nonstop. Any time Beki thought she spotted an opening, Seiichiro noticed the momentary hesitation before she struck and came down on her.

Sweat was forming in tiny beads on Yuki's back, slowly trickling down, threatening to steal away her concentration on Seiichiro. She would wait until he tried to land a strike on Beki and attack. Without looking, he would seamlessly react. He either deflected Yuki's charge or moved to counter attack. Yuki would barely have time to clear his strike zone before he was on to his next assault. She caught Beki's eye, gave her a steady look, and glanced at Seiichiro. Beki nodded and prepared to attack. Both women launched themselves upon him, Beki low and Yuki high. In one beautiful swoop, Seiichiro caught Beki, and swung her upwards, tossing her bodily into her mother and knocking them both away.

"Pathetic," Seiichiro spat. In that moment, Yuki noticed that in order for him to deflect their combined attack, Seiichiro had dropped the kanabo. Recognizing the slimmest advantage possible, Yuki threw herself back on him. She weaseled her way around him, ducking under his arms, climbing up his back, taking blind strikes, and moving again before he could catch her. Beki righted herself and noticed the kanabo lying abandoned on the ground. She threw herself at the weapon, grabbed ahold of the handle, and struck. Beki put her whole body into the uppercut, rotating the whole length of her back in a perfect arc. Yuki had taken up position behind him, exposing his whole torso to the attack. The ghost of a smile tugged her lips as she waited for the strike to connect.

Instead of a satisfying crunch of ribs, Beki felt the kanabo reverberate in her hands. She was barely able to keep ahold of the club. Trapped between his hands, Seiichiro had caught the kanabo mid strike. Beki's eyes widened in horror but she had no time to respond as he bodily yanked her towards him. Yuki tore at his flesh, watching in despair as the wounds knit themselves almost as quickly as she dealt the blows. Beki stumbled, falling into her father's arms. Seiichiro embraced her. It was gentle at first, enough to draw Beki's arm's around his waist. Then the pressure increased.

"Let her go!" Yuki pounded uselessly. She leapt backward, slashed at his legs, tore at his arms, tried to pry his fingers free. Beki was making wheezing noises as he hoisted her off her feet, crushing her in a bearhug. Hands shaking, Yuki tugged on his sleeve. "Please, Seiichiro, please, I know you're in there. This is my fault. You're mad at me. It has nothing to do with Beki!"

"What are you talking about, woman?" Seiichiro glanced at her, his eyes devoid of any familiar warmth.

"I haven't honored your death," Yuki pleaded. "I avenged you, yes, I sent your killers back to their maker. But there was no body for me to bury! No, that's...you're upset about me seeing other people. I thought you would have wanted me to move on but if I was wrong-"

Seiichiro backhanded her. The movement caught her completely by surprise and threw Yukihana on her rear. She looked up at him, defeated. Her cheek swelled and her eyes stung with blinding tears. In all their years together, Yuki had never defeated Seiichiro. Any time she ever got carried away Seiichiro put her back in place. Because of Yuki's inability to improve, not only was her daughter going to die in the war, it was going to happen right in front of her at the hands of Beki's father. Yukihana knew it was her fault. There would be no coming back from this. Everything she had ever worked for or believed in was crumbling right in front of her. She was a failure. She was a fraud. And now, Yukihana would be completely alone.

Beki saw her opening. When Seiichiro struck Yuki, he'd slackened his grip to only restraining her with one arm. In that lighting instant Beki retracted her arms and threw them around her father's neck. He was going to kill them. He was going to kill Yuki and Beki. In her heart, Beki didn't believe he wanted to. It was whatever this jutsu was, if it was her father in there at all.

For months, Beki had been convinced she personally had killed her father. The gaps in her memory and the damning evidence at the scene had all pointed at fratricide. How many sleepless nights did Beki stay up, cursing herself, lamenting the loss of her only family at her own hands? The circumstances were different, then. Now Beki had no choice but to kill her father. He was insanely strong and a gifted shinobi. Beki had a trump card in her pocket, something her father was unaware of and completely unprepared for. It was the only way Beki could stop him and save the lives of the rest of the Third. Tears burned in her eyes as she nestled her face into his neck. The lump in her throat made her voice crack, betraying how close she was to tears.

"I'm sorry, Daddy."

The hurt Beki had bottled up inside, the anger and humiliation of having to fight so helplessly against her father, exploded. Her skin erupted into a firescape of ruby, ochre, orange, and scarlet. The clothes Beki wore under her armor were instantly incinerated. She felt Seiichiro's body crumble beneath her. When she stepped back, all that remained was his head, a bit of his neck, and a bit of his torso. His opened his mouth and let out a boisterous laugh.

"So, you finally managed to awaken the Burned Maiden," Seiichiro's face broke out into a wide smile. "I knew. From the minute you were born I knew you would do it."

Beki collapsed down beside him, the tears falling freely. They evaporated the moment they hit her searing cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Dad."

"Shhh," Seiichiro shook his head gently. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I...I'm the reason you got killed. Yasahiro played me! He kidnapped you and then-" Beki sobbed. "I couldn't save you. I'm so sorry!"

"I'm sorry for everything I ever put you through, Beki," Seiichiro's body was taking a long time to regenerate. The fire wouldn't completely die, so the new flesh was consumed almost as quickly as it was formed. "I was always trying to protect you. I cut everyone out in my life, my whole family, all my friends...I was so scared if I let anyone in you would get hurt. After so many years in isolation, the loneliness caught up with me. I let my guard slip. Yasahiro was a snake. It was my fault you had to go through all that with him. If only I had been a little smarter, Beki, I could have saved you so much pain." He smiled up at her again. "But look at how strong it made you. What you've gone through could have broken people beyond fixing but you...look at you. You're beautiful; fire incarnate." Seiichiro let out another laugh. "Nothing says 'leave me the hell alone' like spontaneously combusting..." He shook his head and glanced around. "Is your mother still there?"

Beki waved the still cautious Yuki over. She sat down on his other side so he could see her face.

"Yuki," Seiichiro stared up at her. "This explains why you weren't waiting for me on the other side."

Yuki shrugged. "Hell didn't want me. I had unfinished business."

"Yuki, I don't have long, so listen." Seiichiro stared up at her intently. "You died twelve years ago. I mourned you then and I moved on. I had a daughter to raise and a career to worry about. I never stopped loving you, believe me, but I lived a full life. How old are you right now?"

Yuki wiped her nose with the back of her arm. "Twenty-five."

"Go be twenty-five, Yuki," Seiichiro scoffed. "I would never hold it against you for moving on when the whole world left you behind. I can't tell you how much happened in that twelve years; it was a whole lifetime. Our daughter is grown and can clearly take care of herself. Go start over. Be happy. I want that for you. If not as your husband, as your friend."

The mist dissipated and the full carnage of the battle revealed itself. Bodies were strewn as far as the eye could see. Medics were working quickly on the fallen and sealing specialists were taking care of the undead. Kakashi was cleaving through what was left of the reanimated shinobi. Yuki's eyes lingered on him for a moment and Seiichiro noticed her distraction.

"What's going on?"

"Hatake Kakashi is taking care of the rest of the risen dead," Beki stole a mischievous look at her dad. In a voice too loud to be a whisper, she said "That's her new boyfriend."

"Shit, Yuki, the son of the White Fang?!" Seiichiro laughed bitterly. "Talk about moving on up in the world."

Yuki gave Beki a look that could cut glass and smacked her rapidly cooling arm.

"If that's my replacement, I can't feel too bad," Seiichiro shrugged with his shoulder remnant. "He's got impressive hair."

The sealing shinobi finally made their way over and prepared to send Seiichiro off once and for all. Beki glanced over at Daiske, who was gingerly getting himself up off the ground. Overall he looked intact. As scary as he had started off, Seiichiro had proven that this had just been another test.

"I love you, Daddy," Yuki and Beki said at the same time. Beki cringed and looked at her mother in disbelief.

"What?" Yuki shuffled. "I was calling him that long before you were."

"You're a sick animal," Beki shook her head. "Ew, just ew."

And so, Seiichiro once again left the world of the living with the ghost of a laugh on his face.

Yuki bowed her head and prayed. Beki imitated the action and reached out to her mother. Yuki took her hand and squeezed it tight for a few moments. When she finally let her go, Yuki stood. "I'm going to check on Kakashi."

Daiske came hobbling over holding his left arm gingerly with his right. "Ow," He said in greeting.

"You okay, Daiske?" Beki glanced at his injured arm with concern.

"I think I broke it." Daiske winced as he adjusted his hold. "And I might have been spitting up blood back there."

Beki shook her head. "You know you are talking to the worst person about injuries, right?"

"You're so loving," Daiske spat. "Can't you even, like, I don't know, act sorry for me or something?"

"You're lucky I didn't just tell you to walk it off," Beki gave him a wicked smile and ruffled his hair. "You'll be okay."

"Thanks! That's all I needed!" Daiske rolled his eyes. "Was that so hard?!"

...

Kakashi was sitting down beside Zabuza's great sword, panting. He had just finished talking with an Iwa chunin who had gone running off to deliver his message. Yuki glanced around, noticed no one else approaching, and took up the seat beside him. He glanced up at her but said nothing. Yuki reached up and clapped him on the back, slinging an arm over his near shoulder affectionately.

"So the bad news," Yuki scanned the sight of all the chaos around them. "Is that Beki and I just had to fight Seiichiro."

Kakashi blinked away sweat dripping into his eyes. "When...when did he come into the picture?"

Yuki shrugged. "Sometime during the mist."

"What good news could you possibly have after leading with that?" Kakashi asked.

"I might have told him about us and he was okay with it." Yuki looked at her feet and tapped them self consciously.

Kakashi scoffed. "So you're having a conversation with your dead husband and I somehow come into the mix?!"

"Look, I was still feeling a little guilty about things," Yuki explained. "He said that there was nothing to forgive. He and the world had moved on, so I should to."

"Isn't that exactly what I told you?" Kakashi gave her an exhausted look.

"Yeah, its just that it was nice to hear it from the source, you know?" Yuki grinned sheepishly.

"You're going to give me a complex," Kakashi shook his head. "Are you going to start holding seances to see what Seiichiro has to say about everything?"

"Actually, it was you giving him a complex," Yuki laughed. "He kept going on about your perfect hair."

For a moment, Kakashi paused and surveyed the bloody scene around them and tapped Zabuza's sword. "I've been fighting the undead all day and yet, somehow, this is the strangest thing that's happened to me."

"Never a dull moment, right?" Yuki ruffled his hair. "Ew. Its all full of papery bits."

"That would be all the crumbled up dead bodies." Kakashi watched out of the corner of his eye as Yuki's hand paused, her face contorted in discomfort, but then she continued to pet him. "You can't help yourself, can you?"

Yuki shook her head and pouted. "It's just too soft and fluffy!"

...

Yuki came ambling back over. The moment she laid eyes on Daiske's injury, she scoffed. "Didn't anyone ever teach you how to take a fall?"

"It wasn't a fall," Daiske spat. "It was a bear of a man picking me up over his head and throwing me like a ragdoll!"

"Whatever," Yuki sighed. "So we're getting instructions that all severe injuries are to be treated at the medical camp." She turned her gaze on Beki, shuffling her weight from one hip to the other. "Hatake asked if you and I would be willing to accompany the injured up there. Just in case."

Beki nodded. "Doesn't seem like a bad idea. There's no telling who we could run into out there."

...

It was nearly sunset as Beki and Yuki led the Third Division's injured towards the medical camp. It was a slow-moving party with the pair at the lead and a few able bodied volunteers covering their flank. Beki watched her mother fidget as they moved: sheathing and unsheathing the blades in her gauntlets, shaking her hands out, and marching in place a bit.

"We're sitting ducks," Yuki grumbled. "I hate this."

Beki shrugged. "Don't worry about it, mom. Most of the injured could still fight if they needed to."

"We are going so _slow,_ " Yuki spat. She kept muttering to herself, glancing nervously about, and Beki did her best to ignore her. What she couldn't ignore, however, was her own nagging sense of unease. They were an army, injured though many of them were, Beki should have nothing to worry about. There was strength in numbers and in the diversity of their forces. Someone in their ranks would be able to perfectly counter anything that should come up. Knowing all this, though, Beki still caught herself checking their surroundings constantly. The sensation reminded her of when she was a child; of the inflated fear while playing hide and go seek. Somewhere out there, Beki couldn't shake the feeling that they were being hunted. Along with it was the sense that the only way any of them were going to make it was if they ran and hid.

Beki caught herself before she let the line of thought spiral too far. To distract herself, Beki thought about the singing she had heard earlier. The tune had been so familiar, yet even after all this time, Beki couldn't quite place it.

"Hey, Daiske," Beki called out over her shoulder. He was walking around relatively unimpeded. He had tied his headband to his flak jacket as an impromptu sling but winced any time his arm bounced against him.

"What's up?" He picked up pace till he was beside her.

"Do you ever remember part of a song, like the tune, but you can't remember the words?" Beki asked.

Daiske thought for a moment then nodded. "I mean, not a lot, but I know what you're saying."

"It happened to me today and it's driving me crazy," Beki grinned beneath the mask. "You think you could help me?"

Daiske laughed. "Do you know how little music I listen to?"

"No," Beki shook her head. "It's something from when we were kids."

"Okay. Shoot." Daiske got a look of intense concentration. "I'm ready!"

Beki began to hum the tune, trying hard to remember. A few bars in, Daiske gasped so suddenly Beki jumped.

"It's that stupid creepy song Ren used to sing all the time," Daiske snapped his fingers. "Crap. I can't remember the words either. It was...it was like a lullaby you would sing to your kids. The words were really messed up though. That's why I always slept on the other side of you when we were on missions as kids. I thought...I thought Ren was pretty screwed up because of it."

Beki sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Ren did sing it a lot, now that I think about it. I think...I think I remember the other priestesses singing it sometimes, too." The two scrambled for a moment, muttering bits and pieces of words to see if they fit. "This is just making it worse."

"Now I'm going crazy," Daiske grumbled in frustration. "Thanks, Beki. Now it's going to bother me till we figure it out!"

"Crack...snap...creak?" Beki furrowed her brow. "There were parts that were onomatopoeia like that."

Daiske rubbed his chin with his good arm and looked around. "I don't see any other Getsu shinobi around. Of course Ren would be the only one in another division."

"Right?" Beki scoffed. "I'd ask mom but I think she'd sock me for distracting her."

"Yeah, she's taking this whole 'run point' thing pretty seriously." Daiske agreed.

"We are at war," Beki raised an eyebrow at him. "And you just got your ass kicked by my dead father."

A shadow crossed over Daiske's face. "I'm still not ready to talk about it."

"He could have snapped you like a twig-" Beki laughed. Before she could finish, her mother's hand was suddenly clasped over her mouth. She threw up a hand signal to let those behind know to stop. Beki followed her mother's gaze until it landed on her mark.

In the woods ahead of them, Beki made out a few forms high in the branches. Three bodies, swaying gently in the breeze, slack like ragdolls. Beki's eyes followed the ropes from around their necks up into the trees.

Yuki stayed quiet, staring long and hard at the bodies. She glanced over her shoulder as one of the other able-bodied shinobi stepped forward to see what was going on. The girl's eyes grew wide and her jaw fell open. Her eyes were glued to the bodies and she muttered something.

Yuki's ears perked up at the sound. "You knew them?"

The girl nodded. "They were all from Kirigakure. They...I didn't think they were that scared."

The dead were on the younger side, maybe in their early to mid-teens. "Deserters?" Yuki glanced at the Kiri kunoichi.

"I…" She sighed. "It's possible. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised. Then again, we did just have to fight an army of the dead. Maybe they saw something really horrible."

"No telling what that would be out here," Beki glanced around. The surroundings were otherwise peaceful.

"Let's just get to the medic camp as quickly as possible," Yuki looked at Beki and the Kiri girl. "Let's carry people if we have to. There's a good chance these were just run of the mill war suicides but there's still the possibility they were killed and put here."

"Like a warning?" Beki asked.

"Or trophies," Yuki grimaced. The Kiri girl and Beki shared an uncomfortable look. "Oh, grow up," Yuki spat. "This is war, not a damned escort mission. Welcome to the real world where the enemy is just as likely to use psychological warfare to throw you off as they are to stab you. Gird your loins, grab the wounded, and move."

...

After nightfall, the wounded of the Third Division and their escorts arrived at the medical camp. The remainder of the trip to the medical camp had been quiet and uneventful. Immediately upon arrival, the wounded were divided up in triage. The able-bodied escorts were informed they were allowed to remain through the evening so long as they contributed to patrolling the camp. Beki and Yuki were sitting around a campfire, after just finishing their shift. Yuki was cleaning her gear and nibbling on some rations the medics had left for them. Beki was laying by the fire with her eyes closed but unable to drift off to sleep. It was annoying because she was inexplicably exhausted. The logical explanation for it was the emotional drain of having to fight Seiichiro. The other possibility was that for some reason, turning Burned Maiden had spent through a large amount of chakra. The longer Beki thought about it, however, the less that seemed to be the case. It wasn't localized soreness but a body wide lethargy, as if she didn't have the strength to move.

Other than the sounds of the injured moaning and groaning in pain, the location of the medical camp was a peaceful one. Crickets chirruped and somewhere nearby a nightingale spun a tune. In her daze, the bells and singing came back to Beki. She let herself drift with it, her lips forming the words she thought she had forgotten:

Creak groan creak, the Maiden sways,

With raspy breaths she begs and prays.

Skin bruised black and neck stretched long,

On lonely nights you'll hear her song.

Please be good; it's your mother's hope

To not find you strung from Maiden's rope.

Drip drop drip, the Maiden cries,

Tears her clothes and wipes her eyes.

Pale of skin and hair like ink,

Into milky gaze you will sink.

Come straight home, your mother pleads,

Or you'll be led to a grave in reeds.

Crack snap crack, the Maiden burns,

For days gone by her heart yearns.

Seared flesh and skin so scarred,

Her pain unending and beauty marred.

Do be honest, your mother prays,

Lest you be ash until end of days.

Yuki froze. Beki's voice was barely above a whisper but Yuki could hear the tune. She was swept back to the shrine, the strange song and the bells as she desperately searched for Reika. Yuki realized she knew those words. She had sung that song herself plenty of times as young girl. It was a cautionary song, meant to keep local children on their best behavior using the Maidens as boogeymen. As they got older, they were taught the Maidens were innocent martyrs, defenders of the island and great spiritual leaders. The local's instincts had been right all along, though. Warning their children was smart. Hearing those old lines fall from Beki's lips was surreal, sending shivers down Yuki's spine and setting her hair on end. "Beks?"

"Hn?" Beki's eyes stayed closed.

"Do...do you hear singing right now?" Yuki swallowed, praying that this was just some weird coincidence. Her heart sank as Beki's head bobbed "yes" and pointed in the direction they had come from. As Yuki's eyes followed her daughter's accusing finger, she felt a horrible sinking feeling. "Come on Beks. Let's go for a walk."

Beki grumbled and staggered up onto her haunches, pulling her face mask back on and tying it clumsily. Yuki grew impatient with her daughter's tired stumbling, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her along.

…

After about an hour and a half of stumbling around in the dark, Yuki and Beki ran across a few more bodies. One was hung by its foot and looked like its face had been smashed in against the tree it was suspended from. The other was hanging upside down. The rope he hung from was painfully wrapped around one leg, the noose still around his neck. His own body weight had crushed his windpipe, his fingers bloody and torn from his desperate attempts to free himself. Yuki furrowed her brow and waved Beki closer.

"Glow, Beks."

Beki blinked and raised a hand to stifle a yawn. Her hand bumped her mask and she grumbled, feeling foolish for forgetting it was there. After a moment, the air around them grew warmer. Yuki sensed the heat on her skin and watched as the bodies became more visible in the soft candlelight glow.

"These were obviously not suicides," Yuki turned the first body, observing the caved in skull. "I would say they were freak accidents; traps left long ago and these two poor idiots stumbled on them…"

Beki pointed at the man's face, features only partially distinguishable beneath the damage. "But he was repeatedly struck."

Yuki nodded and took a deep breath. "So, the question is, who's behind it?"

"The Akatsuki," Beki shrugged. "Or agents thereof, right?"

Yuki scoffed. "That's not enough, Beki. Half of fighting shinobi is knowing who you're dealing with. What village this person is from would even be helpful. But rope? This just...at its most basic this is a master trap user-"

"Oh,"

The tiny voice from behind them cause both Beki and Yuki to jump. They turned quickly, fear gripping Beki briefly before she recognized its source.

"Hina chan?" Beki blinked in the reflection of her own light.

Hinata nodded. "I was out on patrol and overheard your voices-" She stopped at the sight of the bodies hovering menacingly behind them, like macabre party decorations. Hinata's eyes searched them carefully, weighing whether the two could be responsible.

"Gross, right?" Beki was perking up at the sight of her best friend. "Mom and I ran into these earlier, too. The first ones looked like suicides, though."

"People don't usually commit group suicides, though," Yuki glanced up at the bodies again. "The fact that they were in a set…. Maybe they were victims, too."

"So they were victims," Hinata nodded, boldly approaching them. Beki's brows knit and she frowned slightly. She hadn't seen Hinata in weeks, and although coming across the pair with dead bodies would be unsettling, this certainly wouldn't be enough to justify such a cold welcome.

"That's all?" Beki cocked her head and gave a small laugh, the hurt clear in her voice. "I haven't seen you in almost a month and this is the 'hi' I get?"

"I'm sorry," Hinata laughed loudly. "I completely forgot myself for a moment there. Today has been a crazy for us. It's good to see you. I'm glad you're okay."

The injured look was still plastered across Beki's face but she shrugged it off. "We're all probably just overtired."

"So what are you two doing so far away from your teammates?" Hinata looked around with a hand on her hip.

"I heard something weird and we came out to investigate," Beki explained. Her thoughts wandered for a moment and she perked up again. "Hey, Neji's in your division, right? Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine," Hinata gave her a toothy reassuring smile.

"Well, that's a relief," Yuki folded her arms. "If anything happened to that boytoy the entire village would go into mourning."

"He is pretty easy on the eyes," Hinata nodded.

"Hey mom?" Beki tapped Yuki's elbow. "Why don't you see if you can find a trail? I'd like some time alone with Hinata."

Yuki looked at her daughter, mouth open for an insulting reply when she caught the look on Beki's face. "That's a good idea." Yuki clapped her jaw shut and nodded. "You two be safe."

After Yuki had leapt away, Hinata let out a small sigh of relief. "It's hard for me to be comfortable around you and your mom. She's a difficult person to read."

"Yeah," Beki pulled her mask down so Hinata could plainly see her face. "She's off putting even for me right now. The war's making her all wound up."

Hinata nodded understandingly. She shifted her weight from hip to hip, reaching up into her shirt to adjust the placement of her breasts.

"So, you're on patrol for a while? Your people aren't going to be looking for you?" Beki asked coyly.

Hinata smiled broadly. "Yeah, why?"

Beki shrugged shyly and played with her hair. "Well, it's just, you know, we haven't had any alone time in a while. My mom's gone, neither of our teams are going to be looking for us. I was thinking we could wander off into the woods for a little while and get frisky."

"You know, I was thinking the same thing." Hinata sidled up to her, her hands outstretched affectionately. Beki waited until she was close and grabbed her by the throat.

"Ow," Hinata giggled nervously. "Starting a little rough, are we?"

"Who are you and what did you do to Hinata?!" Beki practically screamed, slamming the pretender into a tree. She never loosened her grip. "Hinata" struggled, trying to tear Beki's hand away from her throat. After a moment, "Hinata" pulled a kunai and sliced at Beki's neck. It glanced harmlessly off the mask sitting protectively in front of her throat. Before she could attack again, Beki turned up the heat.

"Suit yourself," Beki glowered. "Die in silence."

The thing's eyes widened in horror at first, but then there was a glimmer of recognition. It smiled at Beki using her friend's face. "Mother will be so happy to see you."

Beki went full Burned Maiden. The wave of heat distorted the figure. It seemed to melt somewhat, extending and lengthening in her grasp. The color faded away as "Hinata"s clothes fused back against the white body. The face contorted. Half of it was a twisted mess and the other half had ochre eyes full of madness and a mess of hair the color of wilted leaves. He smiled at her and laughed for the last few seconds, until the heat of the Maiden had wiped him from existence. Beki stood there a moment as the Maiden faded away. In one day, she had to kill her father's risen body and now Beki had been forced to kill Hinata's doppelganger. She prayed her friend was fine, that this creature had just been imitating her appearance.

The crunch of leaves behind her alerted Beki to Yuki's return. She glanced at her mother and saw the way the color had drained from her flesh. "What the hell was that?"

Beki shook her head. "I don't know. I really hope Hinata's okay."

Yuki clapped her daughter on the back. "That was a smart way to figure it out, I'll give you that." After a moment, Yuki let out a laugh. "You really had me for a second there. I thought you were being serious about the whole 'let's go bang' thing."

Beki glowered. "I needed something that I knew Hinata would have a strong negative reaction to, something she couldn't hide."

"Sure," Yuki grinned. "All I know is that for a second there I was wondering how the two of you had hid it so well all this time. I mean I get me missing it for the short time we've been together, but I don't know how her family wouldn't have figured it out-"

"Can you drop it?" Beki swatted her hands away. "It was a ruse. End of story."

"Hm…" Yuki furrowed her brow. "Or was it some subconscious projection of your desires?"

"One more word-" Beki pointed at her. "I'm warning you."

"Okay," Yuki threw up her hands. "I didn't hear anything. It's for the best, really. If you and Hinata were sleeping together that might pop up in my daydreams."

Beki screwed up her face in annoyance. "Why would-"

"Are you two alright?" A man's voice called out to them from the brush to their right.

"Depends on who's asking?" Yuki called back.

A pair of men appeared, both sporting exhausted and concerned looks on their faces. "We were tracking a creature; it can take the appearance of other people. They've been attacking and killing shinobi out on patrols-"

Beki nodded. "We're fine. This one was impersonating a friend of mine. If I'd been alone it might have been more trouble."

"Where are you two from?" The other man asked. He was the shorter of the pair and had hair the color of a robin's egg, even in the dim light.

"Third division," Yuki replied. "We were dropping off wounded at the medic camp when we overheard some strange noises out here."

"Well, the two of you got pretty far from the medic camp," The first one said. "Why don't you come back to our camp where its safe?"

"And you two are from…?" Beki asked.

"The Second Division." The blue haired man answered.


	111. Know Thy Enemy

**Hi everyone. I know this is a busy time for many of us, including myself, so I thank you for your patience and your time. I look forward to hearing what you guys think. I was pretty proud of this one.**

* * *

Yuki stood over with the two shinobi who brought them into camp. While she explained the hanged bodies and the strange, shapeshifting creature they encountered, Beki scoped the camp.

Hinata and Neji should be here, but there were so many bodies it was nearly impossible to tell anyone apart. The night dulled out the colors of flak jackets and concealed forms in the trees. Yuki noticed her daughter's nervous bouncing and gave her a gentle shove. "Just go find them already."

"Who?" The blue haired shinobi who brought them in gave Yuki a questioning look.

"Two of her friends," Yuki explained. "That monster had turned into one of them and she's worried about here."

The Second Division personnel exchanged nervous looks. Yuki rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. "Beks, do the glowy thing."

Beki blinked and complied, giving off a soft phosphorescent glow. "She'll keep it on the whole time she's walking around. You can keep an eye on her while we talk." Yuki folded her arms.

The blue haired shinobi sighed and shrugged. "Go ahead then. No funny business."

Beki wandered away from the group, laughing quietly to herself as Yuki artfully dodged any viable explanation of who she was or where she was from. Several of the shinobi shot her confused or suspicious looks. After having to deal with shapeshifting monsters, Beki thought she would be weirded out by a glowing girl in armor would unsettle her, too. She gave a friendly smile and a wave to anyone who looked like they might pull a knife. After several discouraging minutes of searching, Beki spotted a familiar frame reclining on the ground. She carefully approached, watching the slow rise and fall of Neji's torso. Her heart swelled at the sight of him. Neji's presence had always been a source of familiarity and comfort. It amazed Beki how much more seeing him meant to her now. She felt tension in her chest and shoulders loosen, her breathing steady, and her heart rate slow down. As quietly as possible, Beki set down her kanabo against a nearby tree and sat down beside him.

Neji stirred, his eyes fluttering open in the presence of Beki's glow. He squinted at her in confusion, his brows furrowing and a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't be so happy to see me," Beki joked, smiling despite herself.

Neji slowly sat up. He reached out and touched her face to see if she was really there. "Beki...what are you doing out here?"

"Mom and I were tracking someone when we ran into people from your division," Beki explained. It took actual physical effort to restrain herself. Every fiber in Beki's body wanted to tackled him to the ground and snuggle him. They were at war, though, and she was in body armor. The embarrassment from the unprofessional behavior would only be eclipsed by the physical damage she would do to him in his half-asleep state. "They told us patrols are getting picked off and led us back here for safety."

Neji listened silently. After she had finished speaking, the quiet stretched on for a while. Beki felt an itch to fill it but before she got a chance, Neji's eyes widened in shock. "Beki, you aren't wearing any clothes under your armor!"

Beki glanced down and noticed how obvious it was when she was glowing. "Oh. Crap, I forgot. I had to go Burned Maiden earlier. Neji started to fumble around, gathering up his blanket, and hurriedly draped it over her shoulders. "You must be freezing," He sighed as he bundled her up. "Didn't you think to pack a change of clothes?"

"If we're being honest, I run hot naturally," Beki said, but snuggled into the blanket anyway. "Besides, if I put on another set of clothes I would burn through them anyway."

Instinctively Neji drew her close. Beki nestled into the crook of his neck, breathing the smell of him. "I'm glad you're alright." Neji kissed the top of her head. "I've been trying not to worry about you."

"You don't have anything to worry about," Beki smiled. "If anyone messes with me, I burn them alive."

"If we weren't at war that sentence would make me uncomfortable," Neji grinned. "But in this context...Burn them all."

"What about you, though?" Beki reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. "Are you okay?"

Neji nodded. "I overdid it a little. I'm glad I get a chance to catch up on some sleep."

"That is, until I got here," Beki looked guilty.

"No," Neji shook his head. "Getting to hold you like this, knowing you're okay...it's better than sleep."

The two held each other close, talking softly, as if the world weren't coming apart at the seams around them. Beki laughed like she hadn't seen mangled bodies strung from trees. All the pain and confusion of the day melted away in Neji's arms. It was as if all those terrible things had happened in a horrible nightmare and now she was safe and awake. He rocked her gently as they talked. Yuki kept a respectful distance from the pair. Her heart ached a little at the sight of them, seeing so much of herself and Seiichiro at their age in almost identical circumstances. Unlike the lovestruck teenagers, however, Yuki was cruelly aware of the transient nature of existence. Not that catastrophe was a guarantee; it didn't hurt to let the two spend a little more time together.

Yuki rubbed her hands together. A passerby would've taken the gesture as an indicator of cold but for Yuki it was just a way to dispel nervous energy. She began to wander through the crowd, side stepping small campfires surrounded by silent shinobi, their eyes blankly transfixed on the flames as if they contained secret wisdom. The horrors of war were familiar to Yuki, almost in a comforting way. Technology could advance, empires could rise and fall, but war would never change.

A few in the crowd tossed her the occasional suspicious or concerned look. Yuki largely ignored them. After a while Yuki paused and stared up at the sky. The camp was in the middle of nowhere. The cavernous black sky stretched endlessly around them, the moon nearly full and bright enough that Yuki could navigate with ease. She shuffled uncomfortably, kicking at the gravel at her feet as she surveyed the entire encampment. This division was much like Kakashi's; Yuki remembered them having nearly double these numbers that morning. It was incredible how easily a life was expended when it took so long to cultivate. In a natural sense, they were all going back into the dirt to fertilize the plants that fed them or fed their food. That took care of the bodies, but what of all the souls?

Innocent or guilty, each body down was a lost soul. Yuki imagined few would ever see a proper burial, let alone one in a land they knew. As populated as the camp was now, Yuki couldn't imagine the sea of ghosts this place was going to be once the conflict was over. Local folklore in the regions where the conflicts had been worst during shinobi wars were rife with ghost stories: entire legions reenacting their final battles, shinobi knocking on doors in the dead of night to ask for water that were missing their limbs from the waist down, ghost knives whizzing by, that sort of thing.

Most dismissed it all as just local legends but Yuki wasn't so sure. She had always accepted the existence of deities and spirits, be they vengeful or benign. Often things wore away over time as the environment changed and the energy dissipated. War and other large-scale tragedies had an amplifying effect, however, encapsulating a place and trapping it in a time loop, where the dead were doomed to die again and again for all eternity. Standing there in the moonlight, Yuki could almost see the ghosts filling the intentionally empty seats by the fires, hovering wordlessly beside their friends and loved ones. With a sigh, Yuki closed her eyes and prayed for them to find their way. She prayed for them to pass on peacefully and for their loved ones to be comforted. Yuki tended to lose track of time when she was praying hard for something. She put her full concentration on it to fully communicate her intent. That's why it took her some time to notice the singing that had crept into her subconscious. She opened her eyes, blinking at the once again familiar tune. It was coming from somewhere beyond the camp, further into the woods. As she turned to try to narrow down the direction of the source, the singing became more insistent. It was calling to her. Drawing her closer.

The song had filled her with fear and dread up on the mountain. Now, as if understanding it neutered its potency, Yuki felt nothing but curiosity. What could this be, if the Maidens were secured up at the shrine?

For several minutes Yuki walked deeper into the woods and further from the camp. The soft sounds of conversation and the crackling of wood died away to crickets. Yuki heard the coo of an owl. This much activity proved to Yuki there was no danger here; animals were incredibly sensitive to malintent. Silence would have put her more on edge. Owls and crickets told her it was business as usual. As the singing grew louder and more distinct, Yuki had to suppress the urge to sing along.

Yuki saw the break in the trees up ahead, felt the cool breeze as it passed over the lake. Her heart thrummed in her chest and her breathing quickened. The singing was overwhelming now. It was as if Yuki were in a pit, the choir singing down at her so their music bounced off the walls and reverberated in her chest. It was so loud Yuki could hardly think, let alone process what she saw as she finally broke the treeline.

The windswept water gently lapped against the shore. Near the middle of the lake was a small island of sand and rocks. A figure sat on the largest stone, another human shape sat slumped on the ground beside her. It was hard for Yuki to make out details at this distance but in her heart she knew who she was looking at. Her black hair shone like silk in the moonlight, which reflected off her priestess robes and gave her an ethereal glow. The Drowned Maiden sat there patiently, petting the head of whoever lay at her feet. The singing finally faded away. The sudden absence of the deafening noise was chilling. Yuki could feel her muscles start to tense as she approached. She stabilized her chakra and began to walk across the surface of the lake.

Perhaps it was her nerves, but it seemed to be taking Yuki forever to reach the Drowned Maiden. Out of habit, Yuki glanced at her feet as she walked and nearly stopped dead. There was a face in the water. Its eyes were wide open, staring blankly up at Yuki. She watched for several seconds to see if it would blink. When nothing happened, Yuki's eyes began to track the surface of the water. She began to see other parts: hands reaching for the surface, mounds of hair moving with the current like seaweed, spines bobbing just below the waterline. The lake was full of the dead, and based on the shinobi headbands Yuki saw them all wearing, they were fresh.

"Daughter," Ouse flashed a charming smile. "I've been waiting for you."

"Rather impatiently, by the look of it," Yuki glanced down at the bodies swaying beneath her feet.

Ouse shook her head. "Lost souls for a lost cause."

"What are you doing here?" Yuki folded her arms. The person slumped at Ouse's feet let out a strange, guttural noise. Ouse shushed it gently, petting the top of its head. The person was mostly in the shadows of the rocks, propped up slightly with its head against Ouse's leg. Yuki could make out tufts of black hair and bandages, and that the person was likely a female based on its smaller stature.

"Righting ancient wrongs, saving the world from itself," Ouse cocked her head. "Tsukimori would speak of culling the weak but I see it more as helping lost children find their way."

"To an early grave, apparently." Yuki cocked her head. "You're awfully far from the shrine. What do the Three Maidens have to do with shinobi conflicts?"

Ouse gave a small laugh. It was high and clear, like the tinkling of bells. "We're right at the core of the issue, of course. Shinobi kill each other, fight over land using chakra. All that chakra had to come from somewhere. The source of that chakra, our Mother, had a vision for all her children. The shinobi in their thirst for violence abused the chakra and discarded the Mother's vision-"

"Again, I'm struggling to see what that has to do with you three and your propensity to stir up trouble whenever we get in fights." Yuki shuffled, adjusting her position on the water.

Ouse's eyes widened and the smile took a sharp turn. "The impatience on this one! I don't know what I expected. You were always this way."

Yuki's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Ouse shrugged, trying hard to suppress a knowing smile. "You grew up on the shrine, an orphan with incredible gifts. A spiritual successor, one could say, the bearer of my torch." Ouse stared Yuki down with lashes so long they looked like butterfly wings. "I can see it about you, the grace in your movements, the calm you surround yourself with. You were meant to be head priestess, were you not?"

"That was a long time ago." Yuki shook her head. "I'd have to say we've had some philosophical differences, you Maidens and I."

Ouse shook her finger at Yuki. "Oh no, not philosophical differences. You agree with us. When did the nations mean anything to you? The petty conflicts of the shinobi?"

"Never." Yuki frowned.

"How can you be so sure you're fighting for the right side? You should be with us, Asou Yukihana. You should be with your Mother." Ouse spoke gently as she carefully extracted herself from the thing at her feet. She crossed the space between her and Yuki. It was overwhelming how beautiful the woman was. She looked like a drawing come to life, perfectly symmetrical, full and womanly yet slender and tall. Hair like ink on skin like snow, lips red as blood and eyes as blue as ghostfire.

"I was alive in ancient times, Yukihana," Ouse spoke softly, almost conspiratorily. "My family was prosperous and I had every right a woman could pray for in those days. Yet still, I lacked power and purpose. I never bought into the righteousness or the justice of Mother's message the way Tsukimori did, but I know what embracing Kaguya did for me. When I was murdered in her service, she brought me back. Her love, her dedication, that gave me my purpose." Ouse glanced up at the moon, a small enchanting smile tugging at her lips. "Mother brought each of us back. Our true names were once common knowledge but they seem to have been lost in the ages. Mother would have never called us by our deaths; it would have been too cruel a reminder. We were not the Burned, the Drowned, nor the Hanged. Our names came from Mother's sorrow. Mother loved each of us so deeply that she couldn't handle her grief upon our deaths and split it between us. It was a small burden for us to bear in exchange for our resurrection because with it came a portion of her power. Tsukiyama was her Vengeance, Tsukimori was her Fervor, and I was her Anguish."

"Is that your recruitment speech?" Yuki chuffed. "What would I be then? You guys have all the big ones covered. I'd be the Maiden of…what else is in grief? Day drinking?"

Ouse ignored the joke and instead gave Yuki a sympathetic look. She reached up and took Yuki's face softly in her hands. "You would be the bearer of Mother's greatest pain," Ouse leaned in, almost close enough to kiss Yuki. "Her betrayal."

Yuki swallowed at the lump forming in the back of her throat.

"They made us into monsters, Yukihana," Ouse gave her a pained look. "We were peaceful priestesses and they murdered us. Death twisted us, true, but it made us in their likeness, corrupted our nature so we could combat theirs. All shinobi know to do is to destroy, to fight one another. The Mother's way is one of creation and peace. Come now. Stop playing at being their ally. You've cleaved through enough shinobi that none of them can call you 'friend'. You are a priestess. You were meant to be a Maiden. You need to be reunited with your Mother."

The sound of something stumbling through the bushes drew both of their attention. Awkwardly standing there, blinking in the moonlight, was Beki.

"Mom? What's going on?"

Ouse's eyes widened. "Mom?" She surveyed Beki carefully and then turned to Yuki with an accusatory look. "She looks like a Tsukimori to me."

"She is," Yuki spat. "She's Tsukimori and Asou."

Ouse inhaled sharply through her teeth. "Did they teach you nothing? The Mother's gift is not to be shared! It was split between us for a reason, Yukihana." Ouse gestured around her, to the sea of dead she created. "Look around us! You and I have both killed innumerable men without remorse. I would like to think you are wise enough to recognize the instability in yourself. And as for the Tsukimori," Ouse looked off in the distance as a shadow crossed over her face. "That level of destructive power bound up inside a person akin to a rope stretched taut, ready to snap at any moment" Ouse grabbed ahold of Yuki's shoulders and shook her, concern furrowing her dainty brow. "How could you possibly tempt the fates by combining them?! How could you flip the coin of madness with your own child?"

Yuki flashed a dangerous smile. "The only way to prove the fates are real is to tempt their wrath every once in a while."

Ouse shook her head and walked across the water towards Beki. Beki blinked in surprise at the approach of the woman and glanced at her mother.

"Uh, Yuki, who is this?"

"Asou Ouse," Yuki folded her arms. She watched Ouse as she moved towards Beki, looking for any indication the woman would lash out. "You would know her better as the Drowned Maiden."

Beki went rigid, her shoulders shooting up and her eyes widening in shock. She stared at Ouse. "But she's been dead for three hundred years-"

"More like four hundred and thirteen." Ouse reached up and took Beki's face in her hands. Her skin was incredibly soft for an ancient.

"How is that-there's no way that's possible," Beki shook her head but kept her gaze glued to the woman in front of her. "You should be ashes by now-"

"Little one, we've met before." Ouse's eyes were a pretty shade of blue. Not quite as bright as her mother's, more on the lighter side than Yuki's but not as silver as Beki's. Her breath smelled like figs. "Don't you remember my voice?"

Almost instantly Beki was thrown back into the memory of that cavern and the coffins. The whispery, terrifying voice that had called out to her, controlled her in that darkness. "What are you doing?"

Ouse had been examining Beki's face closely, the slightest hint of a frown on her mouth. Suddenly, she jumped with a start and took a step back. "No, this is no good. It's in her, the madness, seething beneath the surface like a curse waiting to be spoken into being." Ouse turned her eyes on Yuki. "I was hoping perhaps it would have passed over her by some luck."

"What are you talking about?" Beki felt sweat droplets forming on her back. She had no idea what the women had been talking about but couldn't shake the feeling it would affect her fate.

"The bloodlines were not supposed to intermingle," Ouse explained with a sympathetic tone. "It was stringently enforced in our day because of Mother's warnings. When she raised the Maidens from the dead, she told us to go forth and continue our lines to pass on her gift. She made it very clear that each gift came with a price. We each would carry a portion of her grief to balance our power. If the lines mixed, the balance would be disrupted, and only devastation would be left in its wake."

"Who the hell is this 'Mother' everyone keeps talking about?" Beki furrowed her brow. "And what are you trying to say here? I'm a ticking time bomb?"

Ouse took a deep breath and shook her head. "What you are is not your fault, little one. The burden of your bloodguilt falls on the shrine and the priestess for not conveying Mother's warnings and enforcing her justice." Ouse stepped back from Beki and raised her hands in a familiar gesture. "If we allow you to live, you will only leave ruin and ash behind you. Such destruction is not our way."

The dead clamored beneath Beki, their arms reaching up and taking ahold of her ankles. They began to pull her beneath the surface. As Beki panicked, her chakra control faltered. One leg broke beneath the surface and she pulled it out with a shout. Beki kicked and swatted at the hands, tugging her legs out of their grasp. But there were always more hands. They reached up from the abyss, fingers reaching, pulling, dragging. Beki began to heat up defensively but the hands didn't care as she seared their already lifeless flesh. She stumbled, falling backwards towards the water. Instantly more hands were on her, clawing at her arms, legs, hair. Beki struggled to pull herself away from them, smashing fingers and snapping wrists. Her chakra control gave out as the hands pulled her beneath the surface. Arms wrapped around her in a fatal embrace, dragging her towards oblivion.

They're trying to drown me.

Beki closed her eyes, desperately searching within herself for any trace of the Drowned Maiden. She had been there once, patiently waiting to be called upon. Beki needed her now more than ever. What had once been a simple process, closing her eyes and visualizing the Maiden come through the surface, was all but a memory. The sea that had been in her mind was nothing but an empty void. That horrible, gurgling voice that had once spoken to her was gone. There was an unmoving sentient silence in its place, watching and waiting for what Beki didn't know. Her death, perhaps. If Beki couldn't get free soon or activate the Drowned Maiden, she was done for.

Having found nothing but a void within, Beki focused on freeing herself in the tangible world. She transformed into the Burned Maiden, the explosion of her shift knocking away the bodies. Beki kicked hard, working against the weight of her armor as she approached the surface. Her lungs burned and her eyes stung in the contaminated water. When at last she broke the surface, Beki gasped a few good breaths and clawed the last few feet to shore. The now partially dismembered dead clamored for her but never left the safety of the water. Beki looked up at the Drowned Maiden to see that Ouse was facing Yuki, her bleeding back now to Beki.

"You would betray me? The Maidens?" Ouse practically screamed. "Your Mother?!"

"The moment I brought that child into the world I made a promise," Yuki's voice was low and calm but she couldn't hide the growl behind her words. "I would _personally_ tear _anyone_ whoever dared to lay a hand on her to pieces."

"If this is how far our descendants have fallen, better to purge you and start over." Ouse stepped back so her eyes could be on them both. "Heathens and blasphemers, all."

Beki looked at Yuki for direction. Her mother raised a hand, keeping her eyes on Ouse. "Stay on shore."

"Are you sure?" Beki picked up her dropped kanabo.

Yuki nodded. The vision of beauty before her quickly wilted. The milky skin turned deathly pale, streaked by blue veins and a sickly gray green tint. Her too-red lips turned the color of a bruised plum. Ouse's clothes and hair clung to her skin as the water coated her body, revealing she was wearing nothing underneath. Ouse looked up at Yuki with the eyes of a corpse, offwhite and glassed over, her lips curled into a snarl. She parted her teeth and disgusting algae filled water came bubbling out, splattering her clothes and splashing into the water beneath their feet. Beki watched in horror as Ouse threw herself at Yuki, a rattling scream escaping the Maiden's lips as she charged. At the same time, Beki saw that beneath the surface the dead were maneuvering towards Yuki at frightening speed. Their convergence upon Yuki happened at the same time as Ouse's attack. Beki opened her mouth to let out a cry of warning.

Beki heard a cracking sound and felt a rush of cold air so strong it nearly knocked her off her feet. Yukihana had instantaneously shifted into Yuki-onna form. The release of power was so intense that it had frozen the surface of the lake for several feet around and beneath her, trapping Ouse's helpers. Yuki had also thrown up her hands and stopped Ouse mid attack, holding her wrists before they could bring the blade down. She gave her ancestor one swift kick to give herself some space. Ouse's face was twisted with rage as she moved in for another attack. She vomited water as she moved, slicking the surface of Yuki's ice. Yuki stood there, her white hair and corpse eyes staring Ouse down as she closed in with her knife raised. At the last second, Yuki raised her hands and trapped Ouse from the ankle down in ice. It stopped her dead in her tracks, the rest of her lurching forward with the sudden obstacle. Ouse snarled and struggled against the ice. Yuki circled her slowly as the ice crept its way up Ouse's body. The bodies in the lake became more desperate, pounding on the thick ice above them to try to rescue Ouse. Any time Ouse tried to bring in water or spit it up for an attack, it just fueled Yuki's encroaching ice. After it encased her arms, Ouse became very still. She watched Yuki with an unsettling smile. "You'll trap me again? That didn't work out so well for your predecessors, did it?"

Yuki shook her head, her hair catching the moonlight. "Keeping you alive was a mistake-"

The bell like laugh was gone. The gasping, gurgling sound Ouse made would have floored a man with less resolve than Yuki. Instead, Yuki got in close, almost so their noses touched. "What's so funny, _mother_?"

"Killing me would be worse," Ouse cocked her head, her features still lovely even in their monstrous state. "The last time we were killed, we came back twice as strong. Nothing will save you when she raises us again, Yukihana. That is, if there's anything left for us to come for once that abomination of yours finally snaps."

"I've heard enough from you." Yuki stepped away and the ice inched its way up Ouse's face, trapping her mouth in the ice. Before it had completely encased her face, Yuki pulled back and roundhouse kicked the ice block. It shattered Asou Ouse into chunks, half of her head still looking up at Yuki in surprise as it crumbled into the lake. The dead beneath the waves fell still, slowly sinking to the bottom as the source of their power faded from existence. Yuki paused for a moment, surveying her work, before looking up at Beki. "That was a lot easier than I-"

A scream full of bloodcurdling fury and pain filled the air, tearing apart the calm and setting the hair standing on both of their necks. A chill ran down Beki's spine at the otherworldly sound. No animal or person she had ever heard make a noise like that. It was straight out of a nightmare, something she couldn't have imagined if she tried. Her body responded involuntarily. Besides the goosebumps, Beki began to shake. Not a little tremble, but a full body spasm to accompany the icy fingers creeping their way down her spine. Beki's eyes widened as she located the source and shakily raised a finger towards it. "Moooooooom-"

Yuki's eyes followed Beki's accusing gesture to the source of the hellish scream. The person who Ouse had been comforting hadn't been one of her dead shinobi pets. This person, no, the form was too twisted, too malformed to be a person. This _thing_ had risen up onto its feet. It was half bent over, long lean legs that led to a torso bound in rope, its arms secured and crossed over its chest. Ropes dangled down over its legs and trailed like tails behind it. The lack of arms for balance forced the thing to lean forward, its head out before it.

"OOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" It bellowed, that same shrill, nails on a chalkboard, choked out sound. It wheezed, inhaling with difficulty as it staggered towards them. As it approached, Beki saw it stand up to its full height and her knees knocked together.

Its face was wrapped in bandages. Tufts of black hair poked out in places but otherwise the bandages were so tight Beki could see its features beneath, specifically the open mouth twisted in horrific pain. That terrifying face would be enough to haunt Beki's nightmares, but worse, the head was attached to a neck that was far too long. Stretched out to almost twice a normal length so the muscles couldn't quite support the weight of the lolling head above it. The bandages were looser around the throat, letting gray flesh creep through. Beki saw a horrible purple rope shaped bruise encircling the throat like a choker. It oozed terror, between the vision of it and the bloodcurdling noises it made. For the first time in her life, Beki was frozen in horror. All she could do was watch as one of the rope like tails raised itself up off the ground and shot out for Yuki. Before she could react, it had her by the throat, dragging her around on her own ice so she couldn't get the footing to fight it. Yuki struggled, tugging at the impossibly strong and sentient ropes attacking her, afraid to extend her claws and possibly impale herself. For half a moment, Yuki stopped fighting it. It yanked her painfully but bought her a safe window to free herself. Her claws cleaved through the rope, but only barely.

"Beki!" Yuki dropped her Yukionna form and ran for her daughter. "Start running now!"

Beki stared at her blankly, blinking dumbly at the creature coming to kill them. "Dammit Beki!" Yuki slapped her across the face and took her arm in hand. "RUN!"

Beki was tugged along for a few moments but the strike had brought her back around to her senses. She followed her mother into the woods, imitating the way she vaulted roots and swung from branches to achieve maximum speed. "Why aren't we headed toward camp?!" Beki asked.

"What, do you want to see everyone slaughtered?!" Yuki spat. "We need to buy time for me to think of a way out of this!"

Beki could only nod in agreement as she raced along the forest floor, her wet armor slapping against her legs. After a few minutes, the horrible screeching faded but Yuki motioned for Beki to keep the pace. "We're going to need some help," Yuki shook her head. "This...she's too much to take on alone."

"You took out the Drowned Maiden like it was nothing," Beki furrowed her brow, water droplets running down the sides of her face from her still soaked hair and headband. "I get that she's probably the most gut clenching scary thing I have ever seen in my life. Do you think that if we put our powers together we can't take her down?"

Yuki stared out ahead, a frown twisting her features. "No, Beki. I had a type advantage against the Drowned Maiden. Nothing quite stops water in its tracks like ice. Those ropes were infused with chakra. Toramura had just modified the gauntlets. If he hadn't I wouldn't have been able to cut my way out."

"So what are other people going to get us?" Beki blinked.

"If nothing else, they'll help draw her attention." Yuki surveyed the now deathly quiet forest around them. "Not that I wanted to run her through a camp of sleeping shinobi."

"Well, what do we do then?" Beki glanced nervously over her shoulder.

"The first patrol we see, we recruit." Yuki nodded confidently. "Not that it'll be hard to convince them to help us fight the Hanged Maiden. We all took on zombies today, right?"

...

The Kiri kunoichi, Sen, nervously moved through the brush. It had been almost twenty minutes since her superior had gone out looking for her squad mate, who herself had gone missing almost an hour ago. The moon was almost full and made it nearly as bright as day. The light hurt the situation almost as much as it helped, casting the entire woods in an ominous blue-white glow. It was unsettling how quiet it was. Sen shuddered at the way her heart pounded in her chest, advertising her presence to the world around her. The most disorienting thing about her search was the paradoxical sensations of being completely alone in the wilderness but also feeling like she was being watched. Sen followed the patrol route her squad mate had headed out on and logically her superior would have taken as well.

There was a sound, like a soft whisper, off to her left. Sen's head jerked in that direction but not even wind was there to greet her. The utter stillness set her hair on end. Had she imagined it? Or were her teammates pulling a tacky prank?

Sen cautiously approached the source of the sound. The trees were thicker here, trunks ranging from the thickness of her thigh to her torso and as tall as the eyes could see. She had to inch her way forward through the dense brush so as not to make noise. It was hard; the bushes were thorny and latched onto her clothes, snagged at her gloves, and pulled at her hair. At last, Sen cleared the underbrush and entered a small clearing in the trees. She almost walked right into her superior.

"Yusuke san," Sen jumped, laughing nervously. "You had me worried-"

His empty eyes stared back at her, tongue lolling out of his mouth. It took her almost a full thirty seconds of staring at him to notice the rope wrapped around his neck, suspending him from the branch of one of the great trees. Sen stumbled sideways nervously, only to collide with another form. Her teammate swung slightly from the impact, swaying back and forth like the pendulum in a clock. Her eyes were vacant and her head hung at an unnatural angle from the rope. Sen let out an involuntary squeal of fear before she clapped a hand over her mouth. Both Yusuke and Haruhi had bloodied up fingers with hunks of skin, the ropes around their neck soaked with the blood of their desperate, futile attempts to free themselves. Had they killed themselves? Wouldn't they have given Sen some indication, at least in a change in their behavior, to make her believe it possible?

Sen looked up at the rest of the clearing only to have her breath catch in her throat. The entire clearing looked like a macabre set of windchimes: bodies swaying from ropes in the trees. Sen looked around, knowing the killer must be close. Again, she felt like she was being watched but also completely alone. Perhaps it was the eyes of the dead she was feeling on her back. Sen slowly made her way around the clearing, surveying each of the bodies. They all looked rather fresh. In total, there were thirteen. They were all in various states of distress. Some were completely intact, their looks of surprise still plastered on their faces in death. Others had met crueler fates. Limbs were missing, the wounds appearing as though they had been torn and not severed away. All that was left of one man's head was from the jaw down. One of the bodies looked older than the others and it was in the worst shape. The skin was a sickly gray where it was exposed and the clothes were mostly gone. Wrappings hung around the face but the rest of her body was only partially kept decent by the rope she had been bound and hung by. A chill crept down Sen's spine at the sight of the woman's unnatural, stretched out neck. How long did a person have to be hung for for their muscles to give out that way?

Sen felt something plop on her shoulder and nearly screamed, thinking that some kind of tree snake or spider had fallen on her shoulder. When she looked, it was much worse.

The noose had come from nowhere. It tightened around her neck and Sen swatted behind her for her assailant but no one was there. Sen was bodily hoisted into the air, her fingers between the rope and her neck. It hurt desperately but she knew she needed enough slack to keep her windpipe from being crushed. The rope twisted as Sen was raised out of sight far up into the trees. Strangely, Sen spotted no one. After a few seconds the weight of Sen's body on the rope broke her fingers. The pain was intense but did nothing to compete with the panic of how difficult it was becoming to breathe. As her vision began to blur, the rope twisted around again and Sen found herself face to face with the older looking body from below. It dangled directly in front of her, so close their noses almost touched. The wrappings around its face were just loose enough for the moonlight to catch the evil glint of its pitch black eyes. Sen began to panic, her breathing becoming more rapid and strained as she struggled against the rope. The thing gasped and wheezed, each breath slow and pained to matched Sen's own, swaying mockingly in rhythm with Sen as she kicked out her final moments.


	112. The Noose Tightens

**Hi everyone, its been a while. I know I said I would be doing longer chapters for these next few segments but we're running into issues with appropriate ending points. A 10k chapter is okay, a 15k chapter is excessive. I think we might end up with a mix of 5-6k chapters and 9-10k. I understand this is a busy time for many of you (as it is for me) this time of year but I reaaaaallllllyyyyy appreciate feedback on these chapters. I have gotten lots of feedback from everyone on my romance writing (nudge NUDGE) but I feel there's a bit more radio silence on these horror/action type scenes. These are much harder to write (read as take twice as long to conceptualize, write, and edit) for me and input would be greatly appreciated. If you don't have any feedback but you have questions, those are welcome as well. Often if you're thinking something, someone else is thinking it too. It helps me find gaps in my writing or reminds me to put notes in on the next chapter for review of previous canon. Hearing from you guys makes this a much more enjoyable experience for me. I don't feel like I'm just screaming into the void here. So thank you in advance, I hope you enjoy, and I can't wait to hear from you. XO, ponchoninjax3. (PS I know tallman said he would update like, two months ago. He had finals and although that excuse shouldn't carry him this far, he's working on it. Look forward to a chapter soon. Even if I have to beat it out of him.)**

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Yuki's mind was racing in seamless rhythm with her feet. As the pair bolted through the woods, Yuki poured over everything she ever learned at the shrine. Most of her ceremonial knowledge was useless here: she couldn't exorcise something that was still technically alive. If the Maidens had been vengeful spirits this would have been quick work for Yuki. Next was all her knowledge of the Maidens' lore. Did they have weaknesses? Fatal flaws like jealousy or greed that could be exploited? Instead of her own thoughts and memories, the words of Ouse kept swimming through her head. Yuki couldn't shake the feeling that she had made a mistake. The Maidens were more dangerous dead than alive and Yuki very well may have given them a chance to come back twice as powerful.

Or was that what Ouse wanted Yuki to think? Was it a double bluff, trying to get Yuki to spare the Maidens so they could wreak havoc later? Yuki wiped away sweat as it dripped down from her forehead into her eyes. She had opted to wear the "shinobi" headband as an armband and was now regretting that decision. Yuki wasn't sure whether the sweat was from exertion or nerves. Given her excellent physical condition, she was inclined to believe the latter. Yuki was faced with impossible question after question. How many times could a person feasibly be brought back from the dead, deity or not? From the lore Yuki could remember, the Maidens were described as having lost some of their humanity in the process. It was possible they could be brought back again, but at what cost? Would their Mother bestow on them more power but claim more of their logic and reason? Would they be bumbling, destructive animals with no ability to communicate?

"Did you say something?"

Beki's voice rocked Yuki back into the present, snapping her head to the side to face her daughter. "What?"

Beki furrowed her brow in confusion. "I asked if you said something?"

Yuki thought for a moment and shook her head. "No. You must be imagining things."

Beki chuffed. "I mean, who could blame me after what we've seen today." Under her voice, just above Yuki's ability to hear, she heard Beki mutter: "I swore I heard someone."

The two nearly collided with a group of shinobi, barely stopping before they plowed into them. All parties involved had weapons drawn and were ready to scrap before they recognized each other.

"Yuki," Kakashi sighed, lowering his knife. "You two sure took your sweet time coming back."

Yuki's eyes widened in realization and she swore. "Great. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid."

"Deserting, are you?" Kakashi cocked his head. "That's rather unsportsmanlike-"

"No," Yuki sighed and raised her hands in warning. "We are all in terrible danger."

Gai grinned, his teeth sparkling valiantly in the moonlight. "If you're afraid, Yuki, it must be a worthy challenge."

"I was hoping we could run into a patrol. Be strategic about this," Yuki watched over her shoulder at the deathly still forest. It almost looked like a painting with how picturesque the scenery was. But if it was a painting, it would have to have been hung in a haunted house. Even if Yuki hadn't been aware of the monster hunting them within, she would have felt an ominous presence hidden in those woods. Watching. Waiting. "This many people...it's just going to be a bloodbath."

"How about you start with what we're up against?" Kakashi folded his arms. "Instead of this pronoun game you're playing."

"I'm a descendant of the Three Maidens, so is Beki. You guys have seen what we can do." Yuki gestured to the woods. "Turns out that the original Three Maidens are running around out there killing shinobi."

"So, they were resurrected as well," Kakashi furrowed his brow. "Can you go over what the Three were, again?"

"They aren't undead," Yuki buried her face in her hands. "Somehow they're still alive after a couple hundred years. Sealed away or something; the specifics don't matter. I killed the Drowned Maiden but Hanged Maiden is right on our tail. Or at least, she _was_ right on our tail. As for the Burned Maiden...who knows. I'm sure we'd see smoke if she was nearby." Yuki recalled the thick choking smoke that had blanketed the shrine. There had seemed no origin, no fire attached to it. Yuki hoped that would prove to be a sort of early warning system: sourceless smoke=Burned Maiden.

"You killed the Drowned Maiden by yourself?" Kakashi raised his eyebrows. "Well then, why are we so worried about the other two?"

Yuki ran her hands nervously through her hair. "She coated herself in water! All I had to do was freeze her solid and give her a good kick! The Hanged Maiden isn't going to be so easy. She's got these ropes that move of their own free will," She felt at the raw band around her neck, remembered the jagged sensation of the rope burning, biting. "Witch almost strangled me."

As the adults talked strategy, Beki wandered off to the side. She leaned against a tree and sank down its length until she was sitting on its exposed roots. The wood dug into her flesh but she didn't pay it any mind. Her knees were weak and her head was swimming. After a few moments, Lee noticed her behavior and approached his friend. "Beki, are you alright?"

Beki's head was hanging between her knees. It took a few moments for her to raise her head and respond. When her eyes met his, Beki seemed to be looking past him.

"Beki?" Lee crouched down so he was level with her, focusing her gaze on his face.

Beki came around at the sound of her name. "What was that, Lee?"

"You don't look so good," Lee furrowed his brow and frowned with concern.

"No," Beki shook her head and gave him a strange, off-putting smile. "I'm...I'm not feeling so good, Lee."

Lee opened his mouth to respond but overheard Gai sensei talking. When he looked back at her, Beki's head had drooped again. She was breathing steadily. Maybe she just needed some rest. Lee nodded in agreement with himself and rejoined the group.

"So how are we going to do this?" Gai folded his arms. "Should we break into small teams and try to hunt her that way?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I disagree. It sounds like the Hanged Maiden is more dangerous in small numbers. Those ropes don't sound like they could tackle multiple opponents at a time. A shinobi like that is more of a hitman. We should stick together as a group and surround her when she comes to us. We'll overwhelm her with our numbers."

Yuki was too exhausted to argue. In fact, she was so tired she wasn't sure if she should be arguing. There was a nagging sense at the back of her mind telling her to send everyone away. This was a Three Maidens matter and really it should be Yuki and Beki dealing with it. Then again, Yuki had almost had her ass kicked. So instead of disputing, Yuki simply nodded as Kakashi called in the rest of the group and explained the situation.

"Does that cover everything, Yuki?" Kakashi glanced at her after he'd finished speaking.

"Just as a heads up," Yuki looked at the group. "I know you guys may have seen some unsettling shit in your time but this woman is verifiable nightmare fodder. She looks like she should be some slow shambling zombie thing but she's fast, she's angry, and she's very much alive."

Off somewhere in the woods was the telltale blood curdling shriek of the Hanged Maiden. Yuki watched as several of the shinobi stood bolt upright, the fear catching their breath in their throats and their eyes widening to the size of saucers. It sounded close but it was hard to tell what direction it was coming from. It seemed like it came from everywhere at once, echoing off the trees.

"There she is," Yuki took a deep breath and shook out her hands.

"That's the last time I ask you for a favor," Kakashi gave a dark chuckle. "I send you out to drop off some wounded and you bring vengeful priestesses back with you."

"I only brought one," Yuki protested. "It's not like I meant for her to follow me home, either!"

There was a scream behind them. By the time they had turned their heads, all they could see was a shinobi being bodily thrown through the air and slammed against a tree. There was a sickening crack as their spine broke. The rope that had been coiled around their ankle wrapped itself around the tree branch, hoisting the lifeless, mangled body in the air upside down. Ropes of varying sizes and thicknesses snaked along the ground and around the trees, tentacles searching for prey. The shinobi hacked at the ropes and leapt clear of their reach. Then, like a curse materializing, the Hanged Maiden staggered into view.

Yuki heard at least three people scream and couldn't help but let a gasp escape her own throat. She thought it would be easier seeing her the second time, that the Hanged Maiden's form would be less startling now that it was somewhat familiar. Yuki was wrong.

The Hanged Maiden moved unnaturally. She shambled and stumbled towards them, her arms still trapped within the confines of her seemingly much looser bindings. Then there was the too long neck, the grim rope bruise fully visible on the gray flesh of her throat. The Maiden's head lolled like a ragdoll with her uneven movements, tossing the tufts of black hair that poked through her face bandages dancing. The bandages looked looser, too, since the last Yuki had seen her. Beady black eyes shimmered cruelly in the moonlight, cold as an animal's. There were splatters on the bandages and rope now, black in the dim light, but by the pattern of the spray Yuki knew it was blood.

She had been hunting.

The Hanged Maiden shambled right into their midst, allowing the shinobi to completely surround her and barrage the monster with weapons and ninjutsu. After several moments, when the dust and smoke cleared, the Hanged Maiden was a mess of torn flesh, burns, and looked like a porcupine with all the knives sticking out of her. She had collapsed where she stood. The ropes were still.

Yuki was panting. Could it really be so simple? Were the Maidens all this weak? In their first encounter, Yuki had been so afraid. This monster had seemed like it was going to be the end of her, the end of them all. And yet here she was, felled in a single wave of attacks. Maybe due to the isolation of the early Getsu shinobi, the Maidens had seemed legendary. Compared to modern, worldly ninja, maybe the ancient power of the Three Maidens would be startlingly underwhelming.

The first knife hit the ground. It fell out of the Maiden's skin, landing in the dirt with a soft plop. At first Yuki just attributed it to a shallow wound, but then the next knife fell out. Then the next. The clearing sounded like a jar of change being shaken as the knives clattered to the ground. Slowly, the Hanged Maiden rose back up onto her feet. She was still doubled over, her long neck dangling in front of her. Hunks of skin flapped around her as she rose, exposing pink muscle. The weeping burns and cuts dripped fluids down her body in rivers. The shinobi were left to watch in horror as the Hanged Maiden finally raised her head and the rope bindings that had kept her arms trapped fell free. The split wounds knit within seconds. The burned flesh smoothed and paled back to its original color. It was as if nothing had happened and they had thrown everything they had at her. Beneath the bandages around her face, Yuki saw her smiling.

Beki rested her head against the tree bark. It was cold; the lack of clothes beneath her armor was beginning to get to her. She shivered as she watched the ropes dance like a sea of snakes in the clearing. The Hanged Maiden looked pleased with how terrified everyone was with her. Pleased with herself. The Drowned Maiden had been that way, too, smirking at the sight of her lake full of dead. They were smug about their handiwork. Superior.

Like Ebisu. Like Hidiki. Like Shinichi.

All so damned proud of themselves, at the works they had built. Their pride filled Beki with a rage that turned her stomach, fumed inside her, seethed like a living, breathing thing. She hated them all. Beki tasted bile in her throat and felt her muscles clench involuntarily. The clicking in the background barely registered in her thoughts but it was too close to completely ignore.

 _Burn them_.

The voice was strange. It was a woman's voice, deep and sonorous like the song of a siren; as persuasive as it was seductive. It wasn't hers, though. The way that Beki knew deep down that the voice of the Drowned Maiden had been her, had come from inside her like a twisted conscience, this new voie was a stranger's. A familiar stranger. Someone she had met in a dream and didn't remember. Beki slowly rose to her feet. One of the ropes had found its way around Yukihana's throat. She had formed an ice shelf to prop herself up on, clawing at her neck to disentangle herself. The Hanged Maiden saw and gave her a hard kick, swinging Yuki like a ragdoll. Life was so fragile. All Yuki's hard work, her training, all her knowledge, and she was going to die the way Seiichiro did. Their experience gone in an instant, their legacies crumbling behind them. But that was the thing, wasn't it? When the fires came through the forest, they purged all the dead, crumbling things. It made space for new life, new growth, new legacies to take root. It was the cycle of life, a cleansing.

Burn them, the voice repeated. Burn them all.

As Beki took her first steps forward, the voice repeated itself, inviting Beki to join in.

Yuki had reached up and grabbed ahold of the rope, climbing it slightly to gain herself some much-needed slack. She used the fingers of one hand to work at the knot. Once she had enough space, Yuki could form the ice knives and cut herself free. She glanced up and noticed Beki approaching. Had she been outside the fray this whole time?

As she grew closer, Yuki noticed the faraway look in her daughter's eyes. Beki's lips were moving. It was hard to tell what she was saying; it almost looked like she was praying. Small tendrils of flame sprouted from her flesh and disappeared like micro solar flares. Sparks flew from her mouth as she mumbled. Yuki smelled burning sugar and warm cotton. As she watched, Yuki's eyes widened in terror as she noticed a noose lower itself silently from the tree tops. It was like a spider descending from its web to ensnare Beki. Yuki cried out but Beki didn't hear her. In her panic to warn her daughter, Yuki lost her grip and dropped, her neck jerking painfully. She clamored back up the rope, her fingers less sure this time as they negotiated with the knots. Yuki stole a glance at her daughter. Instead of being pulled into the air like Yuki, Beki had kept pressing forward, pulling against the rope and choking herself on the noose. She was struggling to breathe, but the strangling made her message audible:

"Burn them," Beki gasped. "Burn them. Burn them all."

The clicking grew more insistent, drowning out Beki's words. The sparks rained from her mouth like a welder's torch and the tongue-like flames coming off her skin licked at the ropes. When the rope was completely taught, Beki's struggles persisted. She pulled forward like a dog on a leash that spotted a squirrel. Then, all at once, when her breathing was reduced to nothing more than strained gasps, Beki ignited. The force of the blast sent the shinobi around them flying. Yuki was forced to abandon her attempts to free herself in order to stay up on the rope, clinging on for dear life. The eruption's force bodily swung Yuki, spinning her in place and flipping her stomach. She swallowed vomit and clenched her eyes shut until the pendulum ceased. When Yuki opened her eyes, Beki had thrown herself on the Hanged Maiden.

Ropes wrapped around Beki's arms, her legs, and torso. The single strands of rope would catch fire on contact with her skin and retract as if injured. The smug smile on the Hanged Maiden's face twisted into disdain as she sent more ropes after Beki. The clusters slowed her but just as before, Beki continued to press forward, choking and straining against the binds. One by one they snapped, the rope remnants incinerating against her skin. The last few broke so suddenly that the Hanged Maiden was forced to throw up her hands to defend herself from Beki's rush. For someone who moments ago had seemed physically unstable, the Maiden proved a sound grappler in the way she grabbed Beki redirected her momentum. Beki tumbled, losing her balance. Ropes slithered up to her, entangling her body to keep her pinned. Just like the others, they burned in moments and Beki was back on her feet.

Satisfied her daughter wasn't in immediate danger, Yuki returned to the task of saving her own life. Her hands were stinging, bruised, torn, and tired from supporting her weight. She extended the claws on her gauntlets and formed ice blades. Or at least, she tried to. The crystalline structures would begin to form and then fizzle out, dribbling cool water back down her arms. Yuki's eyes widened. Beki had raised the surrounding temperature so high that Yuki was completely nerfed. That realization threw Yuki back into a panic. She hacked at the rope with her bare blades but they were cleaving, not sawing. They did little more than fray the outermost portions of rope. She pulled back her arm to get more momentum but it was to no avail. The swing offset her balance and Yuki slipped, sliding precious inches down the rope. She clung on with her other hand. Yuki's mind was racing in rhythm with the pounding pain in her hands. As she watched the battle rage before her, she realized she had run out of options. Yuki was going to strangle to death because all Hanged Maiden's screaming would cover Yuki's cries. And who would notice Yuki's writhing body when there was a literal dancing rope and fire show going on?

There was the crack of bones breaking. The Hanged Maiden had tried to smash Beki into a tree but the latter had ducked out of her grasp at the last second. The Maiden had been poised to strike with such force that her forearm broke on contact, bone protruding from the skin and her hand dangling at an unnatural angle. Without skipping a beat, she was back on Beki's tail, stabbing at her viciously with the exposed bone.

Yuki's arms were failing her. They were shaking, straining under her weight. Yuki cursed her own stubbornness for never carrying tools, for relaying so exclusively on her ice powers to rescue her. One arm gave out, putting all her weight on the other. Yuki cried out and clenched the rope against her chest with her one good arm. If only she had managed to get enough slack to have a foot hold. Instead, here she was, literal inches away from death. Yuki closed her eyes and began to pray; she needed divine intervention to get out of this. At least if this last ditch effort didn't work, she could make peace with her god. There was a bright light above her. The world went blue for a moment and her hair stood on end as electricity danced across her skin. It sent her heart pounding in her chest. At almost the exact same instant, an arm wrapped around her waist and the pair landed softly on the ground. When her vision cleared, Yuki saw that Kakashi had been her savior.

He looked down at her, completely unimpressed with himself. "You okay?"

Yuki realized that she was clutching onto his flak jacket with a vicelike grip. After a few heartbeats, her breathing steadied and she nodded, retracting her claws. At her silence, Kakashi's brow furrowed. "What, no snarky remark about wanting to put you back up there because you had it handled all on your own?"

"No," Yuki shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. "I was going to die."

Kakashi helped her back onto her feet with a complete lack of urgency. Beki was doing such a good job distracting the Hanged Maiden that all her ropes were focused on Beki. The only thing keeping the shinobi from interfering on her behalf was the immense heat Beki was radiating. All they could do was stand on the sidelines and wait to pick up the pieces of whoever lost.

Beki let out a frustrated cry, annoyed with all the dancing she was forced to do. Ropes wrapped around her arm but this time, Beki pulled. She yanked the Hanged Maiden towards her. The Hanged Maiden accepted the momentum and thrusted with her bone shiv. Beki dodged and twisted it out of the way with the Maiden's own ropes. Beki turned the Maiden around and wrapped an arm under her chin, dodging blind swings from the Maiden's free arm and tucking away from her biting teeth. With her other hand, Beki took a firm grip on the Hanged Maiden's head.

The smell of burning, rotten flesh and smoking hair filled their nostrils. If Yuki wasn't so familiar with it the scent would have turned her stomach. She was feeling ill, however, but it was mostly out of a mother's nagging concern. Beki looked different in this fight. In the past, Yuki had noticed a sort of aloofness in her daughter's eyes when she was in Maiden mode. She had always just chalked it up to the tunnel vision of battle, something a lot of shinobi had. There was anger, too, but it had always seemed appropriately channeled. But the pure, mindless, primal hatred twisting her daughter's features was unsettling. It was almost as if Beki had checked out and someone, no, some _thing_ else was at the wheel. Malice was dancing in her daughter's eyes as Beki jerked her arms, snapping the Hanged Maiden's too-long neck with a sickening crunch. She fell motionlessly to the ground with a soft thud. Errant ropes still draped around Beki's armor in places she hadn't been hot enough to completely sear them. Beki's arms hung limply at her sides and her shoulders slumped with the weight of her actions. She looked up, searching the crowd. Her eyes finally fell on her mother and recognition clicked. The light from Beki's skin was dimming and she took a step towards her mother with the ghost of an accomplished smile on her lips.

One of the shinobi screamed just as a hand clutched ahold of Beki's hair. The Hanged Maiden's head came into sight, clamping teeth into Beki's neck. Beki screamed, igniting instantly back into the Burned Maiden. She grabbed ahold of the Hanged Maiden's head. The action seared the Maiden's flesh and Beki desperately tugged to get the Maiden to let go. After a moment of struggling, the Hanged Maiden's jaw gave out and Beki was able to pull away. Instead of putting distance between them, she turned around and took ahold of the Hanged Maiden's face.

Beki was screaming. It was a gutteral, deep growl of a thing. She burned brighter and hotter than she ever had before. Her light was so intense they couldn't look directly at her, forcing the shinobi to cover their eyes retreat further from the fray. At a safer distance, the Third watched the Hanged Maiden slashing at Beki's arms, beating at her hands, writhing under her grasp. Beki's hair danced, the clumps floating and moving like blonde tongues of flame. The smells of boiled blood, burned flesh, and seared hair intensified along with the sound of Beki's bellows. After what seemed like an eternity, the Hanged Maiden fell still. Her bones collapsed and her body caved in. Beki fell on her hands and knees, keeping her hands on what was left, sifting through it with her blazing fingers. Soot and the Maiden's ashes danced with the white smoke of her evaporated fat and flesh. The screaming stopped. Beki's heaving form still hovered there, hot and bright, on her haunches above the remains. Yuki immediately moved in to help her but Kakashi grabbed ahold of her arm.

"Are you crazy?!"

Yuki yanked her arm away. "What are you talking about?"

Kakashi pointed at the pile of ashes. "Did you not just see the same thing I did?!"

"She's," Yuki looked over her shoulder. The shinobi all shuffled uncomfortably, shifting awkwardly around her. The fear they had been carrying for the Hanged Maiden had changed targets. They were all afraid of Beki. Yuki knew she should be afraid, too, after what she had just seen. Never had Yuki lost herself in her powers; it was always Yuki driving the Yukionna. But what she had just seen was not Beki. Despite her better judgement, Yuki was undeterred. A mother's intuition didn't always make sense.

"She's my daughter, Kakashi." Yuki turned and continued her approach only for Kakashi to step in front of her. He firmly took ahold of her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"You are the _last_ person who should be trying to help right now. No offense, but you are the only person here who would be completely useless against her."

Yuki watched helplessly as a couple of medics approached her daughter. Before they reached Beki, she toppled over. The medics moved in and began to check her vitals. Kakashi kept his hold of Yuki's shoulders. Yuki tried to hold still but the urge to lean past him and watch was too great. After a few moments, the medics announced Beki was fine and had just collapsed from exhaustion. Yuki's muscles relaxed, so suddenly in fact her legs nearly gave out. Kakashi clenched her shoulders tighter, steadying Yuki.

"Did you two get any sleep?" He asked.

Yuki shrugged. "An hour? Maybe two?"

They watched as Gai fearlessly approached Beki and hoisted her up onto his back like a sleeping toddler.

"Only Gai could make carrying a man-sized girl in armor look easy," Yuki scoffed.

"If you're tired, I could-" Kakashi began as Yuki pulled out a cannister of Soldier pills and started popping them like candy. At his flabbergasted look, Yuki offered the cannister.

"Want some?"

"How many of those are you going to have?" Kakashi reached to take the cannister from her but Yuki pulled it away and took a few more. She handed him the nearly empty tin and swallowed them dry. He let out a disgusted scoff and held up his hands expectantly. "I'll just stand here and wait to catch your heart when it leaps out of your chest."

Yuki slapped her face a few times and bounced on her heels. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember how I told you they stopped telling us to eat those like mints after the last war?" Kakashi stuffed the cannister into his kunai pouch. "People were overdosing, Yuki."

"Well, maybe I'm not so eager to live in a world where my ancestors are crawling out of crypts to kill me," Yuki gave him a strained smile.

"You aren't usually so fatalistic," Kakashi frowned beneath the mask. "Is fighting the Maidens that conflicting for you?"

"I should be on their side, Kakashi," Yuki sighed. "I mean, think about it. I grew up on that shrine. I followed their teachings my whole life. I worshipped the deity that gave them all this horrible power."

Kakashi watched her cautiously. "What are you saying, Yuki?"

Yuki pressed her palms into her eyes and took a deep breath, struggling to find the words. "I'm taking everything I've ever believed in, everything I ever stood for, and I'm throwing it all away."

"Why are you helping us, then?" Kakashi folded his arms. "If this really is so difficult for you, what tipped the scales in our favor? It seems to me like the Maidens would be doing everything in their power to get you and Beki on their side."

Yuki bit her tongue before she spoke. The last thing she needed to share with Kakashi was Ouse's warning about Beki's madness. At first, Yuki had dismissed it as the same old superstitious nonsense she'd been fed as a girl about mixing the lines. But seeing Beki fight the Hanged Maiden raised doubts. Maybe it was proximity to the Maidens, or to "mother" that it was all bubbling to the surface. Yuki had to trust her

motherly instincts, though. She knew her daughter. Beki might be struggling but she was sane. Beki was a good person. To be honest, that's why Yuki was turning away from it all. Being a mother and protecting her daughter felt more righteous than siding with the Maidens who wanted her dead.

"What kind of mother would I be to let my daughter be used like that," Yuki scoffed. "She may have gotten carried away just now but in their hands she would be a real monster. Beki is too good a soul for that." She gave him a playful sock in the shoulder. "Plus, I kind of like you and they would make me kill you."

"You, kill me?" Kakashi gave a small laugh as they followed the rest of the group. "I don't think so, Miss One Trick Pony."

"I keep all my other tricks in the bedroom." Yuki teased halfheartedly. Kakashi gave her a squeeze around the shoulders.

"Save that for when we're rested and not being hunted by the dead."

"Fair enough." Yuki sighed.

Kakashi turned his attention to Beki resting on Gai's back, an all too familiar position for him. "Hard to think that moments ago she was just screeching like a banshee and burning someone into oblivion." He squinted in the dim light. "Is she drooling?"

Yuki shrugged. "She always drools in her sleep."

Kakashi sighed. "Must be nice to be so relaxed."

"If you could burn things into oblivion, I think you'd sleep peacefully anywhere, too." Yuki grinned.


	113. Embers and Ashes

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait. As I expressed in previous chapters, the Fourth Shinobi World War sections are taking longer for me to put out for several reasons. Due to the heavy canon content, they involve a lot of research and development to take my characters and insert my plot appropriately. This layout also demands that I work on multiple chapters at a time so I can move events around and make sure everything lines up. Also, these chapters are far longer by comparison, so instead of one chapter every two to three weeks you can expect them every five to six weeks until we're through the FSWW segment. That being said I really appreciate your patience and those of you who have reviewed and PM'd in the meantime. I'm always happy to hear from you and answer any questions that you have. That being said, I'm really looking forward to hearing what you all think about this next chapter!**

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A lone figure stood poised in the center of the path. The clearing was broad with plenty of space on either side, making their stand seem a pointless overture. Yet, a certain gravity was given to their presence by the line of bodies all felled along a nearly perfect invisible line in the dirt on either side. When the shinobi of the Third entered the clearing, the figure stamped their naginata in the ground. With a regal gesture, it spoke with a deep, commanding voice:

"Turn back."

The group hesitated, gun shy thanks to their previous encounters with strange lone figures.

"Yuki?" Kakashi gave her a questioning look and she nodded grimly.

"Tsukimori Haruka, the First Burned Maiden."

The Burned Maiden was impressive in both stature and appearance. She was broad shouldered and tall, just under two meters, and dressed in pristine white priestess robes. Her blonde hair hung behind her in a long braid that reached nearly to her ankles. Her face, however, was completely obscured by an intimidating iron mask. It had a series of slits, like the bars of a cage, with enough space that her voice wasn't muffled but her face was still completely concealed. The exposed skin of her hands and throat were entirely covered with burn scars.

Yuki stepped forward cautiously. The other Maidens had sensed Yuki was one of their own; she figured the Burned Maiden would as well.

"Tsukimori Haruka," Yuki said, half greeting and half question.

The Burned Maiden was motionless. "Daughter of the Asou. It seems Ouse's attempts to recruit you were unsuccessful."

There was an ominous air about her, seeping into the entire clearing. Perhaps it was the slightly smoking bodies, or just how out of place this ancient priestess looked in contrast to the modern shinobi. Either way, Yuki had to consciously control her movements. No matter how much her hands wanted to tremble Yuki willed them to remain still.

Yuki cleared her throat and continued. "You sent her?"

"The Mother sent us. We each have our roles. It seems as though Ouse and Ruri failed in theirs." The Burned Maiden's tone was emotionless, as if reflecting on her disappointment that her friends couldn't attend a party. It was jarring, compared to the affection Yuki had witnessed between the Drowned and the Hanged Maidens. She had always had this perception that the three had been close friends.

"Why didn't you try to help them?" Yuki couldn't help but ask. "Wouldn't the three of you have been better off moving as a group?"

Kakashi elbowed her hard but Yuki ignored him. This was beyond them, beyond the war. Yuki had to know and for whatever reason, the Burned Maiden was humoring her. "It is the duty of the Tsukimori to hold the line. I will stop anyone who attempts to interfere with our Mother's work."

With that, the Burned Maiden raised her naginata and pointed it at Yuki accusingly. "This is your last chance, blood traitor. Take your shinobi and turn back."

Yuki dropped her voice and glanced around her before catching Kakashi's eye. "We can't take another direct assault. A tactical retreat isn't a bad idea- "

"No." The voice surprised them. The pair looked up and watched as Beki carefully dismounted from Gai's back. She still looked a little groggy. "Look at how many people she's killed. We can't just leave her out here to do as she pleases."

Good, Yuki thought. She's sounding like her old self again.

Kakashi was sizing up the Burned Maiden. "It's a hard call."

"Look at her," Beki gestured at the Maiden. "She's weaker than me on my worst day. Her clothes haven't even burned away yet. I'll just melt her like I did the last one."

"Beki, I don't know if you should keep throwing yourself into fights like that," Yuki put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You collapsed last time."

Beki shook her head. "I was just tired." The adults looked down at Beki. Even Gai looked somewhat doubtful. Beki was lying and they weren't dumb enough to fall for her bluff. Then again, they were in a desperate situation. Beki had learned that in dire times, people would sometimes take unnecessary risks, and right now, trusting Beki was exactly the risk they had to take. "I'm feeling much better now. I can do this, mom. Everyone just needs to be ready with water jutsu to keep things from spreading and we should be okay."

Yuki heaved a sigh and shook her head. "I mean, out of all of us you're the least likely to get hurt if she does start burning things up."

Kakashi nodded in agreement and Gai gave her a thumbs up.

"Put that youthful passion to good use!"

Beki returned the thumbs up and a grin as she stepped out into the clearing. The Burned Maiden dropped her chin, staring daggers at Beki with unseen eyes.

"So, um," Beki was suddenly crippled by self-consciousness. This was the woman Beki had been named for. Haruka Tsukimori was the greatest of all the Maidens in all of history. The story said that when the other Maidens and attendants fled the attack, Haruka had stood her ground. A gifted taijutsu user before her transformation, the first Burned Maiden had killed several of the attackers before they finally overwhelmed her. The story also said that she didn't even scream when they burned her; she had prayed. The Mother heard her pleas and after the last embers died, raised the Three from the dead. Haruka's sacrifice had been greatest, her death the most painful, and so she was entrusted with the most devastating gift of the Three. The First Burned Maiden, the leader of the Three, head priestess, and protector of Kami to Akuma.

Having been born under the same conditions (a full moon in the fall, right around midnight) Beki had been given the name of her ancestor. Ever since, Beki had been living in that legendary shadow. In person the woman was even more intimidating. Beki had heard people say to never meet your heroes. The implication was that they would never live up to the expectations, that through the process of becoming a legend they would swell beyond what they were. Just based on appearances, the Burned Maiden was an exception to that rule. Unlike the Drowned and especially the Hanged, the Burned Maiden was imperial, demanding respect and admiration. The fear generated solely by her presence stemmed from her solemnity. It created a strange gravity in the shared space, making each of Beki's footfalls harder and harder to take. Apprehensively, Beki slowed her approach. Not happy to cave into her nerves, Beki surveyed the Burned Maiden more closely. Her clothes were completely intact. She felt no heat coming off her, even as she closed the gap between them. Those contradictory facts pinballed around in her skull. How could she be the greatest Burned Maiden in history if she wasn't even hot enough to sear linen?

"Do you move to stand with me kinsman or is this your sad attempt at a challenge?" The Burned Maiden's head cocked ever so slightly, silvery eyes flashing through the bars.

"We can't just stand by and let you keep killing people." Beki gestured to the bodies. "Nothing noble comes with this kind of a body count."

The Burned Maiden didn't spare the fallen a glance. "Cannon fodder. Chattel. Blind, deaf fools, the lot of them. They were fortunate I gave them a valiant end." Beki could feel the Maiden's piercing gaze hot on her flesh. "You seem to be amongst them. It's no surprise really, abomination that you are."

The sudden harshness in the Maiden's tone caught Beki off guard. She had been so civil up to this point. The biting words of the Drowned Maiden had been downright kind by comparison. "Abomination?"

"I can smell it on you," The Burned Maiden seethed. "The stench of heresy and sin. Alas, the burden of guilt isn't upon your poor, wretched soul. That honor goes to the whore and the bastard that sired you. They broke Mother's covenant, usurped her will with their own base desires."

Beki's heart was racing. It was hard to think with her heartbeat pounding in her ear. That voice from earlier was gone, but in its place was a fog. Beki didn't really remember killing the Hanged Maiden. She remembered sitting against the tree and hearing that alluring voice, the sweet heat of combusting, and then everything went white. It was a searing bright light that erased all sound and color from her memory. There were flashes here and there. Beki could feel teeth on her neck, the sounds of bones breaking, something soft bubbling in her hands till it turned to liquid, then ash.

Her sluggish brain was reducing her processing speed. As the Burned Maiden spoke, Beki found herself staring through her. She repeated the Maiden's zealous words to herself over and over. Abomination. Cannon fodder. Valiant deaths. After a few rounds, the malintent was enough to pull Beki through her uncertainty. The Burned Maiden was dangerous and had to be stopped at any cost.

Going into this fight, Beki had a theory based on what she remembered of her interactions with the previous Maidens: they had been incredibly strong for their time. Through the generations, the powers had slowly changed, hence Yuki's ice powers and Beki's ability to harbor two lines at once. She couldn't speak for the Tsukiyama clan: Ren had only transformed into the Hanged Maiden a handful of times and Beki wasn't sure if Reika could even become the Hanged Maiden. That was hardly enough to make any judgements on ability. Regardless, Beki suspected that the previous Burned Maiden wouldn't be on her level. Beki couldn't even smell the Burned Maiden's clothes smoking. Beki took a deep breath, focused on the sting of the Burned and Drowned Maiden's words, and let the fires claim her.

Beki's skin blossomed into a fiery sunset. The combustion erupted into a heatwave that tore across the clearing. She watched as it set the Burned Maiden's robes flapping and her hair dancing erratically around her mask. Beki continued her charge her at full speed and dropped low at the last second for a grapple. At the moment before contact, the Burned Maiden side-stepped Beki effortlessly. As she soared past her mark, Beki felt a tug on her arm. She looked to see what strike the Maiden had landed only to be left staring in shock. Beki's bracer was unfastening itself from her arm. The limb jerked forward involuntarily and the bracer flew off. Beki watched in horror as the bracer landed on the Burned Maiden's outstretched arm.

"I suppose some thanks are in order," The Burned Maiden watched as the bracer stretched and molded to her limb. "You did bring me my armor, aberration."

"What are you-" Beki's other arm vaulted forward, the straps snapping painfully in the bracer's eager retreat. It landed on the Burned Maiden's other arm with a soft plop. Beki, speechless and confused, charged the Burned Maiden again. This time, Beki delivered a solid kick to the Burned Maiden's legs. Her momentum stopped dead. Instead of doing damage, Beki was only robbed of her greaves.

Beki stumbled backward, barefoot. It was then that the Burned Maiden brought down the naginata. Beki barely evaded a swipe that would have spilled the contents of her belly gushing onto the grass. Beki shook off the shock of being disarmored and focused her attention on the blade. Yuki had spent many a painful session drilling unarmed combat into Beki. The best part of going in barehanded was that the odds were in Beki's favor to swipe the naginata and use it against her opponent.

The Burned Maiden swooped in for follow up attack. Instead of slicing at her again, the Burned Maiden tossed the shaft at her. Startled, Beki threw up her hands and caught the lacquered wood with both hands. The Maiden closed the gap between them and shoved a knee deep in Beki's gut, practically making her bellybutton kiss her spine. The armor absorbed part of the blow but before the Maiden had retracted her knee, Beki felt her faulds sliding off her hips and transferring to the Burned Maiden. Before Beki could recover, the Burned Maiden had hoisted Beki up by the wrists.

Beki screamed. In the past, while in Burned Maiden mode, Beki had walked through all sorts of fire. With her own skin ablaze, chemical fires, regular fires, and electrical fires had all merely felt warm on her skin. It wasn't unlike walking by the exhaust vent from a clothes dryer. The sensation had never been any warmer than tepid bathwater. The moment the first Burned Maiden took her wrists, Beki felt like someone had pressed her arms into a deep fryer. She heard her flesh sizzle and the world swam, white with pain. In the sea of agony, it was only through Beki's sense of equilibrium that she could tell her body had been thrown through the air. Beki slammed into the ground and cradled her wrists to her chest protectively, whimpering with pain.

Slowly, gently, the Burned Maiden crossed over to Beki and outstretched a hand over her descendant. Almost as if it were alive, Beki's breastplate and backplate tore viciously off her torso, taking her pauldrons with them. The last of the armor pieces had returned to their original owner and formed to her shape, leaving Beki completely stripped.

Beki stared down at her naked body for a moment. The wind whipped slightly at the sweat glistening down her neck and along her now bare breasts. Beki quickly covered her breasts with one arm and stuck the other between her legs, trying to cover as much skin as possible. She mentally scoffed at her own shame. She had been nude in public so many times before, but it had always been the result of her power. She could own it. This time, her nudity was the result of an overwhelming defeat, of her own weakness. She had been exposed and now she was completely vulnerable. Even her father's armor had turned away from her.

Beki knew she had made things worse by covering her body. It only made her look even weaker. Beki looked up at the Burned Maiden with as much contempt as she could muster. The Maiden just met her glare with a smirk. "And here I was thinking you might have been a boy. Good to see that at least _some_ of our traditions are being respected."

Beki clutched at her breasts even tighter to hide them from the Burned Maiden's scornful gaze. She felt weak. She felt vulnerable. She felt... pathetic.

"Did you think I was weaker than you?" The Burned Maiden laughed. "You think that because my clothes hadn't burned off, your fire was brighter than mine? Foolish girl. You aren't overpowering your opponents with your flames. The fires consume you and spread unchecked, claiming everything around you as collateral damage. Your lack of discipline and restraint has proven to be your downfall."

Beki glanced up through tear-filled eyes at the source of the hateful voice. The Burned Maiden's clothes were still in perfect condition. Her braid hadn't even come loose. She reached down to take Beki's face in her hands when an ice blade whizzed past them. The moment it entered Beki's sphere of heat, however, it petered out into mist. The Burned Maiden turned her attention to Yuki, who was desperately forming and discharging ice blades in a futile attempt to save her daughter. She was staggering towards them with eyes ringed with black bags. Yuki attempted to form another set of ice blades. The crystalline daggers began to form but petered out, falling gently like snow around her. Yuki stopped her advance and concentrated solely on her blades. Her arms were shaking as she held them out at her sides. The blades formed and Yuki threw her arms forward. The ice blades propelled towards the Burned Maiden, who waved her hand dismissively and they all evaporated instantly. Yuki's entire body was trembling as she pressed forward. After a few feet, Yuki stumbled onto her knees. She propped herself up onto one foot and stood. Or at least, she tried to, but her leg gave out. Yuki collapsed onto the ground. She struggled again to get up but a couple of the other shinobi ran over and dragged her back behind the line of Third Division shinobi. No one else stepped forward. In Burned Maiden mode, Beki let off such intense heat it would be dangerous for anyone to approach. Only a mother would risk that damage, and Beki's mother had fallen.

The Burned Maiden's face fell solemn and she turned back towards Beki and held up her hands, palms up, over Beki. "I will pray for you, Little one. May you be forgiven and pass on into the next life with no regrets or ill will."

 _I'm going to die._

The realization gripped at Beki's spine and froze her in place. It was a familiar, yet foreign sensation. Since becoming the Burned Maiden, Beki had forgotten what it felt like to be truly afraid. Beki had answered every challenge, threat, and attempt on her life with a burning rage. She had felt angry all the time. Beki had been filled with a self-righteous fury that blinded her to risk and danger. Now she was powerless and literally naked as she faced the woman who would end her. The woman she was named for.

In the face of her own mortality, Beki's anger had vanished. The Burned Maiden was so much more powerful than she was. It was obvious that she didn't have a chance against her. Death was certain. But now, she was just terribly, horribly afraid of dying. She had gone to war knowing it was possible, yes, but no one really thinks it's going to happen to them. Death comes for the old, the slow, and the weak. Not a girl who can spontaneously combust away her problem. Yet, here death was, standing over her patiently waiting to collect its charge.

Beki's eyes glossed over and her flames started to peter out. Her mind drifted back to the events she had left behind in the village. She was going to get married. There was going to be a big party with all her friends and family. There would be a pretty, once in a lifetime, gold-embroidered white kimono and the biggest cake Beki had ever seen covered in buttercream roses. All that would be missing was the bride. Beki wasn't going to be there. She wasn't going to be anywhere else ever again. She was going to become a pile of ashes scattered to the winds in this dark, nameless forest.

Beki had never thought about what came after death. Would she go to heaven? Hell? Or was there nothingness? It was that part that scared her the most. Beki was certain she was going to die but there was no telling what would come next. She was terrified of the unknown.

The fear inched its way down her spine and creeped across her skin. The searing pain from the first Burned Maiden's attack on her wrist ebbed. The flames that had been crackling across her skin and hair had almost completely gone out.

 _There you are._

The familiar voice almost made Beki jump. How long had it been since she'd heard it? Months? Years?

Fear and dread filled Beki's consciousness like water filling a bucket. She had no control over it. The fear came into her like waves of the ocean. She felt tears start to pour down her face and fill the back of her throat.

The Drowned Maiden rose from the dark waters in Beki's mind. Her hair was ink black and clumped to her wet skin like glue. Beki felt like she was choking on it, drowning almost. She could barely stand the fear gripping her heart. It made her want to curl up in a ball and die.

 _Do you see the way she moves? Hear the way she talks?_ The Drowned Maiden within Beki sneered. _This woman knows no fear. They say she didn't even scream as they burned her on the stake._

Water continued to fill Beki's mouth and nose. She couldn't hold her breath any longer. She clawed at her throat, desperately trying to hold back the breath that threatened to drown her.

The Burned Maiden looked down at Beki, writhing beneath her. The girl was practically rolling on the ground. Her flames had been fading for a moment, but now they were sizzling again. Steam began to rise from Beki's trembling body.

Beki's body arched in pain as she broke down and breathed in. The water rushed inside her, crashing into her lungs. She could feel her whole body revolt against it, but she couldn't stop gasping for air. The water was endless and her lungs filled with the burning sensation of drowning. The burning spread throughout her body until it pierced her skin. Boiling water burst from her flesh and fell off her in waves.

 _We will teach her what it means to be afraid._

Beki's gasping continued. She arched her back, kicking her legs desperately. Her primal instincts had switched on. Her body was swimming to a surface that didn't exist; the flood was coming from within. The kicking slowed and the writhing ceased.

"What in seven hells are you?!" The Burned Maiden watched as the girl's eyes rolled into the back of her head. Beki's body was still, but only for a heartbeat. Her corpse eyes locked onto the Burned Maiden and her lips curled back into a chilling smile. "I'm an abomination."

Stunned, the Burned Maiden stumbled backwards as Beki rose to her feet. The water from the Drowned Maiden poured from Beki's entire body. Her platinum hair cooled to a smoky gold. Her skin, previously bright with red hot flames, was doused with water turning it into a crackled, black coating. There were small wisps of black smoke trailing off her body and when she moved, the blackened skin would split, letting bits of heat and a sunset of color escape from beneath.

"Enough of this nonsense!" The Burned Maiden bellowed. She threw out her arms and exploded with such force the shinobi of the Third were blown backwards several feet. Fire surged from the body of the Burned Maiden like molten rain, incinerating the bodies at her feet and most of the clearing. The world around them became a blistering inferno. The heat was so intense the closest group of shinobi, who were still quite a distance away, had their clothing spontaneously catch fire. The entire ensemble of spectating troops took another massive jump back to avoid similar fates.

Even with the increased distance, the fire burned their throats and stung at their eyes like daggers. After what seemed an eternity, the cyclone of flames died down. It had eaten through all the fuel in the clearing, leaving nothing but piles of fine ash in its wake. The air was think with the grey clumps of ash. It was like a sudden snowstorm of charred, shapeless remains.

The only visible object in the swirling of dust and embers was the glowing visage of The Burned Maiden. Her iron mask was ablaze with heat and glowed red hot as she stood triumphantly in the middle of her wasteland. Like the Beki of old, her clothes had finally been consumed by her show of force. Her shoes and priestess robes were gone, showing a fair bit of her skin between the layers of armor. The years of patina and age on her armor had burned away in the intense blaze, revealing its original palette of gold on black. The patterns on the breast and backplate had previously been too decrepit to make out, but they now shone bright like tongues of flame beneath the moonlight.

There was another figure flickering in and out of view as the smoke pillars billowed in the wind. It was Beki, her skin blinking between red and black, completely unaffected by the firestorm. She had become living coal, walking embers. There was no part of her the Burned Maiden could sear. In fact, the intense heat seemed to have thickened her black, bark-like scales.

The Burned Maiden's entire posture changed. No more was the Maiden a picture of composed elegance. She was hunched forward in rage, her naginata outstretched accusingly towards Beki.

"Look at you, so proud of your sacrilegious tricks!" The Burned Maiden spewed, her spit sizzling on her lips. "You think you are worthy? You lack the raw natural power of the true Three. You are neither fire nor water. You, girl, are nothing but spent ash and dying embers."

Beki watched her silently. Her lambent corpse eyes were emotionless, as if the Burned Maiden's words were in some unknown tongue. To the shinobi on the sidelines, the pair appeared to be demon warlords squaring off in the bowels of hell. Tiny fires still chewed on bits of grass and the charred remains of the Burned Maiden's previous victims were yet billowing foul-smelling smoke. The ash and smoke discolored the scene, casting the world in a sickly yellow glow. The Burned Maiden, clearly incensed, charged at Beki with her naginata aimed right at the girl's chest. Beki made no move to evade the incoming assault. The Burned Maiden closed the distance between them and thrust her blade forward. The strike hit its mark but stopped dead, the cancelled momentum jolting the Maiden back. She staggered backward, examining both the blade and the point of attack. The blade was slightly bent and chipped, but far from unusable. However, there was a similar chip in Beki's chest as bits of the black scale where she was struck crumbled away, exposing the swirling sunset of her skin beneath. The Maiden smiled to herself. The trick had been exposed. All she had to do was break away enough of the coating to impale the little heathen where she stood.

The girl's movement, although slow and intentional, drew the Maiden's attention. Beki was moving slowly toward the Burned Maiden. What began as a lazy jog picked up momentum and soon she was barreling at her ancestor on a collision course. The Burned Maiden was startled by the way Beki's speed had doubled once uninhibited by the physical armor. Her range of motion was fuller, more fluid as well. The Maiden swung her naginata to cancel Beki's momentum again. This time, instead of being caught by the strike, Beki bodily hopped over the arc of the blade and planted a kick square in the Burned Maiden's face. The Maiden rolled with the surprise strike and followed the momentum around to thrust her naginata again. Beki dropped low for a kick to sweep the Maiden's legs out from beneath her. Beki's shin met the staff of the naginata's counter strike.

And so it went: the Burned Maiden lashing out viciously with her weapon and Beki countering with agility and taijutsu. The Maiden's experience showed. For all her superior movement, the blade had met its mark enough time to leave wide tiger stripe bands of Beki's glowing flesh exposed. As the battle raged, Beki began to slow. Smoke and steam seeped from her vulnerable spots as her reactions grew sluggish. Beki felt nothing as she battled the Burned Maiden. Since the Drowned Maiden had reawakened, a strange peace had come over Beki. Death was still on the table, but it somehow seemed easier to accept. A necessary cost. A sacrifice for some greater power. The sensation was liberating albeit dissociative, like an out of body experience. It was as if Beki's life had been playing an arcade game; she had used her character for countless fights. She knew her strengths, her weaknesses, but was no longer at the controls. For this last ultimate battle, Beki was trusting the system to run the show. She was sitting back and watching as the HP bar slowly depleted on both sides as dispassionately as though a couple of quarters in her pocket could resolve the result.

She's overheating, the Maiden smiled to herself. This new trick, whatever it was, came at an obvious cost. From personal experience the Burned Maiden knew the dangers of her own gift. Initiating the form took an immense toll on the body, let alone the strain of sustaining it. The Tsukimori were bred in such a way that their internal organs and other delicate tissues, like their eyes, could survive the intense heat of their Maiden forms. Part of the Mother's brilliant design was that Burned Maidens constantly gave off the excessive, damaging heat instead of storing it. Like a teakettle spewing steam. The benefit of this phenomenon was the intense halo of superheated air that surrounded them at all times. For this little trickster, however, that would spell her demise. Her blackened flesh was acting as a shell, setting her insides in a fever pitch. At best, the girl would faint. If they kept up at this pace, however, all the Burned Maiden would need to do was draw the fight out until the girl suffered from total organ failure.

The Burned Maiden watched with a relaxed expression as Beki picked up into another charge. As Beki lumbered toward her, the Burned Maiden kept her naginata in a neutral position. The Maiden watched carefully as Beki raced towards her. The girl had put up enough tricks by this point that the Maiden knew better than to lower her guard.

Beki took a careless swing at the Maiden, her weight put entirely into a single punch. The Maiden swayed to the side with minimal effort and Beki's momentum carried her past her target and stumbling forward.

The Maiden smirked. All she had to do was keep side stepping the girl. Wild swings, overcorrecting movements, all of it would contribute to the girl overheating. Beki spun around after catching herself and charged at the Maiden again. Once more it proved fruitless as the Maiden dodged her effortlessly.

The heat spindles coming off Beki did not seem to intensify, though. _Strange, the girl should have started to overheat by now..._ The Maiden watched closely as Beki went for a low kick aimed at her knees. She jumped up and backwards after watching the girl's movements. They were slow and fatigued, not desperate. The girl's fire wasn't burning her out.

The Maiden frowned, discarding her initial plan. _If you can't burn a fire out, you just have to starve it out._

As Beki rushed the Maiden down again the Maiden made no move to evade her. Instead, she plunged her naginata into the ground and grappled with Beki as she approached. The girl was much smaller than the Maiden and far less experienced. It only took a swift kick at Beki's feet and a hard push onto her chest to knock her square on her back.

Instantly, the Maiden was at Beki's throat. Both of her hands circled around her windpipe and she squeezed. Beki's mouth snapped open in a violent struggle to breath.

"Fire cannot burn without oxygen, my child." The Maiden said coyly, as if she were speaking to an infant.

Beki's mind raced, trying to think of anything she could do to escape this predicament. She kept trying to pull air in, but the Maiden's grip was vicelike. Her mind started to fade as her lungs screamed out for air.

The Maiden laughed as Beki's expression contorted with fear and desperation. "What's wrong, little one? Forget how to breath? It's easy, just watch me." The Maiden taunted as she took long, mocking breaths right in front of Beki's face.

Beki's world was getting darker and her mind grew still. A single voice cut through the void:

 _Kill her._

Beki's body turned cold and she closed her mouth. A chill built up inside her as she looked up into the Maiden's smirking eyes. Beki's mind faded back to her first kill. It had been so traumatizing, but at the same time, it had been so... easy.

Beki smiled up at the Maiden, but it wasn't Beki's smile.

 _Ouse_? The Maiden froze in place and leaned closer to Beki. She could have sworn her sister's face had just flashed in front of her eyes. It was the same clever, mischievous grin. All that had been missing was the scarlet lip lacquer.

Beki stifled a cough behind closed lips as she choked from the Maiden's grasp. There was another small cough, and then Beki opened her mouth and blew a thin stream of smoke up towards the Maiden.

The Maiden had already been in the act of breathing in to mock the girl, so the cloud of smoke flew directly into her mouth. The taste of smoke filled her mouth and the Maiden jumped back from Beki. The visage of her sister and now this? Was there no end to this girl's tricks?

As the girl staggered back up onto her feet, the Maiden felt an itching sensation in her lungs. She let out an involuntary cough, and then another. They were deep, violent attempts by her body to expel whatever the girl had pumped into her. The Maiden felt something warm and wet on her lips. She reached up and touched the spittle. A quick glance at her fingers widened her eyes in horror. Blood.

"What the hell did you do?!" She bellowed.

From the sidelines, the Third Division watched helplessly as the two titans battled it out. For most of the fight, it seemed pitched in the Burned Maiden's favor. Even in her new Embered form, Beki was no match for the Burned Maiden's experience. She was slowing down, weakening by the minute. Then, all of a sudden, while the Maiden had Beki pinned, she spit up gray smoke. The Burned Maiden jumped up and began coughing. It started as a few isolated hiccups, then it turned into a full out raging fit. The Burned Maiden was doubled over, holding her chest, spewing blood.

"What's going on with her," Kakashi tapped a nearby Hyuuga on the shoulder. "What did Beki do?"

The Hyuuga boy activated his Byakugan and honed in on the Burned Maiden. His stern expression quickly twisted into one of confusion and fear. "She's...drowning."

"What?" Kakashi glanced at the coughing Maiden and back at the Hyuuga. "What do you mean?"

"I-I don't know! Her lungs are filling with fluid..." The Hyuuga concentrated harder and focused his vision on the Maiden's lungs. "There are several lacerations all along both of her lungs. She is literally drowning in her own blood!"

Kakashi felt his stomach twist as he tried not to imagine what that must feel like. "Was it from the smoke?"

The Hyuuga boy shook his head. "Not smoke. It's more like... ash. It's made up of a bunch of tiny, solid fragments. They are nearly microscopic in size, small enough to be inhaled into the lungs." The Hyuuga averted his gaze as the Maiden coughed up another fit of blood. "They're piercing the inner arteries of her lungs, causing them to fill with blood."

The Burned Maiden staggered towards Beki, swinging her naginata wildly. Beki didn't bother to react. The Burned Maiden collapsed long before she reached Beki. She was on her knees, supporting herself on the staff as if her life depended on it.

"Curse...you," The Maiden gurgled, blood frothing from her lips. "Your...children..." She looked up at Beki with pure hatred in her eyes. "...Madness..."

Beki stood over her, wordlessly, still and unfeeling as a statue. She didn't feel like the eyes she was looking through were her own. During the fight, that strange woman's voice had been whispering to her, assuring Beki the Burned Maiden would fall. Subconsciously, Beki had slowed her movements to lure the Burned Maiden into creating an opening. Then, just as with her first transformation into both the Drowned and the Burned, her body knew what to do with the rest. Wisps of smoke still escaped Beki's lips as she held out her open palms above the dying Burned Maiden.

Sensing her impending death, the First Tsukimori's armor abandoned her. Piece by piece, the armor ripped away from the Burned Maiden's body and returned to Beki. The familiar weight and warmth of the metal on her skin was comforting, like a hug. Before, Beki could sense the Tsukimori who wore it before her. Now there was nothing. It was as if by wearing it, the first Burned Maiden had seared away their presence along with the age and wear. Beki was alone in there.

Alone with the voice. It was as loud as her conscience and so overwhelming Beki couldn't hear her own thoughts.

 _You have done well, my child._

The shinobi of the Third watched as Beki kneeled over in her newly minted armor and plucked the mask off the Burned Maiden's naked body. In death, the Maiden's form seemed smaller, almost feeble by comparison to her prior standing. Beki stared at the mask in her hands for several moments as if conflicted. Slowly, she brought the mask to her face.

"Way to go Beki!" Lee cried out excitedly, punching the air. "You're two for two- "

"Not Beki," Her voice was soft but it carried well in the staggering silence. She sounded vacant, an echo of a stronger voice. "Haruka."

For a moment, Kakashi relaxed. When the Burned Maiden died, although they were surrounded by destruction, the entire scene seemed to heave a sigh. Her malice departed with her ascending soul leaving the field as she had found it. As Beki leaned over and took her mask, however, his hackles were raised. A quick glance behind him confirmed Yukihana was still out cold, medics busily stabilizing her for transport. Without Yuki to talk Beki down, the Third would have to neutralize her themselves. Violently, if necessary. There would be no coming back from it, no way Yuki could ever forgive Kakashi for killing her child. He knew her well enough that it was certain Yuki would react poorly. She'd killed those who killed her husband. Kakashi, overseeing the division, would bear the brunt of her wrath even if he weren't the one to land the final blow on the young Tsukimori.

As the possibilities raced through his mind and he homed in on the best method of attack, a lone figure stepped forward from the crowd. In the smoke it was hard to see color; everything still had a washed out brown-gray hue to it. By the silhouette it was a tall broad-shouldered man. His movements were confident, as though he were approaching a child who needed help reaching something on a high shelf. There was no hint of fear, no hesitation as he closed in on the girl who could kill them with nothing more than a parting of her lips.

"You fought well," Might Gai smiled broadly in his disarming way. "I'm proud of you."

There was a flicker of recognition in Beki's eyes, a spark of intelligence at his voice, but it quickly departed. Her fists clenched apprehensively at his slow approach. Kakashi rose to join him but with a subtle wave of his hand behind his back, Gai discouraged the action. "You said you want to go by Haruka now?"

"She was Haruka," Beki explained. Her voice was still soft, distant, as if describing a dream. "So I couldn't be. Now she's dead. I killed her. I'm the only Haruka now."

"So you earned it," Gai nodded. "Like a title."

Beki nodded uncertainly. "She chose her," Beki glanced down at the lifeless body by her feet. "The Burned Maiden failed and I triumphed. I should...It's so important, isn't it? They have to be stopped..."

She mumbled a few things to herself, her expression twisting between the bars as though engaged in a conversation with an unseen partner. It was unsettling to say the least. A child bickering with an imaginary friend while holding a butcher knife. They were losing her. Fast.

"Are you tired?" Gai asked. He was almost within reach, well within the range of her lethal smoke. "I can carry you again if you need me to. I think of you as one of my students. Whatever help you need, I'm here for you."

"Gai...sensei..." Beki choked on her words as they fought their way to the surface. Bits of her charred outer coating were breaking off on their own. It revealed her still shimmering hot skin, the colors and patterns dancing faintly. She furrowed her brows, her teeth bared and her eyes clenched shut. "Shut UP."

Gai stopped dead in his tracks. Kakashi watched the way his muscles tensed in preparation. If Gai could strike before Beki was ready, perhaps they could take her down without bloodshed.

Beki blinked, raising her head with an almost pained expression. "I...Sorry." Beki shook her head and rolled her shoulders. The light was fading from her skin. Most of the hardened shell had disintegrated, blowing away with the smoke. Gone was the tense, almost possessed puppet movement of her body. Her head bobbed from side to side as she took in the destruction. "Dear God. Is everyone okay?"

Gai nodded. "Everyone was a safe distance back while you fought."

Beki let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. That's good. So that was what, three of three? No more Maidens they can throw at us?" A genuine smile tugged at her lips. She turned her head towards the Third and shouted. "Hey Mom!"

"She fainted," Gai reached out and put an arm around Beki's back. She was sounding like herself again. To unknowing observers, it was a friendly, familiar gesture. Its other purpose was putting Beki within instant knockout distance. Gai could have her down before Beki ever saw it coming.

Concern shadowed her face. She tried to break away from his grasp but he tugged her back. "She's okay. We're going to send her to the medic camp but the rest of us have to keep moving, okay?"

Dozens of eyes were on her. Beki could almost palpably feel their fear, their apprehension. What had she done? Beki could remember most of the fight, the return of the Drowned Maiden and the fusion of her inner Maidens. Her own fears crystalizing with her anger, clarifying the muddy sea of her thoughts into one solitary purpose: Defeat the Burned Maiden.

As the pair approached the rest of the Third, Gai gave Kakashi a reassuring nod. Beki glanced at the faces. Some looked familiar but nothing was sticking. That seductive voice still echoed in her ears.

 _Kill them all._

Beki shook her head again. Gai sensei had interrupted the voice, his words a beacon on a stormy sea. The voice hadn't liked that.

 _Kill him._

But it was Gai sensei. If any adult had treated Beki with respect and genuine affection in Konoha her whole stay there, it was him. Her presence was always a welcome. Although she had never been in a position to ask for his help, Beki knew in her heart the man would deny her nothing. No matter how alluring the voice was, it could never convince Beki to hurt him.

As the Third moved out, the other shinobi gave Beki a wide berth. The silence gave Beki a chance to focus her thoughts. The voice was wrong, she decided. It couldn't be trusted. But when the woman spoke, Beki was almost compelled to listen. To follow. To obey. There were many times Beki felt a slave to her impulses. In the Drowned Maiden form, part of her enjoyed the fear and terror she sewed in those who saw her terrible form. As a Burned Maiden, Beki relished somewhat in the destruction of her enemies, seeing them reduced to cinders. Beki talked herself through all this. Attached mental tethers on those terrible impulses, reminded herself that her forms were merely tools to accomplish a goal. But when this voice spoke, Beki had no control. There was no tethering, no checking back in to draw a line of conduct. It said jump and Beki's feet were off the ground. Vaguely, Beki remembered the Hanged Maiden writhing in her arms. The voice crying "burn her" in a frenzied pitch. She had been more than happy to comply, with the Hanged and the Burned. But then Gai sensei? And the rest of the Third? It had taken all of Beki's willpower to keep her hands at her sides. To clench her muscles tight and spare her loved ones. How much longer could she keep up if the voice kept compelling her?

Beki was increasingly troubled by the identity of her new voice. The only ideas that made any sense were that this was some sort of ninjutsu, like a Yamanaka hijack, or that Beki had gone certifiably insane and was now hearing voices. Neither possibility seemed a desirable one. Normally Beki would talk to Yuki about this, or Neji. Even Miki would have been helpful. Everyone left that she knew in the Third was too much of a risk to share with. Gai and Kakashi had been called ahead, leaving the rest of the Third to reach the Land of Lightning on their own. As for Lee and Tenten, talking to them would be of no use. Beki would only confuse or frighten them. Beki was alone in the largest gathering of shinobi in history, like a child lost in a crowd. Worse, since the first time Beki heard the singing, she couldn't shake the growing fear that something was coming. Something so terrible, on such a colossal scale that the world would never be the same again. All Beki could do was pray that she wouldn't end up being the disaster she so feared.

...

The shinobi of the Third Division raced for several hours until they rejoined the rest of the forces battling in the Land of Lightning to assist Naruto in his fight against the Ten Tails; a monstrous amalgamation of all the tailed beasts combined. They could see the behemoth miles away as they approached, its terrible shape silhouetted against the dying light of day. As the darkness descended Beki noticed the lack of moonlight. The day before, it had been bright enough to see even in moderately dense woods. Tonight, however, it was dim. When the last vestiges of day left them Beki noticed the odd pinkish glow and at last cast her eyes up to the sky. The moon was blood red and hovering so close Beki had to resist the urge to reach up and touch it. At the sight of it, something within Beki stirred. A whisper. A warning. Yuki was always the one looking for signs and omens, but even Beki couldn't deny this didn't bode well. It was ominous, threatening, like an all-seeing eye. The longer Beki looked at it, the harder it seemed to pull away her gaze.

Beki ripped her eyes away from the scarlet moon. They had a mission and Beki wasn't going to let herself be distracted. The Ten Tails was in a rage, ferociously closing in on Gai, Kakashi, Naruto, and Killer B when the other Allied Shinobi forces arrived. In one beautifully coordinated fell swoop, they combined their strength and restrained the monster.

Up close, Beki got a better look at the beast. It was poised on all fours, its skin reminiscent of the gray-brown flesh of the shukaku. Each of its armored tails swayed independently. A spiky conch rose from its back like the proud dome of a church while its single blood red eye glared them down. Beki tried not to look at the rows of razor sharp teeth, each as tall as a child and glinting cruelly in the crimson light. She watched as it was bound and felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Something told her this was the enemy's trump card. The Akatsuki had been harvesting the Tailed Beasts and the logical conclusion was this was their final goal. They assembled this monster to wreak havoc on the shinobi world. Alone, the Tailed Beasts had proven fatal. She recalled hushed conversations of the devastation the Nine Tailed Fox levied on Konoha nearly two decades before. The size of this Ten Tails, the potential it carried, was nearly enough to make Beki weak in the knees. But through teamwork and perseverance, the shinobi had prevailed.

The ghost of a smile tugged at her lips but was instantly jerked away when the ground beneath them gave a violent lurch. The Ten Tails broke free, the earth quaking as it raised its head. Beki's jaw dropped at the sight of it. What had moments before been a somewhat shapeless, blobby torso and head was now a bony skeleton. Its skin was stretched too tight over protruding bones, its eye had split in two, and the beginnings of a nose nub protruded from its face. Tendrils like sprouts on an overripe potato exploded from its skull. It opened its horrible mouth and Beki felt the hair raise on her arms. Energy gathered to the creature like clouds gathering before a storm. A ball of burgundy light formed, writhing violently as it shaped itself into the head of a spear. The Ten Tails launched it off into the distance with a supersonic crack.

...

Yuki was yanked forcefully into awareness. Immediately, she knew she wasn't awake. The smoky, watery quality to the light was all Yuki needed to realize she was back in her old nightmare about the shrine. The whole world burned around her, the flames licking at the sky like tongues. Again she stood on the docks, the mysterious cat poised at the edge of the wood. The flames were kept at bay seemingly only by the influence of the animal, which Yuki wasn't even sure really was a cat. It flickered in and out in the corner of her eye, becoming far too large and see through to be the house cat it seemed to be. Its fur changed color and pattern, from an orange marmalade tabby, to a tuxedo, to a Bengal, to a tortoiseshell. It looked up at her and meowed soundlessly. It glanced toward the lake before them and Yuki followed its gaze. The figure that in the past had been floating up in the air off in the distance was now hovering over the water. The lake was glowing like a sun, illuminated by the flames around it. The figure was cast in shadow against it but Yuki could make out some of its soft, feminine features. The woman had long hair that glowed like a silvery halo. Her flowing white robes danced, swaying gently in the searing gusts. Her flesh was pale. In fact, all of her seemed blanched like a sun-bleached photograph. Then Yuki spotted her over florid lips, shimmering like an open wound.

In her dream driven state, Yuki's mouth opened. To her surprise, the voice that came out was young. "Mother?"

The woman gave a small frown.

"You were meant for so much."

The woman's lips didn't move but Yuki heard her strong sultry voice clearly.

"You rejected our ways. Our teachings," The woman's frown deepened, furrowing her pretty brow. "Instead you joined the filthy shinobi and engaged in their petty conflicts. You forgot who you were. You forgot me."

"Forgot you?" Yuki laughed. "You were never there. It was never your hand coming down from the sky that bailed me out. It was either my own two hands or the shinobi around me."

"Such a strong willed, disobedient child." The woman shook her head. The frown softened and her eyes glimmered. "It was fortunate that you had little influence on your daughter, however. Her father taught the girl to follow orders well. She's proven to be most promising."

Yuki froze. Even though she was in a dream, she could feel her muscles tensing. "You bitch," Yuki hissed. "It's you. You're the one who's been screwing around in her head."

"She's an excellent listener. And executioner." The woman smirked. "Once the last of her attachments to this world is broken, when no love for the shinobi remains within her, she will be my scourge upon this world."

"You keep your hands the hell off my daughter-" Yuki screamed, nearly throwing herself off the deck.

"Why, my child," The woman cocked her head slightly. "She's already mine."

Yuki sat bolt upright on her mat, knocking the medic beside her on his rear. She woke up screaming in fear, her heart racing in her chest and her hair standing on end. She looked around, still half delusional with sleep. "Beki?!" The medic reached out to restrain her but Yuki was already on her feet, stumbling out of the tent. During the fight with the Burned Maiden, Yuki had lost consciousness. She had no idea how the battle had turned out. If what that demon of a woman said was true, at least Yuki knew Beki was alive. She glanced around the medic camp to survey her surroundings. There was a terrible sound from above, pulling her gaze to the sky. Off in the distance she could make out a monstrous shape. Without it being spoken, Yuki knew that's where Beki would be. Yuki flew, her steps so quick and light they barely touched the ground. Where the terrain was smooth enough, Yuki formed the ice beneath her feet and skated towards her goal.


	114. Sacrifice

**Please read until the end.**

* * *

After the destruction of Headquarters, the battled had raged on and gone from bad to worse. The man, who Beki had heard identified as Uchiha Obito, was atop the Ten Tails using it to launch his Wood Cutting technique at the Allied Shinobi. Naruto needed to get in close to stop him but was delayed by constantly having to defend himself. Hiashi, Hinata, and Neji were preparing to escort him. Beki had hovered close to her familiars, listening in on the conversation.

"I'm coming too," Beki stepped forward. Naruto and the Hyugas turned to face the unexpected interruption.

Neji opened his mouth to protest but then shrugged. "I...I was going to say that it isn't safe."

"But nowhere is safe anymore, right?" Beki gave a knowing smile and bumped him with her hip.

Hiashi seemed conflicted as well but nodded his head. "Another set of hands wouldn't hurt. Will you be able to deflect the stakes with that?"

Beki glanced down at her kanabo. Someone in the Third had picked it up for her while she was fighting the Burned Maiden. The weight was familiar and comforting in her hands. Nicks and dents between the studs told the story of ever sword, knife, and skull it had cracked. Beki nodded. The stakes the Ten Tails was shooting were sharp and coming in fast, but they were only made of wood. The kanabo could take it. Beki nodded. "It won't be as efficient or as graceful as you guys using rotation, but it'll get the job done."

Hiashi nodded. "Alright. Remember, our goal is to protect Naruto. Help out wherever you can when you can, but don't ever leave him open."

"So, Beki, what's with the mask?" Hinata asked as they took off at a run. "And your armor...it looks different."

Beki gave a small chuckle. "It's a long story. The short version is that I had to fight the Three Maidens and the Burned Maiden took my armor. After I defeated her, I took my armor back and her mask."

"It's kind of creepy, Beki," Neji cringed. "Would you mind taking it off?"

Beki grumbled as she raised the iron bars, exposing her face for their scrutiny. "We've literally been fighting the living dead and white blob monsters and its my mask that's creeping you out?"

A set of incoming projectiles drew the Hyuga's attention. Neji deflected them with a well-timed rotation.

 _Kill them._

Beki winced, the voice forcing its way to the surface of her thoughts. It disrupted the flow of her steps, almost causing her to stumble. If anyone noticed they kept quiet about it. A set of stakes were incoming from her direction. Beki wound up, leapt through the air, and knocked them away with a beautiful swing. They fell harmlessly to the ground, crumbling on impact.

 _Kill them. Burn them._

It was incessant. The more Beki fought the voice, the harder it pushed back. It was getting hard to focus on her surroundings. The cries of the shinobi around her, the Ten Tails groaning wails, it all bled together. It was background noise to the commanding woman hijacking her mind. Subconsciously, Beki glanced at her friends for help. The moment her eyes fell on Naruto, the voice began to scream.

 _KILL HIM. KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM._

The Ten Tails launched a volley of projectiles and the Hyugas had to break away to protect the Allied Shinobi around them from the attack. It left Naruto wide open. Beki felt her grip tighten on the kanabo involuntarily. The voice wanted Beki to kill everyone she saw. It wanted her to kill all the shinobi, all her friends. More than anyone else, though, it wanted Naruto dead. It shrieked, it's hate and rage filling Beki up like a pitcher to the point of overflowing. A fear crept down her spine like a spider as she felt her skin growing hot. This strange woman's anger was transferring over to Beki and activating her inner Maiden by force.

...

It had been a diversion. The moment the Hyuga had broken away from Naruto, the Ten Tails had shot off another volley heading directly for him. The two mystery figures atop the beast that were controlling it had counted on the shinobi's comradery. They had gambled on the shinobi's desire to preserve human life to lure them away from the true target.

The latest set of stakes were heading right for Naruto. There wasn't enough time to deflect them. They were coming in too fast and had closed too much distance before any of them had noticed. Neji watched in horror as Hinata flung herself directly in their path. It was a desperate, last ditch attempt to save the love of her life by shielding him with her body.

No. He couldn't let it happen like this. Neji was faster than Hinata had ever been and the moment he realized her intent he was moving. He closed the distance between them in seconds.

This is it, he thought. My whole life has been in service of the main family. Time and time again, I've been told it's my responsibility to sacrifice myself to keep them safe. If it was for Hinata, Neji was okay doing just that. His father had died for her father and now Neji would die for her. Naruto would defeat the Ten Tails and they would take care of each other. Take care of everyone. They were strong enough for that.

Neji dove towards Hinata and Naruto, closing his eyes as soon as he was sure of his trajectory. He prayed Beki could forgive him. They had waited so long and been through so much to finally be together. Those last few weeks had been better than Neji could have ever dreamed. She was everything he had ever wanted and more. As cruel as fate was, Neji couldn't help but be grateful they had such a good go of it. A whirlwind of joy. They were going to get married and all their friends were going to be there. He smiled to himself, thinking how pretty Beki would have been in her dress. How cute their kids would have been. As Neji flew through the air, however, it became clear that it was never going to happen. Their joy had just been consolation for his impending death, maybe even a postmortem comfort for Beki as she faced a life without him.

She would be fine. Beki was hard not to love. She would probably work things out with Gaara and end up being a pampered kage's wife. Beki deserved that. His heart hurt for his team, too, but they were all strong and they had each other. Gai would carry them all through the grief. Neji was suddenly overcome with all the things he had never said and now would never have a chance. He swallowed hard, tucked his chin, and waited for death.

There was a horrible sound as the stakes punched through flesh. Warm blood splattered his clothes. Neji hit the ground and tumbled with the impact, rolling twice before he landed flat on his back. Neji opened his eyes in confusion. There was no pain. He sat up and looked down at his perfectly intact shirt, the blood splatters across his back and shoulders already turning brown. Neji hadn't taken the hit. Had he missed his mark? His eyes shot over to Hinata and Naruto, who were slowly picking themselves up off the ground. As far as he could see, they were perfectly fine. A smile began to creep its way across his face. Maybe the stakes had missed them, barely grazing one of their shoulders as it passed. Neji stood slowly, testing his body for any signs of injury. Behind him, Neji heard the tiniest cough. It was the choked kind, like someone with a bad cold trying not to be disruptive in class. The sound somehow caught Hinata's attention and she glanced in Neji's direction. Her eyes grew wide in panic and she screamed. Neji did an about face, expecting to see Hiashi lying in a pool of his own blood. But it wasn't Hiashi. It was so much worse.

Several feet away, at the end of a trail of blood, was Beki. She was lying on her stomach, crumpled up in her armor like a soda can. Wooden stakes were lodged in several places in her back, her hair tangled between them like a morbid obstacle course. Her head was turned towards him, a single arm outstretched in his direction. The whole world faded to gray and time seemed to stop as Beki coughed again, splattering blood on the dirt in front of her. Neji's muscles had locked up and his jaw fell slack in shock. Beki gave him a small strained smile as she chuckled through another cough.

"I was pretty fast, huh?"

Time caught up. Neji's took off in an explosion of force towards her, carefully scooping her up with his Byakugan activated. "It's okay Beki. We're going to get you a medic and you'll be fine." As he spoke, he surveyed the damage. There were four stakes. Two had pierced her through the shoulder blades but the armor had stopped them from getting far. The other two, the stakes that had pierced her lower abdomen, had obliterated her kidneys and punched all the way through the other side. Blood was flowing freely and toxins were flooding her bloodstream. "You're going to be just fine." His voice trailed off at the end as all hope left him. Beki reached up and weakly put a hand on his cheek. She was dying and there was nothing he could do to save her.

"Neji," Beki held his face in her hands. His tears snaked their way down her fingers and over her hands, clearing paths in the dirt caked on her skin. "I was losing myself. Ever since we got here, ever since I met the Maidens, I've been losing control. They've been taking me over like a virus." Tears welled up in her eyes but she blinked them away. "I would rather die like this. Rob them of the chance to use me to hurt anyone."

"No," Neji shook his head. "No you aren't going to die. You can't die Beki," He cradled her head and buried his face in her neck. "I love you. It can't go like this, Beki. You can't leave me like this."

"I love you, too." Her voice trailed off. Neji squeezed her tight, sobbing freely. Her pulse was beating comfortingly against his cheek. If he ignored the smell of blood and death, he could almost pretend they were home again, drifting off to sleep in their bed. Nothing but hope and promise in front of them.

He didn't hear Hinata screaming, Naruto holding her back and whispering hushed words to comfort her. Neji didn't see the kunoichi racing towards them like the hounds of hell were on her heels. He didn't see her skid to a halt beside him. It wasn't until her nails were in his shoulder, prying him away from Beki did he see her. Yukihana, looking feral with her hair wild and loose and eyes wide like an animal. She glanced at him, then at Beki.

For a moment, words failed him the way he had failed Beki. It had been merely seconds, but it felt like centuries until he had found his voice again "She's-"

Yuki pried her daughter away, scooping her up the way she had when Beki was a toddler. Unceremoniously, Yuki kicked Neji away, towards Hinata and Naruto. Her hair turned white, flowing around her like a veil of frost. With Beki in her arms protectively, she looked at the three and yelled a single command: "Go get a damned medic squad."

The Yukionna was weak now. Never before had she taxed herself to this extent. There was tired, and then there was this. Her heart was tired after facing Seiichiro. Her soul was weary after squaring off against her god and the war had totaled her body physically. Yuki's existence was a tiny flame on a stormy night, the wind and the rain bearing down on her. She lacked the strength to do this on her own. She closed her eyes and reached out around her with invisible hands, drawing in all the water and the chakra she could. One last incredible pull. One final push to save her daughter from the ledge. As the ice exploded around them, forming a crystalline, protective cryonic chamber, the last thought that crossed Yuki's mind was saving her baby. Saving Beki from death, from Mother, from every single damned thing in the world. She would tear herself apart and reach absolute zero if she had to. Anything for Beki. Anything for her baby.

The three stood there, part in awe and part in terror at the tiny glacier that had formed on the battlefield. Yuki and Beki were visible within, frozen in that moment in time. Tears and snot streamed down Hinata's face as Naruto tucked her hair behind her ear. "See, she's gonna be okay," Naruto gave her a reassuring squeeze. "As soon as this is over, we'll go get Sakura and she'll fix her right up."

Hinata was still shaking but Naruto's words seemed to soothe her somewhat. "Yeah," Hinata glanced at Neji, who was just as traumatized as she was. She reached out and took his hand. "She's going to be okay?"

Neji looked at the ice. It had kept Yukihana stable for, what did Beki say? Twelve years? He used his Byakugan and checked, giving a small start in shock. "Their hearts aren't beating."

"They're frozen solid." Hinata sighed. "Then, they should be fine till we get back."

Naruto nodded, his eyes turning back towards the Ten Tails. "We have to do this. We have to finish this so we can save Beki, okay?"

Hinata nodded, a confident look in her eyes as she wiped away her tears with her sleeve, streaking dirt across her face. "Okay."

Just as they turned back to face the Ten Tails, one of its giant tails smashed into the glacier, raining hunks of ice and frost down on their heads.

"Whoops," Obito leered down at them. "Sorry. Were you hoping you would be able to save them? A giant freaking target just sitting there vulnerable on the field? You have to be kidding me."

The tail pulled back, revealing that Yuki's glacier was cracked all along the point of impact. Bits of ice fell off in chunks but it was otherwise intact.

Obito furrowed his brows. "Well. That was sturdier than I thought."

As the trio watched in horror, a tail wrapped around it, coiled like a snake, and hawked it off into oblivion. "That should be enough to smash it to bits. How are you going to save them now, kid? Put them back together with tweezers and glue?!"

Naruto collapsed on his knees. Just seconds ago, Beki was running alongside him. She had been willing to die to save him and his friends but they were going to be able to save her. And just like that, in a matter of seconds, she was gone forever.

"I thought you said you weren't going to let any of your comrades die," Obito sneered. "Well, you didn't put up much of a fight to save those two. Guess you weren't so committed after all."

Naruto could feel Neji and Hinata's eyes on his back. He may not have been super close with Beki, but while he was gone she had picked up the slack for him. Protected Hinata when he couldn't, comforted his friends, and just generally been a good person. Wasn't that exactly the sort of person he should be protecting?

"You know, I was kind of kicking myself for a second there," Obito folded his arms. "I was thinking, if I had just timed it a little better I could have skewed the blond girl and her little boy toy there. But drawing out a crazy ice shinobi and crushing them both? Score. She would have been so much more annoying to deal with."

Naruto couldn't even raise his head. It was true. He was failing. Who would be next? Hinata?

Before his thoughts could sink any lower, he felt a sharp slap across his face. He looked up to see Hinata staring down at him with a stern expression. "Beki sacrificed herself so we could get through this. If you let him get in your head, if you let doubt into your heart, her sacrifice will mean nothing. So will the sacrifices of everyone who helped get us to this point."

Naruto was silent for a moment. He was surprised by her quiet, unexpected determination. If that was Hinata's attitude about losing her best friend, all Naruto could do was follow. "You're right," He said as he stood. "We've got work to do."

...

 _Four Years Later_

Neji lie awake in bed, unable to move. Perhaps it was the incessant clatter of the heavy rain on the roof mesmerizing him, or the fact that he'd had too much sleep again. Storms made him feel lethargic because they kept him cooped up in the house all day. Neji couldn't afford to laze around. He had an important appointment to keep. After what seemed an eternity nestled in his self-warmed bedding, Neji dragged himself up onto his feet.

As he dressed himself, Neji's thoughts drifted off to the night before. He'd had the dream again. Some people would have called it a nightmare because it was a throwback to such a terrible time in his life. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, when the God Tree had trapped everyone in its dreamworld, was the first time Neji had this dream.

Neji was walking towards the gates of Konoha with his squad. Up ahead, between the great doors, was Beki, waving excitedly. While he was under the God Tree's influence, in the dream Neji ran to her and scooped a giggling Beki up in his arms. She started asking him about his mission but he would gently remind her he had to go report in to the Hokage. She grumbled and reluctantly dismounted with a kiss and a promise to meet him later at home. Neji reported their success to the Hokage and ran home as fast as he could. When he got there, Beki opened the door for him with a fuzzy blanket wrapped bundle in her arms. As he leaned in to kiss her and the baby, the God Tree's spell was broken and they all woke up. Every time Neji had the dream since then, it had been a nightmare. When he spotted Beki waving to him at the gates and he ran to her, Beki would turn and run away. No matter how fast Neji raced, she always stayed far ahead, glancing over her shoulder to make sure he followed. He bobbed through side streets as the sunlight faded and the buildings twisted until he didn't recognize where he was anymore. Beki led him to the outskirts of town, disappearing over the crest of a hill. When Neji followed, he found himself in the graveyard. Right where she should have been standing was an empty grave staring up at him like a gaping maw. Neji hated it. Every time he woke up from that nightmare he seemed to have a sour day.

After he finished dressing, Neji ate an apple, grabbed his umbrella, and headed into town. Monsoon season had come with a vengeance this year. The streets were flooding in places and Neji's feet splashed in the puddles. It was silent save for the rain, not a single soul in sight. Everyone was closed in their homes, snuggled up to fireplaces and hot ovens for meals with their families. Neji envied their safety and their comfort. Were he less determined he would follow suit, but Neji wasn't one to abandon a mission.

As he walked in his echo chamber of solitude, his mind wandered back to the Fourth Shinobi World War. It was that damned nightmare, he knew, that always stirred up the cesspool of those bitter memories. Those few days had nearly ruined his life and robbed him of all hope. It even cost him a few friendships, as shallow as they were.

At the end of the war, after Kaguya had been defeated and the God Tree dispelled, a party had been put together for the purpose of collecting the bodies of fallen shinobi. Along with other Hyuga, the Inuzuka, and other tracking specialists, Neji had joined them in their quest for locating the injured and dead. It had brought him some relief to rescue stranded injured and to locate the dead for proper burial, but his main goal was finding Beki. As he searched with his Byakugan and asked around with shinobi he had encountered if they had seen the ice floe, a familiar voice had called his name. At the sound of it, a knot had formed in his stomach. It was the Kazekage.

Gaara had looked exhausted but his spirits were high from the victory. His shoulders were square and he had a confident bounce to his step. He made some polite small talk, clapping Neji's shoulder and expressing that he was happy Neji had survived the war. He had talked for a moment about how promising the future looked, that this would be enough to bring the villages together, and that there was a lot of work ahead of them. Neji didn't remember exactly what Gaara had said. There was a veil over him, distorting the sounds and robbing them of meaning because Neji knew what he was there to talk to him about.

After an appropriate amount of polite interaction, Gaara got to the point. He asked Neji if he knew where Beki was. Neji began talking before he was ready, before he had thought through how to articulate what had happened. He stammered over the details, giving too much information leading up to the incident, apologizing, having to go back and revise the story multiple times. As he talked he watched the Kazekage go rigid and his eyes widen, his upbeat attitude dissipating like a cloud on a hot day. As Neji reached the part of the story where Beki was wounded a lump formed in his throat. He had to squeeze out the words, force them through the gap of his constricted throat.

"Where," Gaara was stiff, his lips barely moving as he spoke. "Where is she now?"

Neji shook his head. "The Ten Tails uprooted it," Neji stared off towards where the ice floe had once stood. "Tossed it off into God knows where. I'm looking for it." Neji's eyes brightened as an idea occurred to him. "Maybe you could fly up high, see if you can spot where it landed-"

"Why was she protecting you?" There was a strange note in Gaara's voice. A threat, barely tethered by his character. "Your family was told to keep her safe, so why is an ambassador dead and you're standing here?"

"Beki and I were engaged," Neji said with a sigh of frustration. "And she isn't dead!" Neji felt his muscles clench, the suggestion turning his stomach. "She's in the ice. We just have to find her and get a medic squad-"

The punch caught him square on the jaw. Neji's world flashed with white hot pain and his eyes began to water. He raised his hand to the spot protectively and Neji looked up at Gaara in shock. A shadow had come across the Kazekage's face. His expression was dark and twisted, a whirl of despair and rage. Neji recognized that look from before the chunin exams. But unlike in his youth when Gaara's inner animal ran free, Neji watched as it hammered against its cage, rattling the hinges and threatening escape. Gaara closed his eyes and clenched his fists in a visible attempt to keep it inside.

"I thought you were my friend," Gaara's voice was soft but the venom was there. "And you've been lurking around, waiting for a chance to take her from me. We go through a rough patch and you steal her away just to turn around and get her killed?!"

"If I had known what she was going to do, I never would have let her," Neji's voice cracked.

Gaara clutched at his chest. At first Neji thought it was at his heart but it seemed to be something under Gaara's shirt. "Just as soon as I think I've put all my pain behind me, I'm reminded I have this scar on my head for a reason." Before Neji could respond, Gaara turned away abruptly, formed a sand cloud under his feet, and took off at high speed.

Ever since then, whenever the Kazekage was in town to meet with the Hokage, Neji made a point of staying out of sight. As for his family, they had been fairly supportive of Neji as he grieved Beki's loss. They had given him his space while gently reminding him that life goes on. They slowly increased his responsibilities and raised their expectations of him until six months ago, when Hiashi went ahead and arranged a new marriage for him.

Neji's betrothed was a nice girl. Oddly enough, she was the candidate Hiashi had originally been considering for Neji before. Her clan was an offshoot of the Hyuga, separated from the main clan for only three generations and eager to rejoin. Her name was Miyu. She had the black hair and pale skin of the Hyuga but her eyes were chestnuts nestled safely between impressively long lashes. Miyu was two years younger than Neji and was trained as a medic. She was easy going and soft spoken enough that Neji didn't mind her company. Although the marriage had been arranged six months ago, their families had put the wedding out until the following spring for good fortune. The pair were making the best of their situation. Conveniently, Miyu's family wanted her to assimilate into the main clan quickly, so she was the one coming over to dinner with his family every week and joining his friends for outings.

At last Neji had reached his destination. He stepped into the Yamanaka flower shop, careful to close and shake out his umbrella before he crossed the threshold. The raging storm was more than enough to slow business across the board. Ino had been thinking of closing early, in fact, as they had been open for almost three hours without a single customer.

"Hi Neji," Ino smiled pleasantly. "You come all the way here just to see me? I'm flattered."

"Sorry, Ino, I'm spoken for," Neji gave her a halfhearted smile in reply.

"So that's why you came in," Ino rested her chin on her hand. Neji had made a beeline for some of the best flowers in the shop. They were enormous fist sized roses with velvety blood colored petals. The breed was thornless and were cut in long stems. A bouquet of them cost a small fortune, but in Ino's extensive expertise, one look and any girl would know they were top of the line. "You're getting those for your fiancé, aren't you?"

Neji nodded, staring at the blossoms as if reliving a memory. "You read me like a book."

"I'm sure she'll love them." Ino started to ring him up. Neji paid and with a quiet "thank you" set back out into the rain. Ino watched him go, envying his new girl. Neji was a classic gentleman that way. The pair had been engaged for nearly six months and he was going out of his way to get her the best flowers in the village, probably on a whim. Any girl would die to have that kind of treatment. "He probably opens doors for her, too. And pulls out her chair." Ino rubbed her pregnant belly and shrugged. Sai would do all those things for her if she asked. Once in a while, though, it would be nice to be pampered without having to spell it out so much.

…

The rain had stretched on for days and the lack of sunshine for so long made it bitter cold. Neji had prepared for this, of course, by wearing his warmest coat and gloves. He walked with purpose, careful to avoid slippery stretches of the sidewalk while he was in town. As the village gave way to the forest, Neji had to be extra cautious of the wet grass.

When at last he reached the war monument, Neji was sweating from both exertion and his several layers of clothes. The Fourth Shinobi World War had added several more rows of names of Leaf shinobi whose bodies had not been able to be recovered. Although Beki and Yuki hadn't technically been from the Leaf, the Hokage made a special exception to have their names added to the list of the dead due to their involvement and contributions to the community. Neji reached out and ran his thumb over "Tsukimori Haruka", the characters still strongly etched despite their exposure to the elements.

Neji surveyed the ground at the base of the monument. There were a few bouquets there in various states of decay. The rain had sped most of it along to the point where several were plain mush. Neji chuffed. Right after the war, this place had been better attended to. Piles of flowers, candles, and other mementos had graced the monument every week. As the years dragged on and people were numbed by the peace, they stopped coming. This place was an ugly reminder of loss. The idea was alien to Neji but he could understand people wanting to move on with their lives. After all, they had lives to move on to. He gathered up all the old bouquets, brushed the loose petals and stems off into the grass, and carefully laid down the new bouquet of roses.

"Happy birthday, Beki." Neji said as he set his umbrella protectively over the roses. "I'm sorry I didn't get here yesterday. There's been a lot going on with the family. It's hard for me to slip away these days. It...it's still strange for me, when I think about how long it's been. I guess it's hard for me to keep track of time." He gave a soft sigh. "The days just kind of run together." He paused for a moment to let the words sink in, as if expecting a response. "When I looked at the calendar today I realized you would have been twenty-three. I went by the ice cream shop we used to go to. I would have brought you some, but the owner sold it. It's a shoe store now. Somehow I don't think that would have bothered you too much." He stood there for a while, feeling the rain splatter against the top of his head and the material of his coat. "You always loved rainy days. I'm happy it's been like this…"

Neji bowed his head and closed his eyes, breathing in the intoxicating rich smell of wet earth. The rain was chilly but fell in soft fat droplets. Time slipped away as he listened to the patter on the stone. In quiet moments like this, where the world was calm and still, Neji could almost feel her with him. It wasn't direct contact, like a wind through his hair or something brushing against his coat. He could feel her presence hovering nearby. Sometimes he swore he could smell her or would see her pass by in a crowd.

He knew the right thing would be to pray for her to move on and be at peace. Then again, Neji couldn't help but find comfort in those little reminders and fragments of their memories from when they were together. Over time, as he grew increasingly lost in his thoughts, the rain soaked through to his clothes and he began to shake. The involuntary gesture snapped him back to attention and Neji at last noticed to his surroundings. With no sun it was hard to tell but Neji thought a few hours had passed. Neji had an appointment he needed to attend to in the afternoon and was sure it wouldn't be appreciated if he showed up in such a haggard state.

"I need to get going, Beki. I'll be back to see you again next week." Neji began to turn around, feeling the words hanging in the air. Everyone would think he was crazy if they knew. In his heart Neji knew she was gone, that she was never coming back, and that profound loss struck him every day. It was supposed to get better. Time, everyone said, would heal his heart. Why, then, after four years, did it still hurt so much? He had tried to bury the feelings for everyone else's sake. Neji knew he was a burden on his family as he was. At least when he was alone, Neji could be honest with himself. He could be honest with Beki.

"I love you."

Neji said it to the rain. He said it to the earth and the roses and the sky. Wherever she was, Neji hoped Beki could hear him. He wanted her to know that his life was just a countdown until they were together again; he was moving forward but he wasn't moving on.

...

Neji arrived at the Hyuga compound soaked to the bone. Miyu was standing outside the door to his room under the protection of the covered walkway. At the sight of him, her eyes lit up, then twisted with concern at his haggard state.

"Hi Miyu," Neji said through chattering teeth. "Am I late?"

"No," Miyu sighed. "You're perfectly on time." Neji must have forgotten his umbrella somewhere while he was out. He could be absent minded that way when he got caught up in his thoughts. Miyu had talked to Tenten about it and she said that this behavior had only started after the war. Working in the hospital, Miyu had seen plenty of cases like Neji's, other soldiers who had left some part of themselves behind on the battlefield. On his good days, he was the most brilliant man Miyu had ever met. Miyu was more than willing to be patient when he had one of his spells.

Once, when they were meeting up for a walk, she found him whistling off into the woods. When she asked him what he was doing, he had shrugged with a faraway look in his eye, muttering something about seeing if someone would answer. As considerate as he was, too, Neji could never seem to remember to call her his fiancé. He referred to Miyu as his betrothed. It sounded silly and old fashioned, but no matter how many times she joked with him to be less formal, he went right back to it the next time they were together. Other than that small inconvenience, Miyu had no complaints about their arranged marriage. Neji was a well-respected and talented shinobi and possibly the most handsome man Miyu had ever seen. When her father broke the news she was going to be forced to be married, Miyu had gone on a hunger strike in protest. Her mother, in desperation, had gone and met with Neji herself. When she came home with a smile on her face and words of reassurance that Miyu had nothing to worry about, she had agreed to meet him. He was incredibly easy to like and even easier to get along with.

Neji's family, however, was always checking in to see if he was behaving appropriately. Neji was careful, but whenever the Hyuga caught him in one of his absent spells, they came down on him hard. Miyu had quickly learned the best way to support her new fiancé and his recovery was to cover for him. She had observed that all she had to do was sit quietly with Neji when he stared off into space and he would come back to her eventually. It wasn't her place to tell Hyuga Hiashi what to do, however. The pair only needed to keep this up until they were married, then Neji could have the space he needed to recover.

"Why don't you go take a hot shower and get in some dry clothes," Miyu smiled reassuringly. "I'll go distract Hiashi and Hanabi until you're ready."

"Thank you, Miyu," Neji said as he opened his door. "I won't be long."

...

In his softly lit study, Orochimaru reviewed a series of charts. The ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he scanned the numbers and the notes scrawled in the margins in a painstakingly neat hand. A knock at the door wasn't enough to draw his eyes away. "Come in," he called out without raising his voice.

Kabuto stepped into the room with a tea tray. Orochimaru glanced up briefly as Kabuto placed the tray on his desk. His eyes narrowed and he glanced around the desk, checking around Kabuto's knees. "Where's your shadow?"

"Exploring the ventilation ducts again, I'm sure," Kabuto let out an exasperated sigh. "Or taking a nap on a morgue slab." He paused for a moment and glanced up at Orochimaru. "If I recall correctly, nothing else ever escaped up into the air ducts?"

Orochimaru shook his head and took his cup. "You have nothing to worry about. There might be a few snakes that have nested in there but we have antivenom on hand."

Kabuto caught sight of the papers on Orochimaru's desk and gestured at them. "Sir, when you approached me about this project...I have to admit I didn't have much confidence in its success."

"You're still young," Orochimaru shrugged. "You lack my vision."

"Sir, with all due respect, you must admit we had no precedent for this," Kabuto reached out and picked up one of the earlier charts. "A million things would have had to go right for the subject to be considered a success."

"I do ultimately get my way, Kabuto," Orochimaru sipped his tea. "It comes down to patience and I have all the time in the world."

…

 _Four Years Before:_

On a field strewn with innumerable bodies, the scars of ninjutsu and other acts of natural violence marring the landscape, stood a solitary figure. His entourage was elsewhere, tending to each other's wounds and talking through the traumas of war. This section of the battlefield was older and more remote than where it ended, so the bodies were likely to sit for some time, which meant he was free to scavenge at his leisure.

A prize had already been secured: the remnants of an ancient with whom the possibilities for experimentation were endless. That was a sound acquisition, founded well in his research and in line with his usual practice. What he had stumbled upon now was purely a subject of morbid curiosity.

A pillar of ice, smaller and in far worse condition than the first he had encountered, was stuck into the ground at an odd angle like a monument to the destruction around it. A small trail ran behind it from its initial impact to where it slid to find its resting place. The source of the man's curiosity was not the ice itself but its contents. Two figures, locked in what could be death's embrace, indistinguishable, vaguely human shaped splotches of color. But he knew better. He knew who was inside and that they had survived this little trick before. Many years ago, Yukihana had tried this stunt on him and failed in a futile attempt to protect her daughter, Orochimaru's initial prize. Other curiosities had popped up over the years and his interest in the daughter of the Asou and the Tsukimori had been relegated to the back burner.

Death and the destruction of most of his assets had left Orochimaru with a painfully open schedule and a severe lack of projects. And here, served up to him on a dinner plate, was his old query, whose performance in the war had more than piqued his initial interest. He smiled to himself. What a strange little reunion this would be.

…

The project had been put on hold for a few months. Knowing the scale of the tasks ahead, Orochimaru would not proceed without Kabuto as his assistant. After discussing the ice floe with him, Kabuto had reported he had something he need to take care of before he could commit to the endeavor. He had aided Orochimaru in having the ice transported to their nearest facility, which was still in fair condition considering its abandonment, and then departed. Orochimaru was surprised when Kabuto returned a few weeks later with an extra set of hands, his own little assistant, Miki. She was nowhere near Kabuto's level of skill but Miki had proven competent and resourceful enough in the past that Orochimaru was delighted to have her on the project. Even more so when he discovered that she had been on friendly terms with the little Maiden.

The condition of the ice was far less stable than Yukihana's previous glacier. The first had been a vengeful entrapment with a large supply of water available and although her chakra had been low, it was only depleted from a single night's battle. This new structure was a desperate, last ditch attempt at preserving the life of her mortally wounded daughter. Days of fighting impressive opponents in mass numbers had left Yuki close to absolute zero. In Yukionna form, using the last of her reserves, she had quickly encased them in what little moisture was available in the air. This meant that the density, size, and shape of the glaciers was massively different. The first had been mammoth, taking up the better part of a room and so thick that it was impossible to perceive anything within. This latest creation was maybe only two and a half meters high and about the width of a dinner table. The ice was nearly as clear as glass. Colors were distinct and shapes were mostly discernable. This was good news. With the limited equipment available, Orochimaru didn't believe they would have much trouble surveying the damage.

"We believe that we can safely remove some of the ice and then x-ray the pair to assess their wounds," Miki explained.

"Have you reviewed the research on the first glacier?" Orochimaru smiled to himself at the irony. Yuki's attempt to trap him over a decade ago had ended up giving him all the information he needed to rescue her in the future.

Miki nodded, "Yes, sir. We are aware that the ice is denser the closer it is to the source of casting. As there were no reports of Yukihana being wounded, our focus is going to be removing the ice closest to her daughter. It should be thin enough that we will be able to x-ray her with relative success."

Orochimaru glanced at Miki's swollen form. "Kabuto and I will attend to the x-rays themselves. It isn't safe for you to be exposed to them in your delicate condition."

Miki shuffled self-consciously. "Thank you, sir."

…

Kabuto and Orochimaru stood in front of a light table reviewing the x ray results. Miki sat nearby, her feet up on another chair while she nibbled on some saltines.

"What can you do with the kidneys?" Orochimaru asked his student.

Kabuto shook his head. "With sage mode, I could regenerate them. If there was anything left, that is. The projectiles have completely destroyed them. She's going to need replacements."

Orochimaru smiled, thinking of his other project in a lab far below this one. "I believe I can find us some viable candidates."

While the two discussed the procedure, Miki glanced up at the board and squinted. "What's that?"

Kabuto looked at Miki. "What are you talking about?"

"There," Miki labored to get up and waddled over, ignoring the infuriating patience of their silence. She pointed near Beki's pelvis. "That abnormality. Is that another projectile or a bubble in the ice-"

Orochimaru's lips pulled back in a knowing smile. "She's pregnant."

Kabuto surveyed the new point of interest with a fist to his chin. After a moment, he shook his head. "The moment we pull her out, she's going to go into shock."

"So, what can we do to stabilize her?" Miki rubbed her belly comfortingly.

Kabuto shook his head. "Miki, the chances of your friend surviving this procedure are slim at best. If we take extra steps to preserve this pregnancy, which by looking at it is only a few months along, is not worth our time. She probably didn't even know she'd conceived. It would be best to just focus on keeping the mother alive. If Beki lives, she'll have plenty of chances to have more children-"

Miki pouted. "I see your point, Kabuto. Normally, I would just agree with you. What if we're wrong, though? What if she knows she's pregnant and then we don't even try to save that baby?"

"Miki, she went to war." Kabuto folded his arms. "Why would she go to war if she knew that she was with child?"

"Because the stakes were high enough," Orochimaru's eyes had never left that spot on the x-ray. "If they lost the war, the world would have ended before she had a chance to give birth. It could have been Tsukimori was trying to help save the world for her child."

"Then why throw herself in the path of the stakes, sir?" Kabuto gestured to the spikes protruding from several points in Beki's back. "If the whole endeavor was to save her child, why sacrifice it?"

Miki looked at Kabuto. "To save another loved one. The father, maybe?"

Kabuto sobered and looked back and forth between them. "So, you both would vote we attempt to save the fetus?"

Miki nodded. "We have to at least try. Then, if we can't and she asks about it, we can tell her in good conscience we made our best effort." She swallowed. "It's what I would want, anyway."

"I would agree," Orochimaru looked at Kabuto. "If we save her and fail to save the child, the trauma of that on top of everything else might be too much for the little lady to bear. Then all our struggles will be for naught."

Kabuto stepped away to help Miki back into her chair. His transformation was amusing to Orochimaru; Kabuto had never been the nurturing type. For quite some time his little assistant had started fostering Kabuto's attitude but only recently had his student turned into such a bleeding heart. It mattered not. He still had the skill and the knowledge to be useful. Orochimaru couldn't help but feel excited. Never before had he had an opportunity such as this, to shape a life before it had even formed. Yukihana herself had been a curious specimen, Beki even more so. If the pattern continued, the little one developing in her womb could prove to be Orochimaru's most interesting experiment yet.

…

Miki approached the ice, an old fear stirring inside her. All those years ago, Miki had felt the hatred coming off the last glacier. She had witness the inhuman carnage its occupant was capable of and had barely escaped becoming Yuki's victim herself. Now here Miki was trying to wake her up.

"Yuki," Miki put her hands on the ice. "If you can hear me, you guys are safe. We have you in a medical facility. We're going to try to save Beki."

The eyes of everyone in the room were on her back. Miki's suggestion of talking directly to Yuki had raised good humored chuckles from both Orochimaru and Kabuto, the same way Chiba's suggestion of thawing the pair out with a hairdryer had. Yuki had said something, though, that had never quite left Miki. She could hear me. When Yuki was killing off everyone in the base, she had heard me scampering around on the floors below. That had been so strange to Miki, an unnatural and inhuman level of perception. Then again, she had spent enough time around exceptional shinobi that Miki was willing to take it at face value. Maybe, just maybe, that meant Yuki could hear them through the ice.

"She's going to need a lot of work," Miki explained. "She's in critical condition but we're ready to go. We're all just waiting on you, now."

Chiba watched her mother with a confused expression. "It's not working," She said in her childish, too loud attempt at a whisper. "Orochimaru sama, can we go have tea now?"

"Hush now, Chiba," Kabuto said in a good, grown up whisper. "Your mother is trying to wake up her friend-"

There was a sound like a cannon going off and a massive crack appeared in the ice. The noise had caused Miki to leap backward in surprise and Chiba started crying. Kabuto scooped her up and bounced her gently, petting her hair and shushing her. They all watched intently as more cracks formed, spreading outward from the first like capillaries to an artery. They fanned over the surface and chunks started to fall away until at last, the ice fell away from the forms. Yuki dropped onto her feet, the jolt of Beki's weight dropping in her arms causing her to stagger. She looked up at the group, a dazed expression on her face. Her eyes fell on Orochimaru and her expression darkened, to which he replied:

"We have to stop meeting like this."

Kabuto set Chiba down. He and Miki had just enough time to run over before Yuki's eyes rolled in the back of her head and she collapsed. Kabuto caught Beki, his arms wrapped under her belly to avoid worsening her injuries. Miki unceremoniously set Yuki on the floor and stepped over her body, taking ahold of Beki's legs and helping Kabuto lift her onto the table. As Kabuto took off his cloak and prepared to go into sage mode, Orochimaru reached down and took Chiba's hand. "Now we can go have some tea."

The pair exited the operating room. A few moments down the hallway, Chiba gave a small gasp and jumped with a start. Orochimaru glanced down at the concerned expression on her face. Chiba was looking back towards the operating room, clutching his hand with concern.

"Did you feel that, little one?" Orochimaru asked.

Chiba grimaced and nodded.

"What did it feel like?" Orochimaru gently coerced her further down the hall.

"Big and scary," Chiba blinked. "It made me want to run."

Orochimaru nodded. "Don't worry. That was just Kabuto. You're smart to know to run, though. If you ever feel something like that and it isn't him, you should run."

"Did you teach him how to do that Orochimaru sama?" Chiba tugged his sleeve. "Can you teach me?"

Orochimaru chuckled softly. "No, I'm afraid he taught himself how to do that. Maybe he'll teach you when you're older."

…

Kabuto and Miki sat side by side on the floor against the wall. Miki had her head between her knees, bobbing from time to time as she drifted off and woke back up. Kabuto laughed. "That was nothing, Miki."

Miki gave him an exhausted look. "That was a fourteen-hour surgery."

"Like I said, a walk in the park." Kabuto held his shirt in his hands. He was still in sage mode; his three intact horns and his one broken horn protruding from his head. Miki didn't mind when his bare skin brushed against her. While in sage mode, his flesh was cool and smooth, almost leathery to the touch. "I take it you're not up for a double?" He gave her a suggestive look as he leaned in close. Miki opened her mouth to protest but he stopped her with a nudge. "I was kidding. I know you can't keep up." He released his sage mode and pulled his shirt on over his head. A few moments later, he let out an involuntary yawn.

"Ha!" Miki bopped his shoulder. "Can't talk so big when you aren't a dragon, can you?"

Kabuto laughed and rose to his feet, offering Miki a hand. She took hold of it and he hoisted her up. Beki was in the middle of the room with a half dozen machines hooked up to her. This first surgery had taken care of the immediate danger: removing the bits of her shredded kidneys and the stakes. From there, they had hooked her up to a dialysis machine. After a good night's sleep, the plan was for Kabuto and Miki to go back in and transplant in the new kidneys that Orochimaru had grown from stem cells. They were a perfect match, but the time it took for their development had made up the bulk of the time they needed to wait to hold the surgery. Kabuto had to dose Beki with large quantities of sage chakra to keep her stable through the process. It had been effective so far and he hardly seemed fazed by the effort. Miki, however, was having serious concerns about her ability to follow up such a grueling surgery with another back to back. Time was of the essence, though, and the dialysis machines could only hold Beki so long. Especially if they were worried about preserving the pregnancy.

"I hope Orochimaru didn't let Chiba stay up late again," Kabuto shook his head as they walked out of the OR. "She's like you. She gets grouchy when she doesn't get enough sleep."


	115. A Mother's Love

**Thank you to everyone who has PM'd and reviewed. I love hearing from you. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

* * *

The first thing she noticed was the dim light on the other side of her eyelids. It was a dull sensation, barely registering in the fog of her mind. In that endless void, however, even the faintest light in the blackness was a blazing beacon at the end of the tunnel. It felt like she was crawling on her belly at the speed of a slug, desperately trying to reach it. At last, it seemed like that light was just on the other side of her eyes. Beki opened them, just a crack.

It's head on her chest, with startling green eyes staring back at her, was a tiny demon. Beki inhaled sharply, her eyes opening wide, and the thing gave her a cherub smile. It was in the form of a preschool aged child, maybe three or four, with soft unblemished skin and rosy cheeks. Normally Beki would have been excited to see a kid but she immediately knew that this wasn't a typical child. It's mop of snow white shaggy hair was exactly what demons were supposed to have. And then there were the eyes. Working at the academy, Beki had grown accustomed to the sweet, innocent cow like look in the eyes of young children. They knew so little of the world and were simply swept along with the tide of the other children, their selfish whims limited to wanting to sit next to a friend at circle time or getting to draw with a favorite marker. But these eyes were wise. Their gaze was piercing, the likes of which Beki had only seen on the most seasoned of shinobi. Maybe it wasn't a demon, then. Maybe it was just an assassin transformed into the shape of a child.

"I like listening to your heartbeat," the child-demon-assassin said with a saccharine sweet voice.

Beki went to speak but no sound came out, just a dry, raspy wheeze. She furrowed her brows and tried to sit up. "Shh," The child-demon-assassin forced her back down onto the bed. The thing's strength was staggering for its size; Beki was now sure it could only be a demon or an assassin. "You're still weak," it said.

At this point, Beki took a moment to survey her environment. The room was a decent size, maybe 12" x 12". The walls were rough concrete with a row of cabinets down the left side. There was a sink and rows of glass jars filled with medical supplies. The dim lighting was provided by some fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling. Most of them were turned off but the one by the sink was on. It smelled sterile but damp; reminding her of a hospital room. Then Beki noticed the machines next to her bed, beeping so softly she had barely noticed it. The wires, some full of clear fluid and others with blood, were stuck into her right arm with needles. That arm was strapped to the hospital bed, which Beki was quickly realizing was not all that comfortable. _What happened to me? Where I am?!_ Beki wheezed again, trying to talk, and started a coughing fit.

"No, no, deep breaths, nice and easy," The demon assassin held Beki's face in her plump, babylike hands. "You need to calm down or they'll come!"

 _They?!_ The whole jarring experience was starting to make Beki panic. She struggled against the binds, finding herself abnormally weak. _I've been drugged!_ Beki pulled harder, tried to unstrap herself, fumbling with her seemingly useless fingers. The machines started to go off, a cacophony of different wailing alarms. Soft footsteps sounded from behind Beki and the demon assassin hissed.

"Here they come!"

She jumped off the bed and scampered up the bare wall across the room into a large air duct. The creepy, on all fours way the thing climbed the wall sent chills down Beki's spine. She heard the squeal of a door opening and the footsteps got closer. For the first time in her life, Beki was completely at an enemy's mercy, and she was terrified.

Miki stepped into view, a concerned look on her face. "Beki! You're awake!"

Beki watched her, searching for any signs that Miki was an imposter. After a moment, Beki slowly nodded. Miki affectionately moved the hair out of her face. "We were hoping you would wake up soon. You...you've been through a lot. It was touch and go for a long time but here we are. You're alive and you're awake now!"

Beki let out a small wheeze and Miki sighed. "Save your strength." She walked out of view and returned with a strange squeeze bottle with a sharply angled straw. Beki reached up to take it but Miki gently put Beki's arm back down. "You aren't strong enough yet. Let me help you."

Miki squeezed the best damned water Beki ever had in her life into her mouth. It was as cold as a mountain top and instantly helped Beki through some of the fog still hovering over her. Every cell in Beki's body rejoiced at the rush of frosty refreshment. After a few gulps Miki took it away. Beki tried to reach for it again but Miki shook her head. "Only a little at a time. You haven't ingested anything orally for a while. You'll need to ease back into it."

" _did"_ Beki blinked at the still rough, almost rusty sound of her voice. It was an incredible effort to speak, but she pressed on. " _did you...see that... monster?"_ It took an immense effort to finish even the most basic of sentences. Beki looked at Miki expectantly, hoping that had been enough to get her message across. Miki glanced around with a concerned look on her face, her eyes eventually falling on the air vent. " _its in the vents…"_ Beki whispered. " _was it a ghost...or an escaped...experiment?"_

Miki heaved a sigh. "It wasn't a ghost or a demon, Beki. That was Chiba."

" _what's a chiba_?" Beki blinked.

"A Chiba," Miki fixed Beki's blanket. "Is my precocious three-year-old."

" _three-year-old what?"_ Beki still looked confused. " _baby-spider hybrid?"_

"Daughter." Miki shook her head. "She was climbing the walls again? I told her to stop going in the vents. She's the only one small enough to snake her way around in there and I'm worried that there might be…." Miki snapped to attention, realizing she shouldn't be sharing so much. "Never mind. She's mostly harmless."

Beki surveyed Miki's face more closely. Her features were finer, more mature. Miki had never mentioned having a daughter before. They hadn't been the closest, but Beki imagined Miki would have brought up having a baby in the Sound Village at some point. " _how...how long have I been out, miki?"_

Miki gave her an empathetic look and took ahold of Beki's hand.

"It's been four years since the Fourth Shinobi War ended."

Beki's heart began to race. _Four years?! I've been in a coma for four years?!_ Beki sat bolt up and started tugging at her wires. _Neji. Hinata. Mom! They all must be worried out of their minds! I have to go see them. I have to let them know that I'm okay!_

"Beki, stop," Miki struggled with her, incredibly strong as she pulled Beki back down on the bed and held her there. "I know this is a lot to process but you must remain calm!"

Beki continued to struggle against Miki feebly, her eyes wide in shock. The machines were going off again and another set of footsteps came down the hall. A second person came in the room.

"What's wrong?" It was a male voice. Beki swore she had heard it somewhere. He was surprisingly calm and friendly considering the entire world was coming down.

"I...I told her how long it's been," Miki sighed with exasperation and the man gave a soft laugh. Beki saw the figure step into view on the other side of her. His back was to her as he opened a drawer in the cabinet beside her and took something out. He turned around and stepped up to her IV, a syringe in his hand. "Easy now," He looked down at Beki. She had no idea who he was. His face was completely unfamiliar but that voice she knew.

" _stop,"_ Beki protested as he stuck the syringe into the IV bag. Within moments, Beki was out again and her arms dropped to her side.

"What were you thinking, Miki?" Kabuto chuckled. "Do you want to give her a heart attack?"

Miki pouted. "She asked me how long it had been. I wasn't going to lie to her."

"Then I come in and you're wrestling with her!" Kabuto shook his head. "It's almost like you want to undo all our hard work."

Miki shook her head. "I know it isn't professional but she is my friend. I was excited to see her awake. I wanted to talk to her again."

Kabuto reached across the hospital bed and gently brushed away a stray eyelash on Miki's cheek. "I know. This girl has a lot of surprises in her future, though. If we want her to make it, we're going to have to treat her like a delicate baby bird."

Miki laughed humorlessly. "If you knew Beki before, you would understand how hard it is to do that."

"I ran into her once, remember?" Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "The second she thought I had hurt you she was all fire and brimstone."

"I'm glad you two didn't actually fight," Miki admitted. "That would have been a lot for me to deal with when I was coming around from my little…" She gave Kabuto an accusing look. "Vacation."

Kabuto threw up his hands. "We all make mistakes, Miki. I owned up to that one a long time ago."

"You did," Miki gave him a small smile. "I still think I get about two more years of hassling you for it, though."

"Fair enough," Kabuto started to walk for the door and gestured for Miki to follow. "Let's go see how the other monsters are getting along."

…

Yuki came to, opening her eyes as if stirring from a normal night's sleep. She sat up on the couch and rotated so her feet were on the floor. Orochimaru was sitting at the desk across the room, absorbed in his work. Yuki watched him silently for a moment or two before her eyes started to rove the room.

"So glad you finally decided to join us," Orochimaru hadn't raised his eyes off his papers.

"This whole underground base and you couldn't even put me in a bed?" Yuki gestured at the couch. "That's pretty inhospitable of you."

"My assistants were busy and someone had to keep any eye on you. Regretfully, you do have a tendency of going on a rampage through my bases when left to wake up unattended," Orochimaru smirked.

Yuki shrugged. "You've got me there." She stretched, leaning back into the cushions. "So how's my daughter?"

"Haruka has successfully undergone the necessary surgeries to preserve her life," Orochimaru explained. "Right now she is still unconscious. Once she wakes up, your daughter will require some physical therapy and time to recuperate."

"I appreciate the assistance but you'll forgive me for asking what this is going to cost us?" Yuki watched him carefully. "This doesn't seem like the sort of thing you would do for someone who murdered their way through one of your bases."

"That's all in the past," Orochimaru waved dismissively. "If we're being completely honest, I took the case because I knew it was going to be a challenge. No one has ever attempted a lifesaving procedure to this degree. For all intents and purposes, your daughter would have died moments after your ice had thawed if we hadn't spent years preparing."

"That seems awfully generous." Yuki tapped her foot. "It would be rude for me to do anything but thank you at this point-"

Before Yuki could finish her sentence, there was a crash as the air vent at the top of the room spilled open. The metal grate smashed into the floor with a great clatter as a body tumbled from above. Instinctively, Yuki threw out her hands and caught the bundle in midair.

"If you're going to eavesdrop you need to be less obvious, dear." Orochimaru said, completely unfazed.

Yuki looked down at the toddler in her arms and laughed. "Who's this little ragamuffin?"

"That's Miki's daughter. Chiba." Orochimaru said flatly.

Chiba looked up at Yuki with her sparkling green eyes and beamed. "You're pretty!"

"You are too, pumpkin." Yuki wrinkled her nose. The girl's hair was a wild tangled mess of white candyfloss and her smooth baby skin was caked with dirt. "When's the last time you had a bath?"

"Yesterday," Orochimaru sighed. "Our little dust bunny is kind enough to locate and pick up all the dirt in the building at remarkable speed."

"Mommy had to burn my last dress." Chiba grinned. "I got it so dirty I broke the washing machine."

"You said Beks isn't conscious yet?" Yuki glanced at the sannin.

He nodded. "She was under heavy anesthesia. I don't anticipate she'll be awake for a while."

"Well, I have a project in the meantime," Yuki laughed at the long toddler in her hands. Chiba reminded her so much of Beki at that age, the main exception being Chiba didn't share her daughter's strong aversion to pants. There was a sharpness to her eyes, though, an unusual intelligence for someone her age that Yuki found the slightest bit unsettling. She sensed no malice in the girl though and chalked it up to an exceptional amount of curiosity.

"You can use the bathroom through there." Orochimaru gestured to the door across the room. "Watch her with the tap. She likes to turn it to boiling when you aren't looking."

Yuki glanced at the seemingly harmless toddler, her smile becoming more alarming by the moment. "I like the noise they make when they get scalded." Chiba giggled.

Yuki returned the vulpine grin. "You know what, tater tot? I think we're going to get along just fine."

…

A short while later, Orochimaru was again interrupted by a knock on his door. By the softer, less confident sound of the hand he knew it was Miki. "What is it, Nomura?"

Miki walked in timidly. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but I just wanted to inform you that Beki woke up. She got stressed so we put her back under for the time being."

Orochimaru nodded. "She's coming around right on schedule. Start working with Kabuto to develop the physical therapy and nutrition plan during her recovery."

"Yes, sir," Miki bowed. Before she was able to back towards the door, the one opposite her opened. Chiba emerged from the bathroom squeaky clean, her hair pulled back in a lovely complicated braid.

"Mommy!" Chiba scampered over with her arms raised. Miki scooped her up reflexively, her eyes wandering up to the party responsible. "Yuki?!"

"You're welcome." Yuki folded her arms.

"How did you…" Miki glanced down at Chiba. "She doesn't even let me brush her hair without a fight."

"Her hair is prettier, mommy," Chiba said with authority. "She knows what she's doing."

Miki reached up and touched her wine-colored hair self-consciously with a frown.

"Don't feel too bad about it," Yuki offered. "When Beki was little she wouldn't let me carry her. It always had to be her dad because she said I couldn't make her tall enough."

"As much as I enjoy her company, would you mind occupying Chiba for a while," Orochimaru glanced up at Miki. "Yukihana and I have some...delicate matters to discuss."

"He means the baby," Chiba whispered too loudly.

Yuki cocked an eyebrow as Miki shushed her daughter and made a speedy retreat.

"Baby?"

"One of the factors that so complicated the procedure your daughter required to save her life was we discovered she was expecting," Orochimaru purred. "The poor little darling was only a few months along. We took painstaking efforts to preserve both the life of the mother and the child."

Yuki's expression clouded in confusion. She sat down slowly on the couch, shaking her head.

"So you weren't aware of your daughter's condition," Orochimaru phrased the question as a statement.

Yuki gave a bitter laugh. "I know I don't come off as the best mother but you of all people understand the lengths I'm willing to go to when it comes to protecting my daughter."

"I suspected as much," Orochimaru cocked his head. "It did seem out of place to have let her go running off to war with such precious cargo."

Yuki buried her face in her hands for a moment. After she had centered herself, she took a deep breath and looked up. "So, the baby is okay too?"

Orochimaru nodded. "Your daughter and the baby are stable."

"She probably doesn't even know…" Yuki said, half to herself.

"We were waiting to bring it up with her," Orochimaru began. "That is, of course, unless you think you would do a better job of it."

Yuki steepled her hands and pressed her face into the space between her palms. "I think it would be better coming from me. Do you have any…" Yuki's voice trailed off. She had no idea what the modern technology for prenatal care was. Orochimaru would probably laugh at her but Yuki was beyond the point of pride now. "Were any ultrasounds taken?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "Your daughter isn't far enough along. It wouldn't really look like anything at this point."

"Alright then," Yuki sighed. "The first conversation I get to have with her after almost losing her gets to be a hard one. Thanks."

"As I said, I would have handled the matter myself," Orochimaru explained. "But my assistant told me that my bedside manner would have made Beki uncomfortable."

"Miki said that?" Yuki asked.

Orochimaru nodded.

"That was the nice way of putting it." Yuki grinned.

…

Miki had propped Beki up into a semi seated position. As she had tucked Beki back in, Miki warned against trying to get up or any sudden movements. Beki was apparently still at high risk of opening her wounds. She was exhausted and spent most of her time dozing in and out. People came and went, checking charts and monitors. It was always Miki or the young guy with the familiar voice. Every once in a while, Beki would hear the baby assassin demon skittering around and could feel her eyes on Beki through the vents. After what could have been minutes, hours, or days, Beki heard a new set of footsteps in the hall. At first, Beki was terrified it would be Miki's boss. Beki owed Orochimaru a debt for saving her life but at the same time the idea of meeting and thanking her childhood boogeyman was a bit too much for her at the moment. Once the door opened and the person stepped inside, Beki recognized their gait.

"Mom?" Beki's voice was still a little rusty, but Miki coming in and giving her water every so often had helped.

Yuki stepped around the into her view with a look of concern pulling at her pretty features. She reached out and smoothed the hair on Beki's head. "How are you feeling?"

Beki gave a small shrug and winced. "I'm alive." It still hurt to talk. She had so many questions but just the brief interaction so far was exhausting.

"I'm glad to see they're taking good care of you," Yuki surveyed the room and the equipment. It may not have been glamorous but the accommodations were more than sufficient for Beki's needs. If not new, all the supplies looked modern and clean. Yuki took ahold of her daughter's hand. She glanced at it in passing and noticed that Miki had even gone so far as to do a basic manicure on Beki. The blood and grime had been cleaned out from under her fingernails and they had been carefully clipped back and filed. It was a comfort and a blessing, really, that Beki had somehow managed to befriend Miki. Never in Yuki's wildest dreams could she have imagined herself in her current position.: indebted to someone she had tried to kill and relying on wayward orphans to save her child.

Beki nodded. Miki had been fussing over her ever since Beki had woken up. Her mother stood there quietly for a moment holding Beki's hand and staring at the ground. "So they just finished going over everything they had to do to rescue you," Yuki began. "It was really complicated and full of medical terminology. Basically, you were on the brink of death. Those stakes destroyed your kidneys and they had to give you replacements."

Beki was quiet. The kidneys were considered a critical kill point. A well-placed blow to the kidney would kill a person in minutes and was said to be an incredibly painful way to go. Beki was mostly numb in her lower back but there was a dull throbbing ache beneath the pain medicine.

"There was something else, though," Yuki stroked Beki's hand. Her daughter was going to be a mother and was going to find out in the worst way possible. It wouldn't be with her lover waiting anxiously beside her for the test results. There would be no holding each other and crying, terrified and overwhelmed with a once in a lifetime sense of joy and anxiousness. Beki wouldn't get to make those excited phone calls announcing the news. Instead, she was going to be brought into the fold of motherhood in a dark underground hospital room so weak and feeble she couldn't even feed herself. It was horrible, it was wrong, but it was reality. "When they were doing the x-rays before the procedure, they discovered you were pregnant."

Beki's face was completely unchanged from before Yuki started speaking. A small frown pulled at the corner of Yuki's mouth as she watched what little color was left in Beki's face drain away. Her eyes widened and the monitors behind her began to beep more rapidly.

"I'm what?!"

"Shhh." Yuki sat on the corner of the bed and stroked Beki's hair comfortingly. "They said you went into war without knowing. You were a couple of months along. It was one of the things that made it take so long for them to pull us out. They had to figure out how to save you and the baby."

"Please, mom," Beki's eyes were filling with tears. "Tell me this isn't really happening."

Yuki gave her an empathetic look. Her own eyes were welling up at seeing her daughter in pain. Beki's face was twisted in fear and confusion. Yuki was powerless to protect her from this. "It's all going to be okay, Beki. We'll figure everything out."

"Do you realize how crazy this all is?!" Beki's lip quivered along with her voice. "We've been in ice for four years and I'm pregnant from before? How is that even possible?"

"The ice acts like a perfect seal, I guess." Yuki shrugged. "It kept me alive for almost fifteen years. Four years and a baby doesn't seem that ridiculous by comparison."

Beki sobbed. "Everyone thinks we're dead. For all we know, everyone _is_ dead. Neji, Hinata, Naruto…" She looked up at her mother pleadingly. "Who is going to believe me? I'm supposed to show up and say, 'hey Neji, I know I've been dead for four years but I was actually alive and by the way I'm pregnant'?!"

"Shh," Yuki rubbed Beki's hands. "Take deep breaths, honey. Don't stress yourself out."

"Oh, God, that's right," Beki cried. "Because I'm pregnant and I could kill us both!"

Yuki got close and looked deep into her daughter's eyes. "Alright Beki, that's enough. I know this sucks and it's a shock to your system but you need to get control of yourself. There is nothing we can do to change what's happened. I will help you. I will be by your side every step of the way. No matter what happens, I will take care of you. To help me help you, I need you to keep it together. Not just for yourself, but for that baby. The same way you're going to count on me for this that baby is counting on you. Every decision you make from here on in isn't just about you, anymore, Beki. It's about that baby. So you're going to have to take all that fear, all that 'why me' and 'how could this happen' and put it in a box. A year from now or whatever when you're safe and settled, you can take out that box and deal with it a little bit at a time. That said, we won't be able to do anything until you're healed up and out of that bed. Okay?"

Beki took a deep breath and nodded. She focused on her breathing until slowly she felt the vice grip of anxiety release her spine. "Okay."

…

Miki smiled. "You're doing much better today."

Beki nodded. "Mom is pretty good at the 'man up' speeches. Maybe even better than my dad was."

"I'll just take your word for it." Miki's smile faded. She bit her lip. "Did you mom tell you?"

"About the baby?" Beki asked and Miki nodded. "Yeah. She did. It was a little rough but she told me I couldn't sit around feeling sorry for myself because of the baby. I have to step up and learn to not just think about myself with all this." She looked up at Miki. "You just became a mom, right? What was it like for you?"

Miki leaned against the counter and brushed some hair out of her face. "So I'll have to give you a little backstory if you want me to tell you about my experience with motherhood."

Beki shrugged. "It's not like I have anything better to do, Miki."

Miki laughed. "Don't sound so jazzed about it."

"It's not you," Beki frowned. "It still kinda hurts to talk. I'm trying not to get too excited about anything."

"Fair enough," Miki sighed. "Sometime before the Fourth Shinobi World War, Orochimaru died. With his death, the already unstable Sound crumbled away. Most of the shinobi were killed when experiments escaped or rebelled. The rest of us just kind of went our own ways. You remember that boyfriend I told you about?"

"The scary one?" Beki asked.

"Yeah. The scary one." Miki looked down at her feet. "Well, I didn't really have anywhere to go, you see. Orphan, ronin, you get the picture. He had some dangerous projects to work on and didn't want me to have to go through them."

"That sounds considerate," Beki furrowed her brow. "But based on your face I take it that it wasn't?"

"He took my memory. Left me outside a quiet town thinking that with my latent skills I would finally have a shot at a normal, non-shinobi life." Miki explained. "It didn't work out so well. He came back to check on me when it was all over and I'd made a mess of myself."

Beki's face twisted in righteous anger. "What kind of a mess did he get you into?"

Miki gave her a dismissive wave. "That's not important. I got my memories back. Then I found out I was pregnant and that complicated things. Things were touch and go between us, mostly because I was still mad at him, but he said he wouldn't leave me again."

From the way Miki told the story, Beki wasn't sure if Chiba was the boyfriend's kid or not. The artful way Miki dodged explaining how she had messed up her life wasn't helping. The next sad place Beki's brain jumped was that a kunoichi without her memories and only her latent training to guide her might easily end up being a thief or a prostitute. It wasn't Beki's place to pry and considering she had gone to war with her baby in her belly and hadn't known, Beki didn't exactly have the moral high ground.

"It was scary, Beki. I know your mom wasn't around when you were little but you have had parents." Miki tugged at her shirt self-consciously. "I saw kids with their parents growing up. I wanted that so bad. I wanted that love so badly it hurt. Even if they had just yelled at me, I would have liked to have parents. Someone that would know and care if I lived or died. At the same time, though, that means I have no idea what a parent is supposed to act like. I know the stages of child development but when you have a tiny person in you kicking at your ribs that all goes out the window."

Beki listened patiently. Miki was much closer to Beki in age. If she did the math right, Miki would have only had a year or two on Beki when she had Chiba. Yuki would probably have some good advice, but she had Beki almost twenty-five years before. The medicine, the science, the psychology of it all changed so much. "I know this is going to sound stupid, but is it hard?"

"Yes and no," Miki sighed. "I mean there is definitely a learning curve and a lot of nipple soreness and sleep deprivation. It amazed me how quickly I got used to it. It's kind of hard for me to remember what my life was like before I had Chiba."

"Next question," Beki gave her a small, mischievous grin. "And feel free to shoot me down if it's out of line. Did you have that baby _here?!"_

Miki rolled her eyes. "Yes, Beki, I had Chiba in the Sound."

"But like, weren't you worried? Didn't Orochimaru abduct kids back in the day?" Beki pressed.

"Yes, he used to," Miki folded her arms. "But he's not interested in that anymore. I was worried with how he would deal with a crying baby around here all the time. Luckily, Chiba hardly ever cried and he was surprisingly good with her. More than once I was trying to work on something and she was fussing in her swing and he would just swoop in out of nowhere and baby talk her through it. He'd just walk around with her bundled up in one arm and notes in the other."

"I can't picture him good with kids," Beki shook her head.

"You haven't even met him yet, have you?" Miki's eyes widened with realization.

Beki laughed nervously. "No. And could we keep it that way a while?"

"Well, just so you know, he's already named himself your baby's Godfather." Miki smirked.

Beki blanched. "What?"

"Well, if he hadn't stepped in and saved you and your mom, there would be no you and no baby." Miki explained. "Your mom already agreed."

Beki blinked. "Do I get any say in anything that happens with this baby?"

"Oh, and I'm going to be 'Auntie Miki," Miki put a hand to her heart. "I mean, by default that would make Kabuto 'Uncle Kabuto' but I don't think he particularly cares what he gets called…"

Beki swallowed hard. Everyone in this underground base was more excited about her baby than she was.

"I want to be Auntie Chiba." Chiba slithered up from under the bed like something right out of a nightmare. Beki shuddered at the creepy sight but kept it together otherwise.

"You can't be an Auntie, Chiba," Beki sighed. "If your mom is the auntie that would make you the cousin."

Chiba pouted. "But then I can't boss them."

"You're three, you don't get to boss anybody," Miki sighed.

"Yuki hime lets me boss her." Chiba grinned. "So does Orochimaru sama if I ask nicely."

Miki blinked. "You're calling Yuki 'princess' now?"

"That's what she looks like," Chiba said matter-of-factly. "She's pretty and has princess hair and freckles and can sing really nice."

"Careful," Beki looked at Miki. "You let mom get her hands on Chiba and she'll be making them matching outfits. It's a threat I constantly live with."

Miki sighed. "Well, whatever, I guess. As long as she's doing normal three-year-old stuff instead of learning how to differentiate between scalpels."

Beki blinked. "What?"

"Kabuto's been teaching her numbers so she can fetch his scalpels for him." Miki groaned. "He wants her to start medical ninjutsu as young as possible."

"...Why?" Beki furrowed her brow. "Isn't letting a three-year-old handle a scalpel kind of reckless?"

"My fine motor and icky motor skills are good for my age." Chiba beamed.

"'Gross' motor, sweetie, not 'icky'." Miki walked over and scooped her up. "Come on Chiba. Its dinner time." Miki glanced at Beki. "I'll bring you some jello and we'll see how you do. If you can keep it down, we'll get you eating solids again soon."

"Thanks," Beki called over her shoulder as the door closed behind Miki. Alone in the room with her thoughts, Beki's mind wandered. Right now, at this exact moment, she had a tiny person growing inside her. It was absolutely terrifying. At the same time, though, Beki couldn't help but wonder what her baby was going to look like. Chiba had Miki's bright green eyes and her nose. She was smart like her mother, too, but confident to the point of arrogance. Was that the difference between mother and child? Chiba had two parents, regardless of if Kabuto was her actual father. Not to mention Orochimaru in whatever strange supporting role he had served. Chiba was happy and safe, constantly being taught new things and given new responsibilities. Miki had been an ostracized orphan, struggling to get by and focusing on survival. Yet for her lack of experience as far as Beki could tell, she was doing a good job with Chiba. Beki had parents. Would that make her even better? Yuki had been an orphan, too. Although Beki wouldn't say she was a perfect parent, Yuki had all the important things down. Beki knew Yuki would do anything to keep her safe, even though she had to do it alone.

Which path would Beki get to take? Was Neji alive? Had he moved on? If he was alive, whether he had moved on or not, Beki would have to tell him. Would he believe her? Beki imagined she would have a hard time believing someone who came back after four years dead saying they were pregnant with their baby from before they died. Beki hugged herself. Would Neji even want her back? They had been in love, yes, but he would be what, twenty-four? Twenty-five now? Beki was nineteen and pregnant. Part of her was screaming yes, that Neji loved her and always would. He would be elated that she was having his baby. Neji would throw anything and everything away for her. But what if he found someone new? What if Neji had met some amazing girl and they were happy and married now with their own baby on the way? It would be wrong for Beki to stumble in and be the homewrecker. She would be his ex, blowing in with some unbelievable story and complicating their lives.

Beki wanted to pull her knees up to her chest and hug them for comfort. Miki told her she still wouldn't be okay for a while, so Beki restrained herself. Her mind was racing with all the possibilities. Most of them were sad. Most of them ended with Beki getting her heart broken. The emotions were all welling up inside her and tears spilled out onto her sheets. After a moment, she took a deep breath and centered herself. Yuki's words came rushing back to her. It wasn't about Beki anymore. There was no time for her to sit here and wallow in her self-pity. She needed a plan, for her and for her baby. So Beki went through the possibilities one by one and made a game plan for what to do:

Neji was still single and happy to see her. This would be the easiest situation to deal with. Neji would sweep Beki off her feet, carry her to the church, and they would get married without incident.

Neji was single and not happy to see her. Beki would need to convince him her story was true. She might need Yuki's help to do that, maybe even a paternity test for proof that Beki's story was true. Either way, Beki was sure she could bring Neji on board.

Neji was in a relationship. Beki would feel like an ass, but she would tell him about the baby and let him decide. If his new relationship was so great, he could stay with the new girl (as much as it would kill Beki) but he could still be a part of the baby's life. Or, making Beki a bigger jerk, Neji could dump the other girl and it would be situation 1.

Neji had started a family. This would be the worst option. Beki would have to be around them and read the situation. There was a strong chance Beki would just have to keep her mouth shut and go off somewhere and raise the baby by herself. It would suck and it wouldn't be anybody's fault. No one could have predicted the situation she was in.

Neji was dead, either from the war or a later mission. That would really hurt Beki. She had tried to sacrifice herself to save his life. If she came back and found out he had died anyway and she was left to raise his baby by herself, without the knowledge or comfort that he was out there somewhere, alive and happy, Beki would be miserable.

The next argument that popped up in her head was if Neji was unable or unwilling to be the dad, should Beki see other people? Would it be better to find a stepdad in that situation? I'm getting ahead of myself, Beki thought. I have to get out of this damned bed before any of this matters. She pulled up the covers and nestled in, determined to regain her strength with some good sleep.

...

"So physical therapy is working," Kabuto walked in rubbing his jaw.

Miki furrowed her brow. "What happened to you?"

"I went in there to do a checkup exam on her. I don't know what you told your friend but she worked up the strength to sock me one," Kabuto shrugged. "She's about as strong as an angry toddler right now and it got the rage out of her system, so I don't care." He gave a soft chuckle. "I just hope I can get on her good side before she gets her strength back."

Miki shrugged. "She's as quick to anger as she is to forgive."

"That's a comfort." Kabuto smirked. "I was thinking maybe you were going to gang up on me or something."

"If things were going to come to blows between us, it would have happened by now," Miki tossed an ice pack at him. "Which I would lose. Even if I tried to cheat."

Kabuto held the ice pack to his chin. "I think we can start working on walking."

Miki blinked. "You think so? So soon?"

Kabuto nodded. "She's healing rather quickly. I don't know if it was the sage chakra I used to stabilize her but I'm pleased with her progress."

Miki grinned. "You got it, boss."

…

"Easy," Miki was holding onto Beki's arm and using her body to support Beki as she stumbled. Kabuto was supporting her on Beki's opposite side.

Beki looked furious. Her face was flushed with embarrassment as she staggered like a newborn fawn down the hall. "Work, dammit," She muttered under her breath.

"We can stop at any time," Kabuto said in a friendly tone.

"No," Beki spat. "My damned legs are going to work, so help me God. I don't have _time_ to sit around in a hospital bed all day!"

"We might not have even needed to do the surgery on this one," Kabuto joked. "I think she could have stubborned her way through those injuries."

Miki rolled her eyes. "She thinks so. Would have just ended up being a stubborn ghost who refused to acknowledge it was dead."

Beki winced and almost collapsed. Miki and Kabuto gently lowered her to the ground and Miki went and grabbed a wheelchair. "You did good today, Beks," Miki chucked her chin. "Go easy on yourself, okay? We shouldn't have started this for at least another month but you're healing fast. Don't screw it up being impatient."

Beki exhaled sharply and folded her arms. "Fine." The pair were walking Beki back to her room when a question floated through her mind. "When is the stiffness going to go away?"

"Stiffness?" Miki asked.

"Yeah, I have trouble with my arms," Beki raised her hands. "I can't raise them up past my shoulders anymore. And I'm having trouble like, opening things."

Miki frowned. Beki was looking straight ahead so Kabuto and Miki were safe to share a grimace. "So Beki, about that."

Beki went still. "Don't tell me I'm stuck like this."

"Half the spikes went to your kidneys," Kabuto explained. "The other half lodged in your shoulder blades. We were able to replace your kidneys, but your muscle tissue was permanently damaged."

Beki buried her face in her hands and let out a string of expletives.

"Think of it this way, Beki, you traded some movement in your arms for your life and the baby's," Miki offered gently. "One arm per soul."

Beki sunk into a sour silence. Miki and Kabuto helped her back into bed and left her to rest for the day.

…

A few weeks later, Beki was back up on her feet and tentatively moving around on her own. Kabuto insisted she use a granny walker. Beki tried to ditch it a few times but the man had a gift for somehow being everywhere, all the time. On the fourth attempt to fly solo, Kabuto appeared and told her with a friendly smile that if she was so eager to break her hip, he would go ahead and do it for her. Something in the way he said it told Beki not to challenge him. Even with the walker, it was nice to build some of her strength back up. Beki kept telling herself every step she took got her closer to seeing Neji again. Every step took her a little closer to finding out her fate.

Miki restricted Beki's movement between floors. The underground base wasn't especially well lit and Beki wasn't ready for stairs yet. It was embarrassing how many times she stumbled on level ground; steps would be suicide. Beki was consistently reminded in her newly repaired, less able body how much she had taken for granted before. Like not having to be scrubbed down like a child by another person. It was always Miki or Yuki, but it was humiliating nonetheless having them fuss over her. Miki had cleared out the hallways for Beki. She had taped little arrows on the floor that led to different places, like Yuki's room and Miki's office. One of the arrow trails led to Orochimaru's office. Beki had been conscious for several weeks now and still hadn't met the man that was responsible for her rescue. All the nights spent laying in bed, worrying about her baby and their future, meeting a formerly murderous sanin almost seemed simple by comparison. At least Beki knew that if Orochimaru was going to kill her or experiment on her, he would have done it by now. She picked up her courage and inched her way at a frustrating turtle pace down the hall. As Beki approached the door to his office, she heard voices from within. One of them sounded like Yuki. Beki took a deep breath, leaned on the walker for support with one hand, and knocked on the door with the other.

"Come in," a strange, almost raspy voice called out.

Beki wrestled with the doorknob. It wasn't a French door handle like the one on her room but a traditional round knob. She fought with it for a few moments but her arm refused to torque in cooperation. She let out a frustrated sigh and rested her forehead against the door. "I can't open it. You're going to have to let me in."

There was rustling and soft footsteps inside. A tiny grunt of effort, then the door opened. Beki was left standing face to face with Chiba in an enormous pink silk and white lace ribbon covered tea hat. Chiba looked up at her with an expectant, too large smile.

A shiver crept down Beki's spine. Beki had heard Orochimaru stole people's bodies from Naruto. Had Miki had her daughter and Orochimaru took over the tiny toddler body for a fresh start? That would explain why Chiba's eyes were too wise, her smile so threatening. But then why didn't Miki tell her? Was it even worse, were Orochimaru and Miki's daughter actually sharing a single being, two personalities trading spaces? As Beki's mind raced with the possibilities, that raspy voice from before spoke again:

"Chiba, let the poor darling inside. It's hard enough for her to get around without you blocking her way."

Chiba turned her head with a chilling smile. "Yes, Orochimaru sama."

Beki almost audibly let out a sigh of relief. She had no idea how she would have dealt with her childhood boogeyman in the body of a child. Chiba pulled the door open and Beki focused on crossing the threshold without wiping out. Once she was inside the softly lit room Beki screwed up her face in disbelief. "Um...what am I looking at here?"

Yuki spread her arms wide. "A tea party, what does it look like?"

Yuki was wearing an almost identical hat to Chiba, the exception being Yuki's hat was in creams and baby blues. Yuki followed Beki's gaze and gave her a shrug. "Hey, he would have one too but doesn't want to mess up his hair."

"I'm fabulous enough without a hat, thank you," The tall thin man(?) in the seat beside Yuki sipped on a small, flower patterned cup. His hair was long and silky, more of a brown black than her mother's jet. He was so pale skinned he nearly glowed even in the soft light of the lamps. Two purple streaks came down from the center of amber eyes with serpentine pupils. She would have called him frightening, but after seeing the Hanged Maiden in the field Beki wasn't sure anything could scare her anymore.

"Orochimaru, I presume?" Beki's old ambassador voice came out without realizing it. She managed half of a bow while supported by her walker. "Thank you for saving my mother and I. We're in your debt."

He gave a soft effeminate laugh daintily behind his hand. "And you said she had no manners."

"Careful about throwing around that you're indebted to people, Beks," Yuki sipped on her own cup. "Park your walker and join us."

Beki surveyed the trio. Yuki and Chiba were crowded on a loveseat and Orochimaru was sitting in a leather armchair. "Where am I going to sit?"

"Here," Yuki reached down and scooped up Chiba, setting the toddler on her lap. "There you go. Plenty of room."

Beki crept across the room, turned with great effort, and collapsed on the loveseat beside Yuki. She was nearly panting from the effort. Chiba held out a teacup for her. It was full of steaming ochre liquid and smelled faintly of jasmine and chamomile. "Oh. I didn't realize you were actually having tea."

Orochimaru scoffed. "Do you really think I have time for _pretend_ tea parties?"

"Yeah, come on Beki, use your head," Yuki paused. "Is it okay for her to have tea with all the meds she's on?"

"It's herbal," Chiba beamed. "No caffeine, no adverse effects with her medications."

"Clever girl, Chiba," Orochimaru purred. "You'll outdo us all if you keep up at this rate."

Beki could feel his eyes on her, evaluating every motion she made. "I understand that you are struggling with adapting to your new limitations. There was a time where I was unable to use my arms and I know how frustrating that can be." He paused for a moment before continuing: "How are you feeling, Miss Tsukimori?" There was weight to his question. Something told Beki he already knew. She was in constant pain, had no endurance whatever, and was battling with endless fatigue. Beki didn't like saying what was expected of her, though. Controlling a conversation was just about the only thing she was strong enough to do right now and she wasn't going to give that up.

"Pretty well, considering what I've been through," Beki explained. "Your team is good. I might even venture to say they're better than Tsunade's students."

"Ooooh," Orochimaru cooed, his eyes falling on Yuki. "She's flattering me. I must say, she's cleverer than I expected from someone who threw themselves into the path of projectiles on purpose."

"If you were a parent, you would get it," Yuki shrugged. "They're all brilliant in some ways and dumb as rocks in others."

"You two cozied up fast," Beki chuckled. "Didn't you try to kill him? Didn't he try to kill you?"

"To be fair," Yuki raised a finger in a wait-a-minute gesture. "That's the thing. He _attempted_ to kidnap and kill you. I _successfully_ killed all his men that night and slaughtered my way out of one of his bases. In the realm of reality, I'm the dick here. He's even been so kind as to dedicate four years of time, energy, and research to saving us. Being anything less than grateful would really make me a monster, now wouldn't it?"

"I forget how loose your moral system is," Beki shook her head.

"Not loose, just practical," Yuki shrugged. "It's pretty easy to forgive and forget on a personal level. That's why it's so nice not being overly attached to a village. I get to think for myself, not have a kage think for me."

"We really should have met when we were younger," Orochimaru smiled and Beki suppressed the urge to shudder.

"Psh," Yuki rolled her eyes. "You would not have wanted me to work for you. I was more stabby when I was younger."

"Yuki hime, you were quizzing me," Chiba tugged gently on Yuki's hair.

"Oh, that's right," Yuki adjusted in her seat. "Okay, sweetie, how do you take down a target that's running from you?"

"You go right for one of the critical points," Chiba scrunched up her nose and began to count on her fingers. "The kidneys, the subclavian artery-"

"Ehhh," Yuki made a buzzer noise and Chiba looked up at her, crestfallen.

"Instead, you can hamstring him," Yuki explained. "Then, you can interrogate him without worrying about him escaping. Theeen you can go in for the kill."

Chiba blinked as if having come to a great revelation. "I never thought of it like that."

And so it went, with Orochimaru and Yuki peppering Chiba with questions that no toddler should ever be able to answer. That afternoon Beki had tea with her mother, the sanin who had once tried to kidnap her for experimentation, and perhaps the most troubling toddler in human history.


	116. Enter the Sixth

**Hi everyone. This chapter marks the end of what I built up during the month hiatus. I was really happy how this turned out and I hope you all enjoy it as well. Thank you to those who have reviewed and I look forward to hearing what you think.**

* * *

"You really think this is such a good idea?" Miki frowned at the wagon and the shifty animal in front of it.

"You don't like horses?" Yuki threw her a sidelong glance.

Miki shook her head. "They don't like me either."

"Well, you'll be back there with Beki." Yuki hopped into the driver's seat and took up the reigns. "It'll only be a day's journey."

"I don't know why we don't just walk," Beki adjusted her shawl. Even though it was late summer, Miki insisted Beki wear the thing to keep the sun off her and had an umbrella on standby if the shawl wasn't enough. Beki felt like a tiny grandma between her shawl and her reliance on a cane to get by. After people got over the initial shock of Beki being alive after all this time, they would be reduced to laughter at the sight of her.

"Because you're pregnant, Beki," Miki sighed as she tossed her duffle bag into the wagon. It was full of medical supplies just in case any of Beki's wounds started acting up. "You can't out stubborn your condition."

"Aren't you nervous about leaving Chiba behind?" Beki asked.

Miki shook her head. "I make day trips into town all the time. I'm the least notorious of the three of us so I have to do all the supply runs. As for what happens while I'm gone, I always come back to find her in one piece."

"I walked in on Kabuto having her wash scalpels." Beki confessed. "He asked me politely to keep it between us in his 'I'll kill you if you say a word' sort of way."

Miki let out a frustrated sigh. "We'll pretend I didn't hear you, then."

"You think he would actually do something?" Beki furrowed her brows. "I mean I get that he's scary and all, but I've never actually seen him do anything mean."

Miki shook her head. "He's mostly all bark now but you can never be a hundred percent sure. He probably wouldn't kill you but might do something like slip a powerful laxative into your drink."

Beki scrunched up her nose. "Duly noted."

...

The trip into Konoha was uneventful but excrutiatingly long. Being outside again served as a painful reminder to Beki how feeble she had become. The birds were singing and a cool breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. The sharp smell of summer grass and the earthy scent of rich dirt filled the air. How Beki longed to be on her feet again, racing as fast as she could down the trail. She could almost feel herself leaping through the air from tree branch to tree branch, the wind whipping her hair and the leaves and twigs brushing against her skin. It made her heart ache and her back hurt.

Miki assured Beki she would run again but not until long after the baby was born, due to the damage to her back. Her legs were otherwise unaffected and would just have to be built up with endurance. As for her arms, Beki felt like a cheap doll. The injuries Beki had sustained to her upper back affected the muscles associated with elevating her arms past her shoulders, crossing her arm past the center line of her body, and rotating her arms. Just as she had learned trying to open doorknobs in Orochimaru's base, Beki quickly realized her career as a shinobi was over. She could never again wield her father's kanabo, let alone open jars by herself. It would be an incredibly frustrating and compromised existence but Beki was alive. She rubbed her belly subconsciously. Her career being over wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Beki had a different job now, one that was just as important as being an ambassador, if not more so. As an ambassador, Beki had acted in representation of the people of Getsu to other nations. Now, she was growing a wee person inside herself. Someone that for the first several years of their life, Beki would be the only thing ensuring their survival. They would be completely dependent on her and that meant Beki had no time to be sorry for herself. Whenever Beki caught those emotions creeping in, the frustration, the devastation of the loss of her functionality, she took those feelings and crammed them in a box like Yuki told her to. One day when they were all safe, maybe when the baby was in school, Beki could take out the box and finally mourn her losses.

The nausea was creeping up on Beki. The wagon wasn't the smoothest ride and over the last week or so Beki was seriously feeling the morning sickness. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, ignoring the way the bile worked its way up her throat.

"Here," Miki tapped her arm with something. Beki opened an eye and spotted a sleeve of saltines. Miki gave her a small smile. "These helped me a lot with Chiba."

Beki nodded and nibbled on them slowly, savoring the salt as it slowly eased the sick away.

"So as for our future plans," Miki leaned in. "I'm assuming you'll stay in Konoha after all this?"

Beki shrugged. "It depends. That's the plan but if things don't work out…" She frowned. Beki had no idea what they would do if things didn't work out. "Mom? What are we going to do if we can't stay in Konoha?"

Yuki shrugged. "I can always get us smuggled back into Getsu. We have my family's home outside of Kami to Akuma. The Tsukimori might try to make trouble for us but if that's our only option, at least we have one."

"I'm asking because in about six month's time, give or take a couple weeks, you're going to need help to deliver that baby." Miki took a saltine for herself. "Kabuto runs the orphanage outside Konoha where he grew up-"

Beki blinked. "He works with kids?"

"He's better with kids than he is with adults, believe me," Miki sighed. "Anyway, what I was going to say was regardless of your plans, you should stick nearby so we can help you with the delivery. I don't know where you'll be in six months recovery-wise, but I don't think a run of the mill doctor would be your best option."

"Considering my now extensive medical history," Beki nodded. "I got it. Regardless of what happens, we have to stay nearby so you and Kabuto can deliver it." Beki wrinkled her nose. "Can we not do it in Orochimaru's base, though? I'm grateful and all but that place creeped me the hell out."

Miki nodded. "That's why I brought up the orphanage. They're too far outside town to run kids to the hospital all the time. There's a well-stocked infirmary there. You could come down to the orphanage and we could take care of it there."

"If you think that's best." Beki sighed. "We're getting a little ahead of ourselves here."

"Hey, it took us four years to figure out how best to pull you out of that ice in one piece," Miki nibbled. "We don't leave anything up to chance."

…

"So how are we going to get in?" Beki looked up at the gates. It was just after sunset and the guards were changing shifts. "Do we just walk up and say, 'Hi! We're alive'?"

Yuki laughed. "Uh, no. It's pretty easy to sneak into a ninja village."

Beki looked at Miki who gave her a sly, sheepish grin. "She isn't wrong. If you've done it once, it's all the same, really."

Beki gave them both a look of disgust. "Criminals, both of you."

Yuki hopped out of the driver's seat and Miki climbed up front. "This is where I leave you two. Be safe. I'll come find you in a week and see how things went."

Yuki helped Beki out of the back of the wagon. She gave her mother a suspicious look, staring her down. "How are we getting into town?"

"I'm going to have to carry you," Yuki took her hand and led her into the woods. "It involves me and an impressive ice ramp."

Beki's eyes widened. "An ice ramp?! Oh no. I don't like the sound of this-"

Yuki pinched her ear. "Trust me, okay? We try to get in any other way and our asses are captured and interrogated. The last thing we need is you tied to a chair getting questioned. Breathe deep and try not to stress."

Yuki led her daughter to the land above the Hokage monument. It was a picturesque view looking over Konoha. The city had changed since the last they saw it. Beki noticed modern looking buildings had replaced some of the older structures in town. It was also less sleepy than she recalled. The streets were full of people and more businesses were open after nightfall. It was jarring, the same way as waking up in a different bed felt. She had opened her eyes, expecting familiar surroundings, only to be startled by bright lights and loud sounds. Then came the sad, slow realization that life had gone on without her for four years.

"How did you do this?" Beki shook her head and gave Yuki an empathetic look. "Everything...everything is so different. It's changed so much while we've been gone."

Yuki was silent for a moment. Konoha, for all its backwards backwater tendencies had become a safe place for her. A new home of sorts. Seeing it advance so suddenly was almost as bad as it had been going back to Getsu the first time. Almost. "It isn't easy." Yuki breathed the familiar smell of pine and brushed hair out of her face. "You just do what you can to make a new normal as fast as possible. Find a new grocery store, a new restaurant, and a place to stay as fast as you can." Her eyes widened and she swore. "Shit. My apartment."

Beki blinked and then the realization hit her, too. "They probably gave that away a long time ago."

"And with it, all my stuff." Yuki took a deep breath and shook her head. "Oh well. We're crashing at the inn, I guess."

"If the inn is still there," Beki squinted in the dim light. It was hard to tell from this distance. The only familiar building Beki was sure was the same was the Hokage's mansion. "I wonder how Tsunade is doing?" She let out a small laugh. "She is going to be surprised to see me."

"Especially when you tell her who saved you." Yuki gave a sideways look. "I don't know how close you two are, but don't be surprised if they send you in for x-rays to make sure you're not full of snakes or something."

"It's only fair," Beki grimaced. "I would do the same thing if someone came saying Orochimaru had saved them for no good reason."

"That's the hard thing for me," Yuki closed her eyes and began to gather moisture. "I'm a pretty selfish person. Orochimaru is just as selfish. I have no idea why he saved you; he says it was on a whim. For the challenge of it."

"But you can't help but be suspicious?" Beki cocked her head.

Yuki's hair turned snowy white and the grass beneath her feet yellowed from the cold. "Precisely."

Yuki grabbed Beki close, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist. She vaulted them high into the air, putting the entire length of the cliff beneath them. Beki swallowed hard and clenched her eyes shut tight, trusting in her mother to deliver them from danger. Yuki had jumped as far as she had high, and as soon as they reached the bottom of their parabola of flight, she froze an ice slide beneath them. There was a hard jolt as Yuki's body made contact. Beki pulled her arms in close to avoid being burned by the ultra-cold chute. The slide evaporated behind them as they slid, erasing any evidence it had ever existed. At the bottom of the slide, Yuki created a pile of snow the size of a dumpster. The pair crashed into it, tossing snowflakes all over the alley. Beki jumped to her feet, shaking from the cold. She swore, stepping out of the snow like a cat with wet feet. "Really, Yuki? We're soaked now!"

Yuki laughed and clenched her fist, pulling the water out of their clothes. The snow dissipated in front of Beki's eyes and she glowered. "That was way too fun for you."

Her mother beamed and shrugged. "Sorry. I make it a point to always find the bright side of things."

Beki's eyes were locked onto something behind Yuki. "Then tell me the bright side of that." Yuki followed the line of Beki's outstretched finger to the Hokage monument behind her. Yuki's jaw fell open at the sight of the new head carved into the mountain.

"I guess the old lady retired." Yuki managed after a few moments.

"That isn't who I think it is, is it?" Beki gave her mother a questioning glance. "Because the only person I can think of-"

"Is Kakashi." Yuki sighed. "Alright. Both of us apparently have an appallingly long day ahead of us. Let's go get some sleep."

…

The inn Beki's father had always come to stay in had been modernized. The owners' daughter had taken the place over two years before and had completely overhauled it. No more tatami, no more futons. It was a state of the art hotel. Fortunately for them, that meant the front staff didn't recognize either of them.

"So, kiddo," Yuki helped Beki out of the bathtub and handed her a generic fluffy white hotel towel. "You can sleep in tomorrow if you want, rest up after the trip."

Beki took the towel and dried off. Her mother's infiltration technique had chilled her to the bone. The hot bath was the only thing she had wanted, even more than a hot meal. It had worked, soothing some of her aches and pains. Now all Beki wanted was to sleep like the dead. "You say that like you won't be here."

"Well," Yuki folded her arms. "If my boyfriend is the Hokage now, that is really going to make things easy for us to reintegrate into society."

Beki reached into the rucksack Miki had packed for her and pulled out a long t shirt nightdress. It was the softest fabric Beki had ever felt and she felt a wave of emotion. She was so lucky to have such a kind and considerate friend. Yuki watched uncomfortably as Beki let out a single sob. "Sorry. This was just so nice of her."

Yuki nodded and cleared her throat as Beki finished dressing and climbed into bed. "So, I was going to head over there bright and early to go talk to him."

"What are you going to do if he's married and has kids now?" Beki asked, her throat still tight from her previous crying.

"Psh, with who?" Yuki laughed. "He'd been single up until I met him."

"What if it was for political reasons?" Beki's ambassador brain kicked in. "He is Hokage now, and after the war lots of political deals had to have sprung up."

Yuki waved her hand dismissively. The action was more for herself, though, a feeble attempt to dispel how that logic tightened her chest with anxiety. "Regardless of if that's the case, Kakashi will take care of us."

Beki nodded slowly, the exhaustion of the journey catching up with her. She adjusted onto her side, stuffed a pillow between her legs, and drifted off within moments. Yuki stayed awake, repeating Beki's words over and over again in her head. After an hour of bouncing from sitting in the arm chair to pacing the room, Yuki decided morning was too long to wait to find out. She had to know. She slipped out of the hotel room silently and headed off into the night. The lights for the Hokage's mansion were still on so Yuki walked there instead of to his house.

...

It was almost ten o'clock at night. Kakashi had taken a brief break from his work to go have dinner. He had considered coming back just to lock up and calling it a day but he had some high profile cases on his desk that needed attention sooner rather than later. He would lose out on valuable sleep again, but such was his life. It wasn't like he had anyone waiting for him at home, anyway. This job was his entire life. When the position of Hokage had been thrust upon him, at first Kakashi had been resentful. He didn't deserve the job and he certainly didn't want it. Being Hokage meant constantly being in the limelight and dealing with everyone's problems. All he wanted to do after the war, after losing his dearest loved ones (even though for one it was the second time) was to retire. Kakashi's only desire was to withdraw from society and spend the remainder of his days as a hermit. But duty called and reluctantly, Kakashi answered.

The bitterest part of the aftermath of the shinobi war was the cosmic sense of it all. It was as if over time boughs had started to branch off from the main tree of destiny and the Fourth Shinobi War lobbed them off in one fell swoop. There were all the more abstract aspects of it, like Kaguya's return, the Ten Tails becoming the God Tree, Naruto and Sasuke being the final successful incarnations to bring peace, and so on. For Kakashi, though, it even extended to the personal level. For instance, although he hadn't intended to, Kakashi had killed the love of Obito's life and without knowing it, during the war Obito had killed the love of Kakashi's life. Obito had been dead for decades and Yuki had been presumed dead for twelve years as well. Both of them died, returning to the state they should have been in all that time. Kakashi's mismatched eyes even were balanced out. As much as it all hurt, as alone as it left him, Kakashi couldn't be that upset. That's why even though he had worked his third fifteen hour day in a row, Kakashi was ready to do it again. And he would keep doing it until his body gave out. When they put him broken and used up into the ground, he would be back with his loved ones.

He opened the door to his office and set his hat and cloak on the stand beside the desk. Kakashi reached into his pocket and tossed a well-worn copy of Icha Icha onto his desk. Anyone who saw him with it teased Kakashi. That particular volume was considered the weakest in the franchise. Several movies and a serialized television show had been made out of Jiraiya's other works, but that particular book was so unpopular it didn't even have a graphic novel accompaniment. Kakashi knew. In fact, he completely agreed with all the critics. The plot was contrite and the dialogue was uninspired compared to the other books. That's why the book was really only worn in one place, the front cover, from being opened a million times. A message was scrawled on the inside of the front cover and he had paperclipped a picture to the title page.

With an exhausted sigh, Kakashi took ahold of the top of his desk chair. Before he pulled it out, he paused. Something was off; it was his old ANBU instincts kicking in. Hadn't the chair been an inch or so to the side? He paused and looked around his office for any other signs of tampering. His eyes locked on to the door to his office, which he had left open for circulation, as it slowly closed itself.

"Security around here sucks these days," Yuki grinned. "I literally just walked right in."

Kakashi was frozen in place. Was he hallucinating? He was incredibly sleep deprived. Maybe he had dozed off at his desk and would wake up any moment now, face deep in paperwork.

"Where is Shikamaru?"

"Oh, don't worry about him," Yuki gestured to the bathroom. "He's just tied up for the moment."

"You broke into my office in the dead of night and tied up my assistant." Kakashi was watching her carefully, betraying no emotion in his voice. "How do I have any proof you are who you appear to be."

"Okay, that's fair," Yuki rubbed her chin. "I mean, last time I was gone it was for twelve years. Is four years really that unbelievable?"

"That isn't what I asked," Kakashi was staring her down. "I want proof you're Asou Yukihana and not an imposter."

"Let's see," Yuki paced the floor, ignoring the daggers he was staring into her. "I gave you the key to my apartment?"

"Everyone knew we were dating. Exchanging keys is common with couples. Try again." There was a hint of danger in his voice and despite herself, it gave Yuki a thrill. She was tempted to keep toying with him. Then again, this wasn't just her boyfriend anymore. He was a kage.

Yuki's mind raced through their entire relationship. There had to be something no one would guess, no one would know the significance of but the two of them. Kakashi was a private person, so it was unlikely he would have shared any of their intimate stories with anyone. Out of habit, Yuki surveyed him as he stood there. He was leaning on his desk, facing towards her, ready to strike. Her eyes traveled down his body until she reached the hand on his desk. It was beside something. Yuki's eyes lit up.

"You still have that thing?!"

"The book?" Kakashi didn't look at it. He kept his eyes glued to her.

"The one I gave you." When she finished speaking, she saw the glare settle further into his eyes. He opened his mouth beneath the mask to speak and she threw up her hands. "I know I know, that would be an easy guess. I know what's in there, though. You ran into me drunk at the diner after the festival and took me home. I pickpocketed your Icha Icha book off you and promptly threw up on it. As an apology I went out and bought you a replacement. I thought you were kind of cute and knew you were a pervert so I tossed in a couple of racy pictures."

Kakashi was silent. As the moments stretched to minutes, Yuki felt the anxiety mounting in her system. Her heart pounded in her ears and she resisted the urge to fidget. Yuki had never considered the possibility Kakashi wouldn't believe her. It was a foolish mistake, a rookie's error. Exactly the sort of thing the old Yukihana would have never done. She would have never trusted him. She would have never risked it. The Hokage picked up the book on his desk and stepped around it, crossing the space between them slowly. He never took his eyes off her. It was a boring look, lasers drilling holes right through Yuki. When he stopped, standing right in front of her, for half a second Yuki thought he was going to hit her with the book. Instead, Kakashi gently held it out to her.

Yuki took it cautiously, noticing the crease in the binding on the cover as she opened it. Paperclipped to the first page, across from her lipstick print on the cover, was a picture Yuki didn't know Kakashi had taken. The angle suggested that had been the intention. Yuki was laying on the couch at Kakashi's house with her hair down, propped up on cushions, reading a book. A steaming cup of coffee was on the ground beside her. Yuki had slept over the night before and was still wearing the shirt she had borrowed as pajamas.

"I keep the racy pictures at home," Kakashi reached up and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"You scared the crap out of me, Hokashi." Yuki shoved the book at him. "I know you've run exes through with the chidori before-"

Kakashi screwed up his face. "Wait, what did you just say?"

Yuki knew he was referring to the latter comment but redirected him. "Hokashi. Hokage Kakashi." Yuki gasped. "No! I've got a better one: Hatakage."

He shook his head and let out a dry laugh. "You've been gone for four years and you come at me with kage puns?"

Yuki's eyes widened. "You mean no one else thought of those?!"

"No," Kakashi shook his head. "Only you."

There was pounding on the bathroom door. "Oh! Clever boy. He found his way out of the ropes." Yuki went to open the door but Kakashi held up a hand.

"Maybe I should do it."

"Yeah, he might be pissed," Yuki nodded. "Good point."

Kakashi opened the bathroom door and Shikamaru stumbled out, red faced and incensed. "What the hell?!"

His eyes fell on Yuki. "YOU!" He raged but then paused, slowly recognizing who was in front of him. "Beki's mom? But you're dead."

"Just dramatically paused, apparently," Kakashi drew his attention. "And up to her old tricks again."

"Sorry about that," Yuki grinned. "I didn't want the surprise spoiled."

Shikamaru looked back and forth between them and let out a frustrated sigh. "Whatever. I'll let you two catch up." As Shikamaru threw open the front door and headed off into the night, he could be heard muttering about how troublesome Getsu women were.

Kakashi reached out and cupped her face in his hands, his eyes probing her face. Yuki felt a familiar warmth coming into her cheeks at his touch and looked away. That much attention after such a long dry spell was almost too much for her. "Why don't you take a picture already?"

"I thought you were dead," Kakashi's voice cracked with emotion. "Part of me hoped, prayed that somehow that because you had cheated death once you did it again."

"Oooh you're so much older than me now!" Yuki beamed. "You were two years older than me when we met and now you're over thirty!"

"Aren't you still legally older than me, though?" Kakashi cocked his head. "You'd be in your forties."

"Shhhhh," Yuki held a finger to his lips. "I won't tell anyone you're robbing the cradle."

Kakashi moved her finger away and leaned in close. "Four hundred and eighteen."

Yuki laughed. "What?"

"I'm rounding up for leap year." Kakashi pressed his forehead against hers. "I believe we had a deal. Twice a week, for every week we were apart."

Yuki's laughter became more nervous. The color blanched from her skin. "Oh. You're talking about that."

Kakashi inched closer. Yuki could feel his breath through the mask. A shadow crossed his face as he pulled her into his arms. He buried his face into her neck and Yuki threw up her hands. "Kakashi, I don't think your desk could take it if we-"

A warm drop fell on her neck and Yuki froze. Kakashi squeezed her tight, burrying his face into the crook of her neck as if trying to burrow inside her. Yuki was stiff as he let out a single sob. "I thought you were dead."

Yuki relaxed, wrapping her arms around him comfortingly. "I'm sorry I've put you through this."

Kakashi shook his head. "It's nobody's fault. I'm just so happy to have you back. I never would have thought, never could have hoped..."

"I know this is going to sound really hollow, but I've missed you too," Yuki patted his back. "I've been up for a month waiting for Beks to recover."

"A month?" Kakashi stepped back and furrowed his brow. "So you've been awake all this time and I didn't hear from you? Where were you?"

"See that's the thing," Yuki brushed off his shoulders. "Its complicated. I sort of made a friend out of an old enemy but a lot of people still consider them an enemy...so we had to stay underground until everything was in the clear."

"Who?" Kakashi frowned.

"Orochimaru." Yuki gave him a confident smile.

"This is a joke, right? The guy who put you in ice the first time?" Kakashi screwed up his face in disbelief. At Yuki's lack of response he shook his head. "This is unbelievable."

"See, it was actually my first incident that saved our asses," Yuki explained. "He knew all about the structural integrity of my jutsu so they were able to get all the supplies together and extract us safely-"

"Orochimaru." Kakashi shook his head. "You're in cahoots with Orochimaru."

"It's not like I'm working for the guy! We're just..." A cloud crossed Yuki's face. "Oh my god we're friends."

"Like, you two get coffee and talk about the good ole days?!" Kakashi scoffed.

"While we were waiting for Beki to wake up from her anesthesia we might have had a retro movie marathon." Yuki cringed. "We sat there and made snarky comments through the whole thing. It was great."

"Okay, let's just put a pin in how unbelievably ridiculous that entire statement was," Kakashi took a step back. "So what's going on with Beki? What did he do to her?"

"She's not like, a snake-girl hybrid or anything," Yuki explained as she folded her arms, shifting her weight from one hip to the other. "His assistants did the work. I don't think Orochimaru came anywhere near her during the whole operation. They had to do kidney replacements on her. There's some permanent damage but she's a Tsukimori. Her and her father are built like tanks."

The sparkle of joy that had dancing in his eyes had all but completely dissipated. "Wait. How did you two get in the village without me hearing about it?"

Yuki reached up and pinched his cheek. "You're such a good kage! Look at you, putting all the pieces together!"

"I see why Tsunade hated you," Kakashi sighed in frustration. "You're a security nightmare." He walked over to his desk and checked something. "So where is Beki now?"

"Sleeping at the inn. Hotel. Whatever it is." Yuki shrugged. "The one her dad always used to stay in, apparently."

Kakashi turned and faced her again, leaning against his desk with his arms crossed. He watched her silently for a long time. Yuki was tempted to fill the silence with a snarky comment or two about how bachelor-y his office looked, but she kept it to herself. The first time Yuki had "died", when she came back no one remembered her. There was no acceptance process. She had the benefit of starting her life all over again with no attachments. This time around, though, there was going to be fallout. It was contrary to her nature to be patient with emotional distress. For Kakashi, though, she would be willing to make an exception. After a while, it seemed like maybe he was waiting for her to say something. Maybe he wanted her to tell the whole story.

"So I checked your desk and didn't find any pictures of tiny Kakashis," Yuki cocked her head. "And there's no ring on your finger. Not that you'd be the type to wear a ring. You'd be the type to think that would be 'protecting' someone. So tell me, is there anyone that's come into the picture that I'll need to screw out of your mind?"

Kakashi laughed. "Well if I needed proof that was it. No one else would be quite so self-centered after something like this."

Yuki blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"What if I was married, Yuki? What if I did have kids?" Kakashi rested his chin in his hand. "You are more than ready to walk right in and be my homewrecking ex."

"Is that really such a bad thing? Looking out for what's best for you?" Yuki folded her arms with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah, because _that's_ what you're doing," Kakashi shook his head as he turned and began straightening out his desk. "Looking out for _me._ " He made a few different piles, pausing from time to time as he checked for what pile to sort it into.

Yuki watched with mild interest, her anxiety mounting as her question was ignored. "So was that a 'no'?"

Kakashi sighed. "No, Yuki. I am not married. I have no children. The only social encounters I allow myself are a weekly dinner with Gai and once a month I have a drink with the guys. Other than that I'm a hermit."

"That reads a lot of porn," Yuki chuckled.

"No, actually." Kakashi walked over to the door to his office. "Every story I read, every show I watch, no matter how dissimilar to our situation, always ends up being you and me in my head." He looked up at her, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. "They're either in situations I remember us having or doing things I never got to do with you."

"So you gave it up completely?" Yuki's eyes widened in shock. "There's no way."

Kakashi put his hand on the doorknob but paused. He stood there a moment thinking, considering whether or not he should share. At last he spoke without turning to face her. "I tried to keep up with it at first. Reading the old Icha Icha books, trying out new ones. Then in one of them, the heroine took a knife for the hero. Bled out in his arms. I haven't read one since."

Yuki didn't know how to respond. She knew that Kakashi was fond of her, she knew he'd said he loved her, but those were just words. A tightness was growing in her chest. It was an unusual pain, something she didn't remember experiencing for another person. After some internal searching, she realized that she felt sorry for Kakashi. Not in that sort of patronizing, condescending way. He loved her, she died, and it hurt him. Yuki hurt because Kakashi hurt.

Kakashi opened the door. The rush of night air was refreshing, almost cleansing. Kakashi glanced up at her with a questioning look with his finger on the light switch. "Are you coming or are you hoping I'll put you on the payroll as the nightguard?"

"I mean, I would be better than whatever you already have," Yuki sighed as she walked towards him. "If not in skill, in looks."

"No argument there," Kakashi chuckled as they headed down the stairs.

"So I'll see you in the morning?" Yuki stepped down the road towards the inn.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi reached out and took ahold of her elbow.

"What do you mean 'where am I going'," Yuki laughed. "Back to the hotel and my daughter."

"Since you don't look a day older than when I lost you, I'm assuming she's still 19?" Kakashi cocked his head. "Which means she's an adult and can spend a night alone in a hotel room in _Konoha._ "

Yuki watched him suspiciously. "Then where do you have in mind?"

"I'm taking you home with me," Kakashi guided her into a leisurely walk.

"So you think that just cuz you're my boyfriend I'm going to let you tell me what to do?" Yuki put her free hand on her hip. "You aren't the boss of me."

"You don't understand," Kakashi drew her close. "You will be _lucky_ if I ever let you out of my sight again." His tone was lighthearted but something in his eyes told Yuki he wasn't kidding.

"What are you gonna do, arrest me?" Yuki scoffed.

"I am the Hokage and you're standing in Konoha. I could have you strung up by your underwear on Main Street if I wanted to," Kakashi put a hand around her waist. "It would be a total abuse of power but I wouldn't test your luck."

"The power's gone to your head," Yuki sighed and gave him a smouldering look. "I can't complain. I like this new bossy Hatakage."

"Just wait till you see how bossy I can be." Kakashi gave her neck a nuzzle.

...

Kakashi's house hadn't changed at all. Or at least, the glimpses of it Yuki caught as they stumbled their way upstairs, scattering discarded pieces of clothing like confetti. Four years wasn't that much of a difference on the surface but Yuki was noticing subtle changes. Kakashi grip was stronger, his bone structure was more prominent, and his smell had changed slightly. It was quieter now but had muskier notes. The job had given him more of an assertive attitude, too. As into Kakashi as she had been before the war, Yuki only found herself more attracted to him than ever. He was Kakashi still, but more refined. More manly. Or maybe it was all just four years of pent up sexual frustration.

Regardless of its source, Yuki was thrilled by the way he tossed her on the bed and pinned her at the wrists. Kakashi kissed her hard. Yuki's eyes closed on reflex, the taste of him reminding her just how much she had missed him. Her back arched, pressing her torso against him. Kakashi released her hands and Yuki wrapped one arm around his shoulder blades and laced her fingers through his hair. He sat up, pulled Yuki into his lap, and held her as they kissed. When their lips finally parted, Kakashi gave her an almost vulnerable look.

"Are you really here, Yuki?" Kakashi ran his fingers through her silky black hair. "I'm not just dreaming again, am I?"

Yuki cupped his face in her hands. "Yes, Kakashi. I'm here."

"I just..." Kakashi rested his head on her chest. "I almost can't believe it."

"Well, if you're going to be that way you might as well have your fun with me so at least you won't wake up disappointed." Yuki nuzzled him.

"Well," Kakashi smiled as he rolled her onto her back. "Try not to wake the neighbors."


	117. Despair and Determination

**Hi everyone, here's the next chapter. I look forward to hearing what you think.**

* * *

Beki awoke to an empty hotel room. It was jarring at first, adjusting to a strange environment, but as she blinked the sleep away, she remembered. Yuki had apparently left to go talk to Kakashi already, meaning Beki had to go solve her own problems by herself. That would have been daunting for Beki before, even as an ambassador. After everything Beki had been through, though, she was just looking forward to getting it over with. The sooner Beki saw Neji, the sooner she either got to have the happiest day of her life or the worst. The thing she was learning about bad days was the quicker you got through them, the better.

The clothes Miki had bought Beki were practical and comfortable. She picked out an outfit from the bag that consisted of a loose, flowy black short sleeve cotton top and a pair of structured gray leggings. They had a thick stretchy waistband to help support the still slight bulge of Beki's pregnant belly. Beki was dying for a hot cup of coffee but Miki told her she was only allowed to have decaf. Beki had always felt that the time and place for decaf coffee was never and in the trash, respectively. A quick check in the mirror confirmed that Beki looked like death warmed over. Not in her usual, pale skinned and blue veined sort of way. She was pale, yes, but she looked frail. Her muscles had atrophied somewhat during her hospital stay, rendering her once proud shoulders to almost dainty looking. It threw off Beki's entire self-perception of what she should look like. Her hair was less shiny and the bags under her eyes sang to the world that Tsukimori Haruka was a shell of what she had been. Beki had never been especially vain about her appearance, but this was sad. Ever since Beki had started wearing her father's armor, she had gotten accustomed to people being intimidated by her. She laughed bitterly at the mirror. All that face would earn her were whispers about terminal illness and pitying offers of help in the grocery store.

As she walked out of her hotel room, the one thing Beki could think to be grateful for was the silence in her head. Ever since she had awoken in Orochimaru's base, only her own conscience had been speaking to her. That sultry, commanding woman's voice was no longer ordering her, compelling her to kill. Beki was in complete control of herself; not that she would be a danger to anyone in her present state. Once outside, Beki was uncertain of where to go. She wanted to find Neji but there was no way he was following the same schedule as four years ago. Was he even still living in the Hyuga compound? Beki's heart sank as she thought of him in his own little house with some pretty wife and a couple of kids playing in the yard.

You told yourself it didn't matter, Beki thought. You can't give up without talking to him, at least.

Her stomach growled but Beki felt too nauseous to eat. Regardless, Miki had told her to force herself to. Reluctantly, Beki stepped into a tiny convenience store and picked up a fist sized apple and a bottle of white tea to soothe her stomach. She watched people pass by the window as she had her meager breakfast, hoping for a familiar face. Konoha had grown so much. Beki was at the window a full ten minutes and didn't recognize a single person. It was disheartening and subconsciously Beki put her hand on her stomach to soothe herself.

"We'll be okay," Beki said under her breath, mostly for her own reassurance.

As she walked out of the convenience store, Beki found herself discombobulated by the crowd and the changes in the landscape. She paused, a stone in a river of people, as she attempted to reorient herself. A tall man in the modern Konoha garb couldn't evade her in time and bumped into Beki.

"Sorry," Beki grumbled as she attempted to step out of the main path. The young man shook his head and muttered "No worries" as he moved out of her way. Beki looked up towards the sky until she could locate the Hokage's mansion. Beki tugged nervously at her braid as she weighed her options. She could either go by the Hyuga compound or the Hokage's mansion for answers. Then again, if Yuki was there right now it would be horrible timing to interrupt her mother's reunion with Kakashi. But how receptive would the Hyuga be to her sudden reappearance? Would any of them believe Beki when she showed up at their door?

It took Beki a full minute to realize that the shinobi who had bumped into her earlier hadn't moved. He was standing there, staring down at her with eyes as wide as saucers. Did he recognize her or was she just behaving that strangely? She took stock of his appearance. He was tall and muscular, nearly a full head above Beki's height. He had stylishly cut brown hair and a handsome, honest looking face. Beki caught herself staring at his features. She knew him.

"Nee san?" He nearly squeaked.

No, it couldn't be. Beki's eyes fell to the scarf around his neck and then back up to his charcoal irises. "Konohamaru?" Beki almost shouted in shock. A grin split his face in two as Konohamaru threw himself at her, scooping her up in his arms and hoisting her off her feet.

"Easy boy!" Beki latched on for dear life. "I'm still healing."

"Oh, sorry!" Konohamaru gingerly put her back on her feet. "Beki nee san, I can't believe it's you. How...how are you here? How did you come back?"

"Did everyone tell you about the ice, how it got launched out into oblivion?" Beki asked and he nodded. "It held up. The ice floe was found and took a while to thaw out. They gave us medical attention and sent us on our way."

Konohamaru blinked. "That...that sounds unbelievably tame."

"Well, I'm leaving out some of the juicy parts. Like how I'm never going to be able to open a jar again," He gave her a concerned look and she shrugged.

"Look at you, though," Konohamaru shook his head. "You don't look a day older than when you went off to war..."

"I'm not," Beki sighed. "I'm still just 19."

Konohamaru gave a soft laugh.

"What's so funny?" Beki cocked her head. She had been tempted to call him "tater tot" or "bud" but stopped herself.

"It's just that I just turned nineteen, nee san." Konohamaru gave her a sweet smile. "I'm the same age as you now."

Beki had to admit he had grown up well. If she hadn't known him when he was practically a baby, she would have found him unbelievably handsome. He was clearly strong yet there was a gentleness to him that was completely disarming. Beki reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. Emotion rose within her like a cup running over. That was just another thing Beki had missed, watching Konohamaru grow up. Her lips tugged down into a frown and her eyes began to well up. Konohamaru's smile faded.

"Nee san, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Konohamaru." Beki felt herself choking up. Beki fought the tears with a hard swallow. When she spoke again, her voice cracked despite her efforts. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you. I know how many people you've lost, how much you've suffered, and I added that much more to your burden."

Konohamaru gave her a small sad smile and shook his head. "That isn't true, nee san. I..." He looked down at his feet. "I bet there's a lot of people you want to see. Who have you run into already?"

"You," Beki grinned but a tear escaped her eyelashes. Beki used to wipe her occasional tears on her shoulder with a shrug. She turned her head to make the motion but her shoulder remained still. As smoothly as possible, to cover her blunder, she wiped her eye with the back of her arm. It was like a person reaching up to straighten glasses they weren't wearing. Just another habit she would have to break.

Konohamaru blinked. "You...you haven't seen anyone else yet?"

Beki shook her head. "We just got into town last night. I...I didn't really know where to start."

"We?" Konohamaru cocked his head. "Who else is with you?"

"My mom," Beki explained. "She survived, too. She's meeting with the Hokage to straighten out the obvious paperwork problems we're bound to deal with."

"Let me help you," Konohamaru offered an arm. "Things have changed a lot since the last time you were here."

"But Konohamaru, don't you have better things to do?" Beki gave him a questioning look as she suspiciously took his arm.

"Not really, not anything important," Konohamaru chuckled. "I mean, when you compare my plans to having my nee san come back from the dead, there isn't a whole lot else that could top the priority list."

"You're so cool now," Beki swatted him affectionately. "You can't be seen with me. I'll cramp your style, Mr. Jounin."

"Are you kidding? I'm running around with a legendary war hero." Konohamaru gave her a broad grin. "You're the coolest girl in town, same as always."

As they walked through the streets, Beki noticed she got an occasional odd look. Not from people recognizing her and trying to place her, but obviously because of Konohamaru. People were looking at him, then at her. He was a somebody and they were eager to know who the nobody was clinging to his arm.

"The scarf is cute," Beki tugged at the knot behind his neck. The eyes on her back were beginning to get her hackles up. Beki had no idea how her body would respond to stress, considering how hard Miki and Kabuto had worked to keep her level. In the past, fear, anger, and stress had always pushed her towards awakening one of her inner Maidens. Beki had no idea what that would mean for her baby. It was something she had never thought to ask Miki and regretted not thinking of it before. During the war, Beki had used both the Drowned and the Burned as well as becoming the Embered Maiden all while she was in the early stages of her pregnancy. Then again, she was whole then. Healthy. Beki's body was broken now, filtering out the toxins in her blood with someone else's kidneys and permanent muscle damage. If Beki awakened now, it could kill the baby or fry her non-Tsukimori kidneys. The more she thought about it, the less Beki thought she could ever risk using her Maiden powers again.

Like the legs of a spider dancing across her heart, Beki felt the darkness creeping in. The chilling fingers of despair as they swallowed her like a blanket. She was ruined. She was useless. Everything that had ever made her valuable, her Maiden powers, her status as ambassador, and her prowess with her weapons, it was all gone forever. As if sensing her dilemma, Konohamaru took her hand in his as they walked and gave it a squeeze.

"I...I really missed you, nee san." Konohamaru stared ahead as he spoke, but Beki saw the telltale flush coming into his ears. "When everyone came home from the war and told me what happened, when they told me you died a hero's death protecting Naruto and the Hyugas, I was heartbroken. It was like Uncle Asuma dying all over again, but in a way it was worse. Asuma was an adult, a seasoned shinobi. I always looked up to you as my big sis, but you weren't an adult. You were strong, kind, and brave. I thought you were invincible. I wanted to be angry about it, wanted to blame someone for your loss but I couldn't. I knew you. I knew that what you did was a choice you made. You made that same choice for me time and time again, putting your life on the line to save me." Konohamaru swallowed. "I realized I was angry because I never got to thank you. I never properly said goodbye."

Hearing Konohamaru share his pain twisted Beki's already unsettled stomach. Behind the pain, though, through the hurt, Beki could feel something like a whisper. A glimmer of hope. "You really liked your nee san that much?"

"I was a punk kid, Beki," Konohamaru still couldn't bring himself to look at her. It was probably almost like a dream for him. The heart ache and shame of sharing such intimate details wasn't real if he didn't look in her eyes. He could pretend he was talking to her ghost. "There weren't a lot of people who would deal with my nonsense. Then here comes this pretty girl from another town that not only talks to me but genuinely gives a damn. That...you have no idea how much that meant to me. I know it was just stupid kid stuff, but you were a lot of firsts for me. My first kiss, my first confession. My first date."

"That was practice!" Beki protested. "That shouldn't count!"

"I counted it," Konohamaru gave an embarrassed laugh. "I counted all of it. I even counted that as my first heart break."

It was still such an adjustment for Beki, walking next to this man who had been a boy what seemed like only moments ago. A head that had barely passed her eyes was now above her, the hand in hers bigger and stronger than her own. Beki could almost be convinced they were different people if not for the small reminders of the boy who had been. She heard it in his voice and saw it in the shuffle of his stride. Was it going to be this way for her with everyone? Or was Konohamaru just the exception because she'd left behind a pubescent boy and came back to a full grown man?

"I don't know the words to describe how happy I am you're alive. I would call it a dream come true but that's too cliché. I've lost so many people, nee san, I wouldn't have even dared to dream you would come back." Konohamaru gazed at her out of the corner of his eye, his courage building. "Can you promise me something?"

Beki gave him a mischievous smile. "I'll have to hear it before I agree. Last time you asked for a date and I don't know if I can fit one in with my schedule."

He gave a good-natured laugh. "No, nee san. I wouldn't do that to you right after you got home."

Beki was amused by the fact that he hadn't claimed he would never do just a thing, just the acknowledgement of the poor timing.

"Can you promise that you'll still make some time for me every once in a while?" Konohamaru dared to look her square in the eye, a glimmer of vulnerability in the black pools of his irises. "I know you're going to be busy and everyone is going to want to spend time with you...but...I really missed you, Beki."

"I think I can find time for my favorite little brother." Beki gave his hand a squeeze.

"I'm your only little brother," Konohamaru grumbled. "And I'm not even younger than you by more than a few months, now."

Beki gave his hand a squeeze. The burden on her soul lightened somewhat, enough that she could bring herself to observe her surroundings. There were lots of new buildings, businesses, and shops. Her eyes lit up at the sight of how many different stores there were, not to mention all the cute cafes. The smell of fresh brewed coffee and baked goods wafting out the doors almost veered her off her path. Baby on board, Beki, she reminded herself. No coffee for you. "So where are we going, Konohamaru?"

"Well, on my way to bumping into you I saw the one person who took your loss harder than I did," Konohamaru said cryptically.

"Hinata or Neji?" Beki blinked.

"Okay, one of the two people who took your loss worse than I did," Konohamaru corrected himself. "We're almost there. He was finishing a training session with Lee."

Beki's heart began to race. It was the flutter of a hummingbird's wings and not the pounding of a drum. Neji. She was finally going to see Neji. What would he look like all grown up? Would he still be long and lean with harder, sinewy muscles or would he have compacted into a barrel-chested hulk like her father? She pictured his face, soft but masculine framed by curtains of perfect silky brown-black hair. All those years of loving him without realizing it had burned his image into her memory flawlessly. With a snap of her fingers it was there in her minds eye perfectly rendered. Would he still have that gentle look to his eyes? Would his skin be soft and smooth, or covered with worry wrinkles or scars?

Konohamaru gave a soft chuckle and pulled her out of her thoughts. "You don't need to say anything for me to know what you're thinking. 'Will he still be the same? What does he look like now?'" He shook his head. "He's pretty much the same. Just older and more serious looking."

Beki's jaw had gone slack at his accuracy. She clapped her mouth shut. "Is it that obvious?"

"You've always had such animated expressions. Back when you were dating the Kazekage I watched you work through an entire argument in your head using your eyebrows and a series of frowns." Konohamaru laughed.

"You just watched?! That's so embarrassing!" Beki swatted at him.

"You were the village weirdo. We all loved you. Who else could make running around naked and borrowing clothes from strangers seem so natural?" Konohamaru grinned.

"Wait a minute," Beki frowned and furrowed her brow. "You're telling me you spied on me all those years?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, nee san, you had a fan club." Konohamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "When you, uh, had Burned Maiden accidents and stuff it was the nearest boy's job to come let the rest of us know."

Beki puffed up her cheeks. "I am ashamed for you."

He shrugged. "The only person who really got to cash out was the first one who saw you. Usually by the time the rest of us got there, one of the jounin had given you a flak jacket or Neji'd slipped you his extra shirt. The most we would get was an occasional flash of butt cheek if the vest was too short. It was the knowledge you were naked under there that kept the hope alive."

Beki let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, what can I expect? Boys will be boys."

"You mean you aren't going to like, beat the crap out of me for peeping on you years ago?" Konohamaru blinked.

"Look, I had to run around the Fourth Shinobi World War naked starkers my armor. Any time I jumped everyone got an eyeful," Beki shrugged. "It comes at the cost of being able to melt things into oblivion. If I got all self-conscious about people seeing my body it would have gotten in the way of me kicking serious ass."

Konohamaru's eyes sparkled in admiration. "You are literally the coolest, nee san."

Beki shrugged. "Plus, I can't imagine it's all that exciting after the first couple of times someone sees me naked."

"Yeah..." Konohamaru's voice trailed off as he faced dead ahead, his ears pink. "Totally boring."

...

Neji wiped off his face with the fluffy white towel Lee had insisted he use. Tenten had been sending Lee to training with meticulously packed duffel bags stocked with water, snacks, a first aid kit, and other amenities. She was several months along in her pregnancy and the doctor had recommended she stay off her feet as much as possible. The baby was highly active and prone to kicking behind her ribs, but even when taking care of herself was the priority, Tenten kept her team in mind. It was her way of taking care of her boys from a distance. Neji knew he should go by Lee and Tenten's house for dinner more often. He tried, he honestly did, but it was the same as his relationship with Gai. No matter how much time he put in, it was never enough. For four years, Neji had been falling short of everything he tried to do. It bothered him, but not enough to really do anything about it.

As he carefully folded and replaced the towel in Lee's duffel bag, Neji glanced up at movement on the road ahead. It was a familiar looking jounin and a young woman. Probably some high paying client needing their daughter escorted somewhere. He had tied up his floor length hair for training and started to adjust the weight. It was pulling at his temples and Neji was developing a headache. He could sense the couple from before had continued their approach towards him. Neji screamed internally. Was the jounin delivering the client for Neji to escort? If this was his fate and everything was out of his control, Neji could at least decide how he would face it. He swallowed down the bile rising in his throat and looked up with the most neutral expression he could muster.

Neji froze. The jounin was gone and all that remained was the girl. She was standing on the road beside the training field with her hands clutched at her chest. The sight wasn't unfamiliar. Since her death, Neji had seen Beki a million times: in his dreams, in the corners of his vision in crowds, and glimpses of her between the leaves in the trees. Beki always appeared to him as she did now: exactly as she had looked on the day she died. The clothes even looked like something she would have worn, although he had never seen her in that particular outfit. In broad daylight standing so plainly before him, Neji could only assume it was Beki's ghost. Her cadaverous appearance was all the evidence he needed. She was pale, almost translucent, with veins showing under splotchy, paper like skin. The circles under her eyes were so black and bruised that she seemed to be staring at him out of the hollows of her skull. Beki had atrophied in the grave, her muscles shriveling so she looked smaller and weaker than she had in life. Even her hair had lost its luster. He watched Beki cautiously. Although this vision of her wasn't unwelcome, ghosts usually came to people directly like this when they needed to convey a message. Sometimes they needed to deliver a warning or to act as a guide. Beki was wringing her hands and bouncing slightly on her heels, opening and closing her mouth as though she wanted to speak but couldn't. She was blinking nervously, her eyes darting from the ground at Neji's feet back up to his eyes and back down again.

"Beki?!" Lee raced past him, his arms wide. Neji watched slack jawed as Lee scooped the girl up in his arms and twirled her through the air.

Beki hugged Lee tightly but whispered something in his ear. He immediately plopped her squarely on the ground and looked over her back and sides. "Nothing opened up. You should have said something sooner!"

Beki laughed. "You were too fast for me, Lee." Lee had begun circling her, examining her for damage.

"You look...fine!" Lee looked up at her beaming. "Good as new!"

"Not quite," Beki chuckled uncomfortably. "There was some permanent damage, but nothing I can't live with."

"That's the spirit!" Lee clapped her on the back and Beki winced.

Neji hadn't moved. He watched this whole exchange as if through the lens of dream. This was Beki's ghost, but Lee was interacting with her. He could see her and talk to her; he had even been able to touch her. Had Neji hit his head? It had probably been a day or two since he had remembered to eat. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility he had collapsed and was hallucinating.

Beki's eyes were on Neji again, her brows furrowed with worry. She gave him a small, unsure smile. "Hi, Neji."

"Hi Beki," Neji uttered automatically, his mouth moving on its own.

"It's...It's been a while, huh?" Beki shuffled.

"Four years, one month, and six days." Neji corrected. Her voice was spot on. He could feel the vibration of sound through his bones, the breeze on his skin, and the smell of grass in his nostrils. All his senses were telling him this was real. She was here. But that just wasn't possible.

"I bet you guys are wondering what happened," Beki began, her tone one of forced enthusiasm. "So a friend of mine located the ice floe my mom and I were in and they transported us to a medical facility. My injuries were so bad they had to find kidney transplants for me. I guess that took them a couple of years. Once those were ready, we were thawed out, performed the surgeries, and ta daa," Beki held out her arms to her sides. The movement was stiff and instantly caught Neji's attention. Beki had always been theatrical when she told stories. Her friends had come to expect distinctive voices and facial expression impressions of the people she was talking about, broad gestures, and the like. She had mentioned being injured to Lee. Did that have something to do with it? It was safe for Neji to muse over such an odd detail, since he would wake up any second now sweating in his cold empty bed.

"But look at you two," Beki gave Lee a playful sock in the shoulder. "You look like men! Not that you looked like boys before, but Lee, those cheekbones!"

He grinned proudly. "We haven't just physically matured! We've been very busy since the war, Beki!"

"I'm sure!" She laughed. "What have you been up to?" As she spoke the question, although she was facing Lee as she said it her eyes were on Neji.

Before Neji could speak, Lee was replying. "I have been promoted to jounin and Tenten and I are married. We're expecting our son to be born in the next few months. That's why she isn't out here training with us. Gai sensei is probably training at home-" Lee gasped suddenly and looked up at Neji with an excited sparkle in his eye. "Neji, Miyu is going to be so excited to meet Beki!"

"Miyu?" Beki blinked at the name, her mind racing to try to connect it to a face. "Do I know her?"

Lee shook his head. "Unlikely. She's Neji's fiancé. She's a medical nin who works at the hospital. Miyu is a nice girl with a lot of passion for her job. I think you two will become good friends!"

All the light had gone out of Beki's eyes. It was as if a switch had been flipped and her power source turned off. Within seconds, though, she had recovered with an empty laugh. "I'm sure we will be. I have to get going. There are still a lot of people I need to go see. I'll see you guys around."

Beki gave Lee a quick hug and then walked over to Neji with her head drooped low. She wrapped her arms around his chest and pressed her face against him. It was real. She was real. Beki was alive, she was here, holding Neji so tightly he could feel her forcing the air out of his lungs. As this reality registered, he raised his arms to pull her into his embrace. Beki had let go and took off down the road at a jog. With the realization and acceptance that Beki was alive, the rest of the conversation caught up to Neji. His eyes went wide and he looked at Lee in horror. "Lee, what were you thinking!?"

"What do you mean?" Lee asked innocently.

...

Beki had spent so much time lying in that hospital bed in the Sound. She had talked herself through every possibility, every eventuality of meeting Neji again. The second she laid eyes on him, it had all gone out the window. He had aged beautifully, maturity honing his already fine features until they looked carved from marble. Every movement was graceful, his expressions serene. Her heart had started pounding so hard Beki was convinced it was going to launch itself out of her chest. It was incredible how all those feelings came flooding back, drowning her in want and longing. Beki ached to hold him in her arms, to feel his warmth against her skin and smell the clean linen of his shirt. The words she so meticulously prepared were lost, jumbled on her lips with all the things she wanted to say. He was her compass. Without him, Beki had felt utterly lost and trapped, like a ship without a sail.

The moment his eyes found hers the joy was literally ready to spill out of her. He didn't move. Neji had stared right through her. Had it been so long he forgot what she looked like? Konohamaru had said Neji took her death hard, so why did Neji look at her as if he didn't know her? Beki knew she looked sick and weak but he didn't even smile at her. The whole time Lee had talked to her, Neji barely said a word or made any attempt to approach her. Then Lee drops the bomb that Neji is engaged to another girl. Beki was so hurt she wanted to be angry but she couldn't bring herself to be. It had been four years. She should be happy that Neji was happy and that he had moved on. This girl was probably everything Beki wasn't: pretty, well mannered, classically beautiful, and gentle natured. The kind of girl Neji deserved. But then why did it hurt so bad? Why was Beki on the brink of tears because he didn't even hug her back as she was leaving? Had Beki meant so little to him?

That was the one thing Beki hadn't counted on. Even if Neji had moved on, Beki had assumed he had loved and missed her. This rejection was something Beki would never have thought of, and that made it the most painful possibility of all. All the ideas Beki had were useless. None of them would help her now. All the arguments about whether Neji would want anything to do with his baby were out the window. Neji clearly wanted nothing to do with her. Beki didn't know if it was the pregnant hormones or just all the utter despair she had been burying all this time surfacing like a dead goldfish, but the tears started coming and there was no end to them.

People stared at Beki as she stumbled through the streets with tears streaming down her face. She didn't care. None of them knew her. None of them cared. Eventually, Beki shuffled down an alley and collapsed against the wall. She sobbed freely, deep drags of breath between each childlike groan. Beki sank down to the ground and put her head between her knees as she folded her arms over her head. There was no chance with Neji. Although her mother said she would take care of her, it wouldn't be fair for Beki to pull Yuki away from her happy ending with Kakashi. Beki would have her baby and slink off with her tail between her legs back to the Land of the Moon. She could live like a hermit on the Asou family estate with her bastard until it was old enough to go to school, then maybe she could do secretary work under the table for Ishida or whoever had replaced him. Any way she looked at it, though, Beki's fate was sealed. She was going to die alone.

The awkward pregnant jog and the emotional sobbing had upset her stomach. Beki only had enough time to get on her feet before she started throwing up in the dumpster beside her. She had barely eaten, so it was mostly the tea she had an hour before. I'm getting too worked up, Beki thought. I have to get a handle on this. Once she was done upchucking, Beki spat one more time to clear her mouth and sat down. She focused on her breathing to slowly lower her heartrate.

No, she told herself. It wasn't true. There were options for her. No matter what happened, things would work out. She still had friends in Getsu and even in the Cloud village she could reach out to. Between all the people she knew, Beki would find something. If it were just Beki, she would be incredibly tempted to give into her misery. But that would mean living a miserable life in poverty and there was no way Beki would let that happen to her child. Her father had worked nonstop, traveling the world in a highly risky position to secure her future. Yuki had clawed through legions of shinobi who would do Beki harm. In that moment, in that alleyway with her own vomit splashed on the pavement beside her, Beki swore to herself she would be the same. Nothing would come between Beki and this baby, not even her own emotions.

...

Hinata ambled out into the garden, peppermint tea in one hand and a book in the other. It was nice outside and Hinata had felt incredibly stuffy stuck in the house all day. Naruto was off on a brief mission, so to top off the stifling air, the house was too darn quiet. At least on her covered swing there was birdsong and the occasional breeze to keep her sanity intact. No sooner had Hinata sat down than Neji came running up, nearly colliding with the swing and upending the side table in the process.

"Lady Hinata, I'm so sorry," Neji scrambled to steady Hinata as her footing faltered in her surprise. There was a wild, animal-like light in his eyes. It was the most alive she could remember seeing him in a long time and the idea frightened and confused her.

"It's okay Neji, but where's the fire?"

He blinked as if realizing how absurdly he was acting. "I was hoping she was here with you. Logically this would be the next place she would go but it seems I was wrong..."

"Are you talking about Miyu?" Hinata settled on the swing, setting aside her book and tea. "Do you two have a date?"

"No! Well, yes, but that's not who I'm talking about," Neji ran his fingers through his tousled hair. "I guess you haven't seen her then. Lady Hinata, it's Beki. She's alive."

"Neji..." Hinata said his name softly. Since her best friend's death, Neji had been spiraling the drain for years. He did his best to keep up appearances, working hard towards the clan's good name doing high profile missions. He never smiled or laughed and didn't leave the compound for anything other than work unless it was a social obligation. Hinata hadn't seen anything herself but had heard rumors of his bizarre behaviors, like wandering around in snowstorms or staying awake for days on end. Hinata had worried for him that something like this would happen. Something would take that final thread of sanity he clung to and snap it like a twig.

"I wasn't the only one who saw her. Lee was with me," Neji explained. "When I saw Beki, I thought I was hallucinating but Lee hugged her and talked to her." As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears and his voice cracked. "I mean, Beki? Alive? I...I just didn't believe it. Couldn't believe it. She looked bad, Hinata. Frail and sickly. I thought she was a ghost and I..." Tears poured onto his cheeks. "She hugged me and ran away. I barely spoke to her I was in such shock. I'm terrified I hurt her. I need to find her-"

Hinata had gone quiet. Halfway through Neji's explanation, Hinata had activated her Byakugan. She saw something off in the distance and her face contorted with pain. She raised a hand to her lips and her brows furrowed. "Oh my God. It...it's really her. She's alive."

"Where is she?" Neji jerked his head in the direction Hinata was looking and activated his own Byakugan.

"She's at the market, about two kilometers away," Hinata could feel her heart racing as tears streamed down her face. Her best friend was alive, there was no mistake. Hinata had watched that heartbeat so many times, no transformation jutsu could have fooled her. Hinata reached out and grabbed ahold of her cousin's sleeve. "Neji, go get her and bring her home. Please."

He took off without further comment at full speed, nearly colliding with Miyu at the gate.

"Whoa," Miyu held up her arms. "Neji, what's going on? Is Hinata okay?"

"She's fine, Miyu," Neji tried to squeeze past her but Miyu blocked his exit. "I'm really sorry but I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"We had a date, Neji, remember? We were going to go talk to Ino about the flowers for the wedding and then go to the park and get some toasted nuts?" Miyu could see how agitated he was. Neji was never like this. He was always so mellow and lethargic. Now he was like a stallion in too small of a pen, dancing around her for the first chance of escape. It didn't bode well. She had seen patients like this, other war survivors that went through these alternating periods of depression and agitation. Miyu had never seen Neji agitated and had just thought he was working through some trauma. This manic phase, though, was incredibly concerning. It usually resulted in harm, either for the patient or some unfortunate second party. "Why don't we just skip the flowers and go to the park first?" She checked her watch. "I'm a little early. We should still make the appointment at the flower shop."

Neji tried to gently move her but Miyu held her ground. "You know what? Let's forget the flowers. We'll go in the den and I'll call them up and reschedule."

"Miyu, I don't mean to be rude, but I need to leave _now._ " Neji's tone was dark, almost threatening.

"I'm not letting you leave like this, Neji," Miyu took ahold of his sleeve. "Not till you're calmed down."

With a frustrated sigh, Neji spun his arm and knocked Miyu's hand away. He turned and ran up the wall beside her, vaulting over the top of the gate just out of her reach. Miyu followed close behind him. She had never seen her fiancé out in the field, only heard the rumors of how talented a shinobi he was. As he raced through the streets avoiding stalls, signs, and weaving through people like a pinball while never losing speed, Miyu could see some of the abilities they talked about. He turned a corner and she nearly lost him. The streets were crowded this time of day and she eventually had to admit she wouldn't be able to keep up this way. Miyu took to the rooftops.

...

When Neji rounded the last corner, it was if his eyes were magnetically attracted to Beki. She was standing at an outdoor stall examining blankets. There was a fierce determination in her eyes that instantly brought back a sea of memories. He had seen that look any time she was reading or writing; it was her trademark show of intense concentration. Neji's heart swelled at the sight of it. He approached her slowly, still afraid that she would dissipate like vapors any moment. She sensed his approach and put down the blanket, turning to face him with a neutral expression. "Neji." There was that formality to her tone and the stiffness to her posture that she always used when she was angry with strangers. Beki had never used that tone with him. Neji knew immediately that their earlier interaction had hurt her and that knowledge pierced him like a thousand knives. The love of his life rose from the dead and the first thing Neji did was hurt her.

"Beki," It came out softly, almost like a plea. "I didn't believe it was actually you. I thought...I thought I was hallucinating or that your ghost had finally come to haunt me."

Beki opened her mouth to reply but hard, heavy footfalls caught both of their attention. Miyu came barreling up, stopping beside Neji. She doubled over and put her hands on her knees, panting from the exertion. "There...there you are," Miyu reached up and patted his arm. "I didn't think I was going to be able to keep up with you." She took another few breaths and stood at her full height, a full head shorter than Beki. Neji had looked at her, doing his best to hide his unfathomable frustration that she had interrupted his second meeting with Beki. Miyu followed his gaze as he returned to looking at Beki and gave her a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Miyu," She closed the distance between them and extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you...?"

Beki took her hand and gave it a firm shake. "Tsukimori Haruka of Getsugakure."

"Oh," Miyu chuckled. "Are you an old friend of Neji's? He never mentioned knowing anyone from Getsu," She looked at her fiancé. "Did you have a mission there?"

"Haruka was an ambassador for Getsu for a time," Neji explained curtly. "She was stationed here in Konoha. She worked with Tsunade."

Miyu laughed, a clear bell-like sound. "Tsunade retired after the war. Lady Tsukimori doesn't look a day older than eighteen. You're telling me a fourteen-year-old went toe to toe with Tsunade? That's impressive."

"I'm a little older than I look," Beki said, in a not unfriendly way. "So you're Neji's fiancé then?"

"Yes," Miyu nodded. "We've been engaged for six months now; the wedding is in the spring." This girl was from out of town and was apparently an old friend of Neji's. If this was why he was so riled up, that was good news. Although it was an overly strong show of emotion, it was something. Maybe it had just been bottling up this long and Neji would be explosive for a little bit. Knowing him, his emotions would level out and Miyu and his family could stop worrying about him so much. "Will you be in town? We would love to have you join us, Lady Tsukimori."

"That's generous of you," Beki said cautiously. She had never seen this girl before but she was exactly what Beki had pictured when she was told the Hyuga had replaced her. Young, sweet, and pretty without a care in the world. She probably fostered orphaned puppies in her spare time. Worst of all, the girl clearly had no idea of who Beki was, either, which meant Neji and his family had never shared that information. Either that or this girl was a genius level sadist, inviting Neji's dead ex to their wedding. "I don't know what my schedule will be like then. If I'm in the area I would be glad to join you."

Miyu beamed and gave her a polite bow. Neji was beyond mortified. It was like he had been thrown off a ship in a storm and was being tossed about in the waves. The crew had thrown him a lifesaver and just as his fingers brushed the slippery ring, someone dropped the rope overboard. Miyu reached up and looped and arm around Neji's affectionately as he quietly died on the inside. Beki gave them a quick bow and stepped off the deck of the shop. "If you two would excuse me, I've got other business to attend to-"

Neji grabbed ahold of the hem of Beki's shirt. He clutched the fabric so tightly it threatened to tear. "Please," His voice trembled. He looked at her with desperation in his eyes. "Come by the compound. Lady Hinata would really like to see you."

Beki nodded, her lips pulled tight in a bitter expression. "I will."

Neji watched helplessly as the love of his life walked away, swallowed by the crowd the way the night had swallowed her four years before. There was a strange sound from nearby, almost like wheezing. The sound made his chest feel tight and his legs wobbled under the weight of it. Neji collapsed onto his knees, right there in the street. He was laughing. It was a hysterical, unhinged sort of madman cackle. It wracked his body like sobs and made it hard for him to breathe. Miyu watched in horror as Neji threw back his head, his hands out to his sides as he had his fit.

"Neji," Miyu said gently, reaching out to touch his face. Neji violently knocked her hand away, nearly spinning her with the momentum of his strike. She clutched her hand, which stung from the impact, and watched as he curled into a ball. Neji was clutching his hair in his hands, tugging so hard it threatened to rip free from his skull. Miyu looked up after Tsukimori Haruka. She had no idea what their past was but that girl was a danger to Neji. Since Miyu had met him, Neji had been teetering on a precipice. Miyu had worked carefully to get him to slowly inch his way down off the ledge. This ambassador had come in like a gale force wind, knocking him off the cliff. But Miyu had him. She had ahold of his arm and there was no way she was going to let Neji fall into the abyss.

...

"Konohamaruuuuuuuu," Beki said as she unceremoniously slapped away the noren in front of Ichiraku. Konohamaru's head snapped around at the sound of her voice. He watched with wide eyes as she clapped down on the stool beside him. "I think I am having the worst day of my life. That's coming from a girl who watched her uncle murder her father and then burst into flames."

Konohamaru cleared his throat as Teuchi approached. Ichiraku's owner started to ask Beki what she would be having when he paused and considered her a bit more closely.

"Hi Teuchi, it's me, Seiichiro's daughter. I was frozen in ice for four years. Beef bowl, please." Beki bowed politely.

Teuchi blinked in shock but then nodded. "Glad to have you back." His voice was hesitant but this was a world of shinobi. He had seen and heard news just as strange.

"Why are you reintroducing yourself to people by talking about your dad?" Konohamaru furrowed his brow. "Is that one of the reasons you're upset?"

"Well, I'm clearly pretty forgettable," Beki growled. "I know my dad was a real intimidating type. Maybe if I make that connection it'll stick for people better."

Konohamaru squared off with her and put an arm on the counter. "Who hurt you?"

"No one hurt me but me," Beki grumbled. "Or rather, I let myself get hurt. Not happening again."

Konohamaru didn't know how to respond to that. It sounded like angry girl nonsense. Moegi talked like this when the other girls did something that made her furious but nothing could be done to fix the situation. He had learned through his teammate that the only thing he could do to help was to let them vent. "Wanna tell me about it?"

Beki slammed her fists on the counter in frustration. "So first of all, he doesn't even talk to me. Neji looked at me like he didn't even know me and then I find out he's engaged to somebody else. So I tell myself, good for him, he's happy, I bet she's great. Time for me to pack up and get the hell out of here because there's nothing left for me in Konoha. So then Neji shows up at the market with his new fiancé trailing along behind him. Apologizes and says he thought I was a ghost coming to haunt him. This _Miyu_ \- "

Konohamaru had to put a hand to his mouth to stop himself from chuckling at the absolute venom Beki used when she said the girl's name.

"Comes up and introduces herself, makes comments about how I'm too young to have been an ambassador under Tsunade, and then invites me to their wedding!" Beki seethed. Konohamaru was impressed at the low volume she was maintaining. The nee san he remembered had been a volcano when she was mad, screaming loud enough for people three buildings down to hear. She was keeping it so together right now, the only people he thought could hear her were himself and Teuchi.

"What did Neji say?" Konohamaru asked calmly.

"Clearly nothing about me to this girl," Beki scoffed. "I guess I was that unimportant to him. Doesn't even mention his last fiancé didn't make it through the war-"

"What else did he say to you?" Konohamaru asked more directly. "As you were leaving, did he say anything?"

"He told me to come by the house. Said Hinata would want to see me," Beki grumbled a more calmly, most of the steam out of her engine.

"That sounds about right," Konohamaru nodded. "The Hyuga probably didn't want Neji to tell Miyu about you. He might be trying to set up a chance to get to talk to you alone."

"Or Hinata really does want to see her dead best friend risen," Beki shrugged as Teuchi placed the bowl in front of her. "This looks amazing, thanks."

Konohamaru watched in near disgust as Beki plowed into the bowl. "Sorry," Beki panted between bites. "I have had zero appetite for weeks and I smelled the ramen and I was like, 'This is it, this is what I was craving'. Which is funny when you think about it because I have a serious sweet tooth and the idea of eating a slice of cake right now honestly is just...nauseating."

"You probably need something in it," Konohamaru shrugged. "I've heard that when you get an intense craving like that your body's missing one of the nutrients in the food you want."

"Well, that was awesome," Beki pat her belly. "Alright Teuchi, put it on the Hokage's tab for me."

Konohamaru and Teuchi both gave her a look.

"It was a joke," Beki rolled her eyes as she tossed her money on the counter.

"When you were an ambassador, people let you do that?" Konohamaru cocked an eyebrow.

Beki nodded. "Not me personally, but it happened for dad a lot. They would give him a tab at local establishments. It promoted local businesses by giving them the prestige of a visiting dignitary and dad got a free lunch."

"Konoha isn't like that though?" Konohamaru asked.

Beki laughed. "I was an ambassador during the reign of the 5th. There wasn't a lot of petty cash to throw around."

Teuchi joined Beki's laughter. "I used to make Tsunade pay up front."

"That's...embarrassing," Konohamaru gave a nervous chuckle. "Memo to me for my reign as kage, then. A free lunch goes a long way for your reputation."


	118. Revelations

**Hi everyone. Hope you enjoy this next chapter. Thank you to those who are taking the time to review and PM. Make sure you check the post script for some technical information I thought would be helpful in addendum.  
**

* * *

Beki took a shower in her hotel room and changed into clean clothes. The Hyuga wouldn't expect her to arrive all dolled up after being dead for four years but Beki felt she shouldn't track dirt around their house. She glanced in the mirror, taking in her still startlingly cadaverous appearance. Her white blouse draped over her shoulders like a shroud, the tuxedo slacks matching the shirt's sober formality. Beki brushed her hair in a fruitless attempt to give herself a livelier appearance. At the end of it all, Beki still looked like a warmed-over corpse, but one with fantastic hair volume. She gave herself a smile to practice. "Hi, Hina chan."

Would it still be okay to call her "Hina chan"? By now she was probably some esteemed and dour matron. "Lady Hyuga" would sound more appropriate, "Lady Hinata" a la Neji would also do if Beki felt like being a little more familiar.

It was with these thoughts Beki took off into the night. Somehow, the streets of Konoha were slightly more familiar after dark. Robbed of some of her sight, Beki's muscle memory took and guided her by an internal compass she was previously unaware of. As she drew closer to the Hyuga compound, déjà vu struck her so intensely Beki almost experienced vertigo. She was fifteen again, walking side by side with a giant of a man. An oni in full armor, casting her in his black shadow despite the late hour and lack of streetlights. Beki was trussed up like a turkey in the Asou ancestral kimono, stumbling in her geta through the unfamiliar streets. The possibility of ruining the delicate attire terrified Beki, but not as much as the prim and proper family awaiting her. At the time, it had felt like being forced to walk to the guillotine. The tiniest portion of that fear and anticipation tugged at Beki now, but she wasn't fifteen anymore. There was no oni guarding her, no delicate princess dress, and no armor to protect her. To be honest, she didn't even feel like "Beki" anymore. "Beki" had died somewhere in a block of ice four years ago. This girl, no, this woman, was Haruka: the Embered Maiden, daughter of the Asou and the Tsukimori. She could be walking into the mouth of hell itself right now and it would barely register. That tiny blip on the frightened scale would only happen because in hell, Beki could be forced to relive her horrors again.

Beki raised her hand and knocked on the timeless Hyuga compound gate, an introduction mentally prepared for whatever new Hyuga face awaiting her on the other side. The gate was unceremoniously thrown open to reveal Hinata, standing there with an expectant look on her face. She looked the same as always, just with somewhat matured features. Her cheekbones were more pronounced and her hair was cut to a practical shoulder length bob. The moment their eyes met, Hinata's face blanched as though she were face to face with a ghost. Her jaw went slack and her lips trembled at Beki's appearance. Falling back to her ambassador training, Beki dropped into a bow suited for greeting an heiress. She opened her mouth to spout an automatic statement but before the words hit her lips, arms were around her. Hinata forcefully pulled Beki into an embrace. It yanked Beki out of her bow and it pressed her into Hinata's chest with her head on her shoulder. Hot tears splashed against Beki's neck as Hinata sobbed:

"When Neji told me you were alive I didn't believe it. Even when I saw you in the market I wasn't sure. But it's you. It's really you. You're alive!"

Beki had been steeling herself for this encounter. After the shock of meeting grown up Konohamaru and the disappointment that had been her reunion with Neji, Beki was prepared to hurt again. It would be perfectly natural for Hinata to be completely different after all this time, too. Cold, hard, and distant from four years of life experience. That was Beki's mistake. She should have known if there was ever a constant in her life, it was Hinata. At the familiar warmth of her hug and the lavender scent of her shampoo, Beki relaxed into Hinata's embrace. She wrapped her arms around Hinata's waist and buried her face into her neck. Hinata squeezed Beki tighter and for the first time since she came back from the dead, Beki truly felt like things were going to be okay. No matter how hard she fought them Beki's tears refused to stay contained. The two stood there quietly crying for a few moments.

Hinata's emotions were plain, the same way Konohamaru's had been. To her, Beki had died four years ago and had left Hinata with no closure; there was no body to bury or a funeral to hold. Beki imagined the pain her friend had felt having to pack up and clean out the room Beki had lived in for all those years. Beki's quiet crying turned to sobs as her imagination ran wild. Whether she had meant to or not, Beki had hurt Hinata.

"I'm sorry," Beki said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hinata pulled away shaking her head. "There's nothing for you to be sorry for." She cupped Beki's face in her hands with a complicated expression. Her lips were fighting, the corners tugging up and down as they tried to decide on a smile or a frown. Tears still fell freely onto her cheeks but the bright sparkle of Hinata's eyes looked happy. "Look at you, though. You don't look like you've had a decent meal in months."

An involuntary laugh escaped Beki's mouth and she clapped a hand to her lips. Hinata gave her a confused look. "What did I say...?"

Beki shook her head and smiled. "Sorry. It's just...you haven't changed at all. I come back from the dead and you get on my case about not eating enough."

"Can you blame me?!" Hinata puffed up with frustration and put her hands on her hips. "You look like you've lost almost twenty pounds. You're skin and bones!"

Beki shrugged. "I mean, I couldn't exactly eat after going four years without food. They had to ease me back into it. Even then, they couldn't exactly give me curry udon."

"Well, we'll need to fix that," Hinata took Beki's hand and brought her inside the gate. Just based on immediate appearances, nothing within the compound had changed. The buildings and landscape were untouched. Beki could physically feel her heartrate slow. After having to deal with all the changes in Konoha it was nice to encounter something that had been untouched by time. Hinata watched as Beki slowly took in the familiar scenery.

"What does it feel like?" Hinata asked. "Could you...could you feel time passing while you were in the ice?"

Beki shook her head with a frown. "No. I literally woke up and thought I'd been brought to a hospital right after the war." She glanced at Hinata. "I mean, I figured I was pretty messed up. I thought I had died. It made sense to me that I had been in a coma for maybe a week or two."

"All the changes must be unsettling," Hinata tucked her hair behind her ear. "I can't even think back to what town looked like four years ago. I guess that's because I've been here through the whole process." She shuffled uncertainly. Although she had closed the gate, Hinata had made no move to lead Beki anywhere within the compound. Something told Beki there wasn't a big welcome party for her in the main house. "Where have you been staying since you got back?"

"At the inn my dad always used," Beki blinked. "Wait. No, it's a hotel now I guess. Anyway, that's where me and my mother have been staying. I wonder how things are going with her and Kakashi," Beki bit at a hangnail and glanced up at the night sky. "I didn't see her all day and she hasn't come looking for me, which is really unlike her."

"I would imagine they have a lot of catching up to do," Hinata offered. "Plus, I wonder how this is going to work out legally for you two."

Beki shook her head. "I've already accepted that I lost my job as ambassador. On top of that, I can't work as a shinobi ever again." Hinata cocked her head and shot Beki a concerned look. "Shoulders," Beki raised her arms as high as they would go, level with her waist. "I can't rotate them or raise them higher than this, which means no kanabo."

"What about your Maiden powers?" Hinata asked. "I heard from people in the Third Division you awakened some kind of weird new power."

Beki shook her head again. "No go. At least, I don't think I can safely. They had to do a kidney transplant on me."

"The stress would be too much?" Hinata glanced off towards her house and then back at Beki, as though she were expecting someone.

"I wasn't given directions not to or the reasons why its risky, per se," Beki explained. "But as a Tsukimori, as part of my kekke genkai my organs are conditioned to withstand the heat."

"So with a transplant," Hinata grimaced.

"They would probably just fry," Beki sighed. "I...I have a lot I'm going to have to work through over the next," Beki thought for a moment, considering how long it had taken her to get over losing her father. That was intense grief. Losing a loved one was insanely painful but that ache dulled with time. This situation would be different. Beki was technically grieving herself. Whereas with losing her father she was bothered by occasional reminders of him and would have to work through some of that grief again, the reminders of her disability would be constant. Every time Beki saw shinobi in action, any time she needed of open a door or a jar by herself, she would remember that she was broken now. There was no telling how long it would take Beki to overcome that pain, if ever. "However long this takes me."

Hinata's eyes were on her house again. A figure stuck their head out of the door and Hinata waved to them. Beki had slowly started to feel like she was encroaching on some previous plans. "I know it's late. You don't have to feel obligated to put off your life just because I'm back. I can come back tomorrow-"

"Nonsense," Hinata spoke with her usual pleasant tone, however there was a commanding note that gave Beki pause. "You won't be coming back tomorrow because you're sleeping here tonight."

"What?" Beki blinked in shock.

Hinata gave her a look that was her best attempt at righteous anger. "As if I would let you keep sleeping in a hotel when you just came back from the dead. You are going to go to that inn, grab your things, and come right back home."

Beki was dumbstruck, so much so her jaw went slack. "Hina chan..."

The initial deal that had brought Hinata and Beki together, the arrangement Seiichiro had struck with Hiashi all those years ago, was long expired. Even then subsequent arrangement after her father's death, where the Hyuga circled protectively around Beki, could never be expected to extend past her demise. They all had lives that had moved on without her and those deals had all been struck with people who were somebodies. Seiichiro had been an ambassador of renown, Beki had been an ambassador herself. She was coming back to them a nothing; a no one. Not to mention that in essence, Beki had just been someone to keep Hinata company until Naruto got home. Naruto had come home and now the pair were probably married. Beki wouldn't be surprised if there was a tiny little Uzumaki tucked away in a crib in the house. It was completely insane to Beki that with all those facts considered, Hinata was acting as though Beki immediately moving back in was the only logical course of action. Then again, what could Beki expect? Hinata was loyal beyond fault and protected those precious to her ferociously. All Beki could do was throw up her hands and sigh. The heiress would have her way.

"Hinata, what if my mom isn't there? What am I supposed to do?"

"Tell the people at the desk to let her know you're here with me," Hinata said in a matter of fact tone. "That, or we'll send word to the Hokage in the morning where you are. I know Konoha looks big, but it's still that same small town where news travels fast."

While they talked the figure that had been peeping out of Hinata's house had run down the path towards them. When Beki remembered to notice, Neji was already on them.

"Sorry, I had just been finishing up in there," Neji was nearly out of breath. Not from exertion, but from his heart racing so quickly from excitement his body confused it with intense exercise. "Are we ready?"

"We?" Beki looked between the Hyuga in shock. "What does he mean by 'we'?"

"Neji noticed you were having trouble with your arms earlier," Hinata explained. "So we went ahead and took care of setting up your room for you. You won't have to lift a finger. We also thought it would be a good idea for him to go with you to your hotel and bring back your belongings."

"It really isn't that much," Beki scratched the back of her neck, a flush coming into her cheeks. "It's literally a duffle bag. I can just go grab it-"

Hinata cleared her throat and crossed her arms. "It's after dark. It wouldn't be safe for you to wander around at night, especially when you're injured and unfamiliar with the streets."

"Okay, okay, you win," Beki grumbled. "Let's just go get this over with so you can feed me and tuck me in."

"Keep it up with that attitude and I'll give you a bath and force Hyuga medicine on you," Hinata wagged a finger. "If you think that you get to die and come back and there won't be changes around here, you're wrong."

"What kind of changes?" Beki furrowed her brow. This had been such a bizarre turn of events. Beki had gone from feeling lost and alone to being smothered by an overbearing mother. It was such a massive change she was having trouble keeping up with processing it.

Hinata shook her head and ushered the pair out of the gate. "We'll discuss all this later. You're back. We have time for that now."

The gate closed behind Neji and Beki, simultaneously casting them out into the rest of the world and isolating them. All Neji had wanted since Beki appeared was to get a chance to talk to her one on one, without interruptions. Now that they were finally alone, Neji was at a loss for words. Where would he start? Suddenly there was so much to tell her. It was a heavy rainstorm building up in the wash, filling it to the brim and threatening to break the dam. Beki had immediately started walking and he fell into step beside her.

"You know, I can really take care of this myself," Beki offered. "You don't have to tag along. It's just a duffle bag."

Neji shook his head. "Hinata's right. It's not safe for you to be out on the streets by yourself at night." Neji shuffled uncomfortably. "Besides that, I wanted to be alone with you."

Beki folded her arms self consciously as they walked. After the disappointment of their earlier encounter, Beki didn't want to get her hopes up. Neji probably just wanted to explain the whole situation about his new fiancé.

"Who have you run into since you got back?" Neji asked. He figured it would be rude to jump right into all his emotional baggage. Beki looked exhausted and by the way she carried herself, she was in pain. After their earlier run in, Neji wanted to avoid hurting her as much as possible.

Beki counted off on her fingers. "You, Lee, Konohamaru, and Hinata," Might as well get it over with, Beki thought. Pull off the band aid and start the tricky part of the conversation. "And your new fiancé. She's cute."

Neji let out a frustrated sigh. "She isn't my fiancé, Beki. We're betrothed."

"What's the difference?" Beki asked.

Neji kept his eyes ahead. "I didn't ask her to marry me. It was arranged."

"So you're telling me you aren't all that close?" It was cool now that the sun had gone down. Neji's body was radiating warmth as always, subconsciously attracting Beki closer.

"No," Neji automatically put an arm around her shoulder. The sudden involuntary movement surprised him. It was incredible how Beki's return instantly kicked in all his old habits. All the years of being around Beki and the behaviors he had developed to meet her needs had merely been dormant. Her physical presence triggered them to start back up on their own. She didn't pull away from the contact, leaving Neji to wonder if her acceptance of his behavior was the same. Then again, he imagined that for her this was only perfectly natural. It had probably only seemed like a month ago that the two were together like this. It was Neji and his four-year gap that were making this awkward and unnatural. "We aren't that close. Miyu is a good person and would probably make someone else very happy."

"But not you." Beki rested her head on his shoulder.

"I've felt guilty about it. It isn't Miyu's fault there was always someone else on my mind." Neji opened the door to Beki's hotel. The two walked in silence until they reached her room. Beki unlocked the door and held it open for him to follow her in. Neji watched Beki as she moved around the room collecting her belongings and stuffing them unceremoniously into her bag.

"It doesn't look like mom came back," Beki said, half to herself as she zipped up the bag. Her mother was notorious for traveling light and this adventure was no exception. Yuki had left nothing behind in the room, not even the scent of her perfume. Beki stood at the side of the bed, giving the room one last once over. She was fairly sure she had grabbed everything. "Well, I think I got it all-"

Beki began to turn but was stopped by arms wrapping around her. Neji's arms were long and completely encircled her: one around her waist and the other across her chest. "I still have a hard time believing that you're here." Neji said softly into her ear. "Can we just stay like this for a while? Everything makes more sense when I'm holding you."

Beki could feel him trembling. It wasn't just his hand or his arms, it was his whole body. Try as she might, Beki had no ability to understand what Neji was going through. It was easy to call the emotions by their names: grief, pain, joy, relief, fear. Everyone had felt each of those at some point, Beki not excepted. But just like Hinata, Beki hadn't been there for Neji. She hadn't see what he had gone through, hadn't felt each unique experience as he did. The closest she could come to him was when her mother came back from the dead. Beki didn't know Yuki, though. She had been too young to really miss her. Beki had wanted a mother, of course, and had lost out on having one. As confusing as this was for her, though, Beki knew she should do something to comfort him.

As gently as she could, Beki pried herself out of Neji's embrace. He stepped back as if struck. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed that was okay-"

Beki climbed up onto the bed on her knees and turned around to face him. He watched with an almost fearful expression as she raised her arms, inviting him into her embrace. Neji cautiously followed her up onto the bed and buried his face into her chest. Carefully, Beki lowered them both down on the bed. As she stroked his hair, Neji's shoulders began to shake and Beki felt his tears through her shirt. "Neji," she said softly, followed by a long silence. Beki didn't know what to say. She hurt because he hurt but lacked the words to convey anything meaningful.

Neji gripped onto her tightly as though she might sink through the bed and disappear. "I looked everywhere for you. For almost a week I helped the recovery unit look for bodies. No one had seen the ice floe anywhere. I eventually collapsed and they took me away with the last of the Konoha forces that were pulling out. Everyone told me you were dead and it was all my fault." He was clutching her so tightly it was painful but Beki bore it. He needed this. To be honest, she needed this, too. No matter how much she told herself otherwise, Beki needed Neji. His physical presence alone was a comfort but being there for him and helping him was making her own burdens seem lighter. "I never _ever_ would have let you do that. Part of me...I almost..." She watched as he burrowed himself into her stomach and fell silent.

"I love you, Neji." It was all Beki could say. It was all she had wanted to say all along but everything and everyone had kept getting in the way.

"I love you, too," Neji's voice was muffled by the fabric of her shirt. "Please don't think I replaced you. I could never replace you. I would have been perfectly happy just living out my days alone until we could be together again."

"Your family set it up?" Beki asked.

Neji nodded. "Miyu is the girl they originally wanted me to marry. My family was respectful enough to give me time to grieve. They left me alone until about six months ago when Hiashi made the arrangements."

"I mean, I can't blame them. You are a catch," Beki's weak attempt at humor drew a groan from Neji.

"Maybe before. I haven't...I haven't been a 'catch' for a long time, Beki," He scooched his way up until he was alongside her, his arms wrapped around her torso. "I never thought I was going to feel happy again. My entire life was just this drab, gray dream I was dying to wake up from. Now that you're here I can't feel sad anymore." He smiled and cupped her cheek in his hand. "It's like I was stuck in a storm that was never going to end and here she is, here's the sun."

The sight of his smile broke Beki's heart in two. She loved him so much it made every bone in her body ache. After waiting so long and worrying so much, everything was going to be okay. They were together again. She leaned in and kissed him passionately on the lips, lacing her fingers through his hair and wrapping her legs around him. Neji reached up and held the back of her neck. His touch sent waves of electricity across her skin. Beki closed her eyes as Neji kissed her. The sensations were familiar. The way he kissed her was the same, as well as the way he tasted and smelled. Lying together in bed like this, Beki could almost convince herself that nothing had changed. The way their bodies moved in unison, the push and pull as they began to remove their clothes, was just like before. Neji slid away from her face and began to nibble at her neck as he unhooked her bra. Beki ran her hands over his chest and arms, savoring the ripples of his muscles as he moved. Her hands slid across his shoulder blades and she stopped. What had once been pristine, smooth flesh was now jagged with scar tissue.

"What's this?" Beki asked as she opened her eyes. Neji was hovering over her, enclosing them both in the curtains of his long hair.

"War wounds," Neji said automatically, his expression unreadable.

Beki ran her hands across the entirety of his back. Everywhere she touched was cross hatched with old smooth scars and ragged fresh ones. Beki sat up, gently pushing him off her so she could get a good look at his exposed torso. What Beki had felt on Neji's back was reflected on his front. Neji's chest, ribs, and stomach were covered with scars. "Some of these are new, Neji." He averted his eyes as Beki ran her fingers over a nasty one across his chest.

"Those are from missions," Neji offered.

"Missions!?" Beki scoffed. "These aren't the sorts of injuries you get from normal B and C rank missions. What kind of missions were you taking?"

"Just whatever I could get to distract myself," Neji said.

"To be up against shinobi skilled enough to land these sorts of blows on you, you must have been taking A rank and dangerous bounties, Neji," Beki narrowed her eyes. "I can't imagine it was for the money. So what was it? Were you getting a thrill off the adrenaline rush, or," Beki's eyes widened with realization and her hand fell away from his chest. "You were _trying_ to get yourself killed."

Neji sighed and shrugged. "Do you have any idea what my life was like after you died? Day after day, everyone acting sorry for me and asking me how I was feeling, reminding me nonstop that I was never going to get better. The only thing that could have made me whole again would be you. As far as I knew, you were never coming back. My life was a living hell and I just wanted it to stop, but I could never kill myself. That would be cruel and disrespectful to my family. So instead I focused on the fact that I'm a shinobi. I have skills and training that allow me to help people. Being on dangerous missions kept my mind off things somewhat. It put the pain on the backburner and let me feel a little useful again. That, and if I were to die in the line of duty then I would get to be with you again and my family could remember me as more than just a sad sack. It was a win-win"

Beki's blood turned to ice at the idea of Neji putting his life in danger intentionally. "A win-win? How is you dying a 'win-win'?"

"Look, Beki, if I went out on a dangerous mission and I died, then I was lost in the line of duty and I would be remembered respectfully. If I survived, then I would have accomplished my mission and brought my village and my family honor and prestige. Either outcome would have been beneficial, really." Neji explained.

"How long were you doing this?" Beki knit her brows.

"Until Miyu made me stop," Neji folded his arms. "About four months ago."

Beki's hand shot to her stomach and she sighed. "Well, thank God she did. If she hadn't stopped you and you had died, you would have left the baby without a father."

"Well, I obviously won't take such high-risk missions once we have children," Neji began but Beki inhaled so sharply he jumped. "What?"

"I got so wrapped up in being with you I forgot to mention something kind of important," Beki's heart began to race as she watched his expression. Beki wished she could set time in slow motion once she gave him the news. That way she could watch every micromovement of his face and analyze his response. "Neji, I'm pregnant."

Neji furrowed his brows in confusion and then let out a small chuckle. "Was that your attempt at a joke?"

"From before the war." Beki explained. "That's one of the reasons it took them so long to bring us out of the ice. They had to find a way to save me and the baby."

As she spoke, Neji watched her face. Before she had finished he activated his Byakugan and examined her. He scooted in closer and took her hips in his hands. Neji's Byakugan was so well trained he never would have needed to adjust Beki's viewing angle but the news shook him so hard he forgot that fact. He stared down at the tiny life developing inside Beki. It was nearly an inch long with tiny buds for arms and legs. It's central nervous system, spinal cord, and brain were almost developed. There were suggestions of a face and it's head made up the most part of its body.

"How far along do you think I am?" Beki asked.

Neji shook his head. "I have no idea. The baby...it doesn't even look like a baby yet."

"They only thought I was a month or two in, so that makes sense." Beki was watching Neji as he looked at his child for the first time. "So no way to tell what it is yet?"

Neji looked up at her with a look that was a mixture of awe and terror. "I'm going to be a father." He deactivated his Byakugan and took his head in his hands. Neji had been on his knees but the realization knocked him on his rear. He crossed his legs and put his elbows on his knees. "How did I not notice it before? When I was looking at you in the market...or before the war I should have known. I should have seen this sooner. I didn't notice it at all. I didn't even think to look..." He buried his face in his hands and his shoulders slumped. "My God, I let you go off to war with my baby in your belly. I almost got the love of my life and my child killed-"

"Shh," Beki waddled over on her knees and pulled his head to her chest. "That's all over. We can't go back, we can't change anything, we can only keep going forward, right?" Neji reached up and put a hand on her stomach comfortingly. Beki stroked his hair as they shared this landmark moment and the gravity it held on their futures. "I've been thinking about names. I know that's weird, right? It's too early along to even know if it's going to be a boy or a girl yet, but it's literally half of what I think about. The other half is mostly you and then how nauseating just about everything smells-"

"Marry me." Neji was staring up at her intently, his face set in grim determination.

"What?" Beki blinked.

"I asked you to marry me." Neji clarified.

Beki laughed. "You do realize we are technically already engaged?"

"This time it's for real, Beki. No formalities, no betrothal. I want you to marry me now." Neji's gaze was so intense it was making Beki slightly uncomfortable.

"You remember you're currently supposed to be marrying Miyu, right?" Beki asaked.

"Do you think any of that matters to me now?" Neji took her hands in his, lacing their fingers together. "Beki, I love you more than anything. You were my everything. I would have given anything to save you, to be with you for the rest of our lives. Now you're carrying my child. I can't think of anything in this world that could keep me away from you now."

"Wooden stakes?" Beki cocked an eyebrow and Neji glared at her. "Too soon?"

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 **I know I rarely do post scripts but I just wanted to address a question here some of you may have been thinking about. I had a good question last chapter about if Hinata would know Beki was pregnant or not because she had used the Byakugan while she was in the market. This is one of those situations that the canon kind of fails us. In regards to chakra, the basics we are told is every living being has chakra. Kishimoto never really spent time on technical aspects like when it happens in utero; the only confirmation we have is that right before a baby is born they have their own chakra (Naruto and the other jinchuriki were transplanted as babies, so by that point they have a fully developed and independent chakra system). Beki is very early on in her pregnancy, at max 3 months, and I imagine all babies develop slightly differently. By the end of the third month, a baby's entire CNS is fully developed. From what's been described to us the chakra system sounds very similar to the CNS. That early on, all the systems are either just developed or just beginning to develop (like the digestive and sensory systems). I would imagine that a baby has to develop a chakra system before it can produce its own chakra and before that, it would just borrow from the mother the way it does just about everything else (babies literally strip calcium from their mom's bones so leeching chakra isn't a far stretch for me).**

 **Secondly, at this stage babies are incredibly small. At the second month, they're about a quarter of an inch long and by the end of the third month, they're an inch long. In regards to the capabilities of the Byakugan, we know that they don't activate it and suddenly process everything that they're seeing. They have to look for things (think Hinata looking for a bug in the rain, the rain interferes with the Byakugan's ability so she really has to search for it). My thought process is that if they don't know to be looking for it, something that small that isn't even producing its own distinct chakra yet would not catch their attention. Extremely good question, though. I love stuff that makes me do my research and fill in those canon gaps.**


	119. A Family's Shame

**Hi everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who PMs and reviews. I love hearing from you guys and I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have. I hope you enjoy this next installment.**

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"I can't believe the nerve of that woman," Beki shook her head and scoffed. "Leaving a message for me at the desk that she's at her boyfriend's house."

"To be fair, you were planning to do the same," Neji shrugged.

"I'm nineteen!" Beki threw up her hands. "She's twenty-seven! By default she should be more considerate and responsible than I am."

Neji contorted his face with disgust. "It makes me uncomfortable that your mother is only three years older than me now."

Beki shuddered. "Not as much as uncomfortable as I am that I'm the same age as Konohamaru now. That kid grew like a weed."

Neji put an arm around Beki's shoulder as they walked. It was a beautiful night: not too hot or too cold, with just enough of a breeze to be refreshing and not chilling. For Neji it seemed like a lifetime ago, but only this morning he had been struggling to find a reason to live. Every waking moment was misery incarnate. Neji had to force himself to see his friends, to train, to interact with his new fiancé. He had felt like a jellyfish, moving along with the current with no plan or purpose. In less than twenty-four hours, the love of his life had been resurrected and Neji learned he was going to become a father. Suddenly, everything came into focus. There was a fire burning inside his heart, clearing away all his doubts and sorrows. Neji had a job to do: protect and provide for his wife and their child. Nothing else mattered. He didn't want to worry Beki but Neji knew there would be resistance. That was his problem to deal with and not hers. Between the pregnancy and her injuries, Beki had enough on her plate.

When they reached Hinata's house, Neji led her upstairs to her room. Hinata was inside putting fresh towels in the bathroom. The bedroom was almost exactly as Beki had left it. There were a few cosmetic changes, such as the sheets and comforter had been switched out, but the furniture and their arrangement were all the same. All of Beki's belongings were gone save for a few framed photos. Hinata had set them on top of the dresser as a small modest shrine to their memories. Beki had to wonder if they had been too painful to put away.

"I'm sorry," Hinata pouted. "If I had known you were coming back I wouldn't have touched anything."

Beki shook her head. "There's no way anyone could have known. I even thought I was dead."

"Hanabi ended up taking most of your clothes. She's used them and grown out of them by now," Hinata explained. "There were a few odds and ends I didn't know what to do with. Like your jewelry box. I think I tucked them in a box in the attic."

Beki smiled knowingly and hugged her friend. Any other person in the same situation would have just given away or thrown out someone else's precious belongings. What did Hinata care about the framed picture of Beki's parents on their wedding day? Or her jewelry box with trinkets and bobbles from all over the world that held no meaning to anyone else? It was respect, perhaps, or maybe a strange way of preserving Beki's existence in Hinata's memories. As they years dragged on and the memories became foggy, those few articles would confirm that yes, Beki had been there, and not just some made up person doctored into their photographs.

Hinata rubbed Beki's shoulders as she pulled away. "Tomorrow I will get up early and try to find it. It would probably make it feel more like home in here with your belongings returned."

"Don't worry about it, Hinata," Beki grinned. "It feels like home already."

Hinata walked towards the door and glanced back towards Beki and Neji. "Are you staying the night, Neji?"

Neji shook his head. "I would love to, but I don't feel like we should just yet."

Hinata nodded. "Father doesn't know Beki's back. Do you want me to come with you in the morning to talk to him?"

"I appreciate the offer but I don't believe the conversation will be pleasant." Neji grimaced.

"Alright, I'll leave you two be. I'll be downstairs if you need anything." Hinata walked out of the room and gently closed the door behind her.

"You're leaving me?" Beki hugged Neji from behind. He turned to face her with a sigh.

"I feel like I would be pushing my luck if I did," Neji ran his fingers through her hair. "Like you said earlier, I do still technically have a betrothed."

"So you're trying to be noble even though you've knocked up another girl?" Beki cocked her head.

"The girl who is carrying my child is my previous fiancé," Neji pressed his forehead against hers. "Who would have already been my wife if I had my way."

"True," Beki shrugged. "I just think its silly to play the chaste card."

"I would have taken you in that hotel room in a heartbeat," Neji kissed her. "I just think its reckless to play my hand within view of my entire family."

"You'll be a good boy for the night, I get it." Beki sighed. "It's just hard for me to let you go now that I finally have you."

"That's my line." Neji kissed her again, this time with finality. Beki's lips were soft and her body seemed to melt into his as he held her. Despite all the obstacles ahead, Neji was at ease. This was all that mattered. Beki was all that mattered. After a few blissful moments, Neji let Beki go. She walked him to the bedroom door with a forlorn sigh.

"Goodnight, Neji."

"Goodnight, my love."

The sound of the door closing behind him let Neji know he could let his shoulders droop. Tomorrow morning was probably going to be the hardest fight of Neji's life with the highest stakes. If he screwed up, his life was over. This was his one shot at true happiness and it was all on him. Yuki couldn't bail him out, Hinata couldn't help, not even his father's ghost would be any good this time around. It would be hard but Neji would have to get a good night's sleep. As much as he wanted to try to come up with Hiashi's arguments and counter them beforehand, a fresh and rested mind was a better weapon.

He came downstairs to see Hinata at the kitchen table. She had a laundry basket of clean folded clothes which she was taking out item by item and holding them up to herself. Hinata would examine each piece and then set it in either one of two piles.

"Lady Hinata," Neji said as he crossed the threshold into the kitchen.

Hinata looked up at him and then back at the piles. "Beki wasn't kidding when she said she only had a duffle bag. I figure she has the basics, but it may be a while before we can get into town and take her shopping properly."

"You were going to lend her some?" Neji cocked his head.

Hinata nodded. "Its hard to tell what will fit because our bodies are so different."

"It's a kind gesture, Lady Hinata, but an unnecessary one," Hinata gave him a confused look and Neji instantly realized he had let too much slip. Was it okay for him to be the one to share the news? Hinata was Beki's best friend, then again, Neji was her cousin and the baby's father. No. Beki should be the one to tell her. There had to be an artful way out of this. "You know how much she likes shopping. I think that will be one of the first items on her to do list since there are so many shops that are new to her in town."

Hinata's eyes lit up and she smiled. "You're right! That would be a lot of fun. I could take her out tomorrow and show her around."

"This gives you déjà vu, doesn't it?" Neji looked towards the stairs. "It seems like yesterday this weird girl from Getsugakure was going to be rooming with you and we were having to show her the sights."

"If I recall correctly, you felt quite differently about Beki back then." Hinata chuckled.

"Sorry everyone isn't you, Hinata, and knows their one true love on sight," Neji folded his arms. "When they were four."

Hinata balked. "I haven't...I didn't..." There was another moment of her floundering for a defense before she finally gave up. "Fine. Yes. I always knew Naruto was the one."

"I guess I knew for a long time, too." Neji agreed. "It just took me a while to admit it."

"That runs in the family, I think." Hinata said as she started packing up the clothes. "So, you'll speak with father in the morning?"

"Yes. I'm going to make a request of him that I don't believe Hiashi will be happy about." Neji shuffled uncomfortably. "I think it may get worse around here before it gets better."

Hinata nodded. "I'll keep Beki far from the chaos. I'm already formulating our itinerary. There's that nice coffee shop near the academy. She'll love the pastries there. Then there's a handful of clothes stores, the tea shop, and then I think I'll take her by to meet some other old faces."

"Bring her by the Hokage's office if you can," Neji suggested. "I guess Yukihana is running around with him."

"You mean Yuki beat Beki to abandoning her at the hotel to be with her boyfriend?" Hinata blinked.

"Yes," Neji sighed. "Yuki always was the faster of the two."

...

The next morning, Neji rose at dawn. He showered and dressed in an attempt to be as presentable as possible. He walked outside into the crisp morning air and took a deep breath of it. Try as he might, Neji had barely slept. Knowing Beki was alive, merely a short distance away, drove him crazy. There was no position that was comfortable and the bed seemed cold and empty. He kept picturing her lying asleep, shivering or crying out in night terrors. Neji would activate his Byakugan to check on her only to find Beki passed out face down, sound asleep in her pillow. As soon as he was reassured Beki was all right, his mind would wander to what awaited him in the morning. Hiashi would be furious. Neji had done his best to be a good nephew, to represent his family's values and preserve their honor in all things. Something told Neji that would mean nothing in this conversation.

As Neji walked towards Hiashi's office, where he usually would have been working for at least an hour this time of morning, a though nagged at Neji repeatedly. If he really wanted to, Hiashi could force Neji to marry Miyu. As soon as Neji thought the tragedy of his birth was behind him, he would be reminded of his second-class status. With only a few words, Hiashi could compel Neji to follow an order against his will or die. All Neji could do was try to get his full case out before Hiashi gave the order. He hoped his hard work would earn him at least a patient ear.

The sounds of papers rustling within the room set Neji's hair on end. His fate was waiting on the other side of this door. Neji knocked, was called to enter, and opened the door to his destiny.

"Neji," Hiashi glanced up from the morning paper with a look of mild surprise. "Are you being called out on a mission this early in the morning?"

Neji shook his head. "No, sir. I was hoping to discuss a personal matter with you."

Hiashi set his paper aside while motioning for Neji to take the seat across from him. He folded his hands and leaned his forearms on his desk. "Is this in regard to your betrothed?"

"In a way, yes and no," Neji could feel his mouth going dry and cursed himself for not at least having a cup of tea before he came. The matter had seemed too pressing to sit, but now that he was in Hiashi's domain Neji's disrupted morning routine and lack of sleep were catching up to him. Hiashi was watching him expectantly. That was good. If Neji could just keep it together and explain the situation calmly he had a much better chance of success. "I don't know if you have been made aware, but Tsukimori Haruka has returned."

Hiashi's expression was unreadable. "Are you referring to Hinata's friend, the former ambassador, or is there another girl with the same name I was unaware of?"

"Hinata's friend. It seems after the war Beki and her mother were found and rehabilitated. They made their way into town yesterday." Neji explained.

Hiashi nodded. "Hinata will be pleased to hear that. The two were close. She was never especially friendly with any of the local girls her age."

"Lady Hinata invited Beki over to her home so they could catch up, which I believe is their plan for today." Neji explained.

Hiashi tapped his hands on the desk and returned to his perfect posture, placing his hands on his knees. "I believe I understand your reason for coming to see me." Before Neji could respond, Hiashi gave him a look that could bore through glass. "You are here seeking permission to terminate your betrothal to Miyu in favor of resuming the previous arrangement?"

Neji didn't balk. "Yes, sir."

"This may not be a surprise to you, but this is the second time I have made arrangements for your marriage to Miyu. Her family is well respected and related to the Hyuga," Hiashi explained. "In acknowledgement of your previous achievements and in consideration of your personal happiness, the family and I weathered the embarrassment of backing out of an honor bound contract."

This wasn't sounding good. "But sir-" Neji began but Hiashi held up a hand for silence. Speaking out of turn was rare for Neji and earned him a scathing look.

"I can understand and sympathize what an emotionally distressing situation this must be for you. In the past, you were intimate with Miss Tsukimori. She was your first romance and men always tend to reflect fondly on their first loves. The situation has changed, however. You aren't a teenage boy anymore. At your age you should understand the need for placing personal desires behind your responsibilities and obligations to your family."

Permissive silence followed.

"Sir, with all due respect, Beki and I didn't drift apart or go through a soft breakup. She threw herself in the way of certain death for both myself and Lady Hinata. Her heroic efforts were rewarded with a status of missing in action and presumed dead. To her, barely a few months have passed since the Fourth Shinobi World War-"

"Excuse me?" Hiashi's brows knit.

"Beki and her mother were locked in ice. It took them several years to devise a plan to heal Beki's mortal wounds. She's only been free for a month or two." Neji explained.

Hiashi pressed a hand to his chin. "So then Miss Tsukimori is still about nineteen years old?"

Neji nodded.

"Although I can appreciate and applaud her sacrifice, and I will be sure to thank her when I see her in person, that's even more reason why this is a terrible idea," Hiashi added. "Before the war, the two of you were close in age and shared many life experiences. Since her death, you've grieved her loss and varried on. There is a significant age difference now. Inherently within that age difference is going to be a difference in both maturity and priorities."

"I've met with her," Neji replied. "Everything is the same. She is exactly the person I fell in love with and my feelings for her have been unchanged all this time."

"Your feelings are unimportant, Neji," Hiashi folded his arms. "You have always been responsible and mature for your age, the exception being situations in which Miss Tsukimori is involved. I'm afraid based on that and the obligation you have to Miyu and the Hyuga, I must decline your request."

"That's unacceptable to me, sir." Neji's heart was racing. He had never defied his family. As a member of the branch family, this was a dance with death.

There was a nearly imperceptible twitch in Hiashi's face at Neji's objection. It was merely a ripple in a calm pond and was almost immediately erased. "Neji, do not make me order you to obey."

"Beki is pregnant from before the war. Part of the reason it took them so long to rescue her was determining a way to save both the mother and the child." This was Neji's trump card. He had hoped that through reasonable discourse, Hiashi would come around and concede. That was an unlikely possibility as it would mean Hiashi accepting shame and humiliation for the family. This, though, was an ultimate weapon. Unfortunately, Neji was jumping in front of a bus and taking Beki's reputation with him, but it was all he had left. And he knew it would work.

"What?!" Hiashi's voice raised slightly above his usual low volume. He was stone faced but his eyes were wild with fury. "Are you telling me she's carrying your child?"

"Yes." Neji stared his uncle down. He didn't need to say anything. Neji knew the options Hiashi was now faced with: either honor the marriage contract with Miyu and leave Beki to birth and raise a Hyuga as a bastard or allow Neji to marry Beki and legitimize their child while getting egg on the Hyuga's collective face over breaching the contract a second time.

"Unbelievable." Hiashi's jaw set as he stewed where he sat. He had been staring off, through Neji rather than at him. A moment later, the sharpness in his eyes returned. "There will be consequences for you if this is the path you decide to take."

"I understand that." Neji had relaxed somewhat. "And I am prepared to face them."

"Then let me explain what your options are, Neji." Hiashi spoke and the room somehow seemed darker. Neji was tempted to clench the fabric of his pants but he remained neutral. He couldn't appear weak now.

...

"Beki," Hinata took her seat gingerly, balancing her fruit tart in one hand and coffee cup in the other as she did. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Beki said as she set her items on the table and then plopped in her seat.

"Why...why did you sacrifice yourself during the war?" Hinata asked. At learning Beki had returned from the dead, Hinata's mind had been fixated on whether it was possible. Meeting with her friend confirmed it was true and left Hinata to deal with all the strange and complicated emotions that followed. Things had quieted down and Hinata had time to process; questions were beginning to bubble up to the surface.

"There's a couple of reasons," Beki lifted her cup and took a tentative sip of the fragrant liquid. "The obvious one is that you and Neji are important to me. You're like a sister to me and he's the love of my life."

"The second reason?" Hinata asked.

This was hard for Beki to answer. The truth was something Beki hadn't even openly shared with her mother. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, after the Three Maidens had returned, Beki had started hearing Mother's voice. Or rather, Kaguya's voice. After she had recovered some, during one of the few evenings she spent with Orochimaru, the sanin had explained the events of the war following Beki's demise. As he described the tale of the God Tree's return and Kaguya entering the world, Beki could only conclude that the seductive woman's voice she had heard was none other than the mother of all chakra. Part of Beki had been tempted to share that information with Orochimaru. Then again, she was afraid he would want to conduct experiments on her, so she kept it to herself.

Kaguya, or Mother, or whatever she was called, had been able to control Beki. She changed her, compelled Beki to do things against her will. If Beki hadn't intentionally sacrificed herself, there was no telling how much longer she would have withstood Kaguya's crushing influence. It's likely Beki would have eventually killed the friends she had been willing to die to protect. Beki shuddered at the thought. There was a chance that the Allied Shinobi Forces may have been decimated further if Beki had lost control.

"Let's keep it simple and say being around the Three Maidens wasn't good for my mental state," Beki said at last. "I think because of our genetic connection or something they...they were affecting me."

Hinata was unsure how to respond. It was clear from her hesitation that Beki was withholding something. It was difficult to determine whether Hinata should press further. As she considered her options, something else in Beki's behavior drew her notice. In all the years Hinata had known her, Beki had taken coffee almost intravenously every morning. Yet here, at the best coffee shop in Konoha, Beki had ordered herbal tea. "Honey, does caffeine interfere with medicine that you're taking? Or is it because of your kidneys?"

Beki screwed up her face as though she hadn't considered these options. "Yes?"

"It's just weird for me to not see you guzzling coffee like it's going to be illegal tomorrow," Hinata said as she took a sip of her own delicious hot coffee.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Beki laughed. "I'm pregnant."

Hinata jumped, filling her mouth with molten liquid, forcing her to either spew said scathing coffee all over her expecting friend or scald her entire esophagus. Hinata chose the latter. She gasped for air and doubled over, putting her head on the table as she worked through the pain. A few other customers noticed but after a cursory glance payed her no mind. Someone was always getting scalded in a coffee shop.

"Shit, sorry," Beki gave her a worried look. "I should have waited until you were done drinking."

"You're pregnant?!" Hinata hissed. "Did you get back early to hook up with Neji and are just now showing up at my door?"

"No, silly, from before the war." Beki took another nibble of her Danish, as though this were the most logical situation in the world.

"You're telling me you got pregnant, went to war, were frozen in ice for four years, and now you're...?" Hinata gave her a confused look.

"About two, almost three months along?" Beki pursed her lips as she though. "There's abouts. I'm not sure if either the whole frozen-in-ice thing is going to affect the speed and development or what. It should be a fall baby, one way or another."

"This is...this is big. Congratulations." Hinata sat back in her chair. As the news set in, her eyes grew wide and she let out a prolonged "Oh."

"'Oh' what?" Beki asked as she sipped her tea.

"I was going to lend you some clothes and Neji told me not to. Is that because he knew?" Hinata asked.

"Aw, he's sweet, letting me tell you the news," Beki beamed. "Although to be honest he probably would have given it the appropriate pomp and ceremony I seem to fundamentally lack."

"Well, I can't say I blame you. It seems to run in your family. I'm fairly certain your mother would have just hawked a positive test at us." Hinata folded her arms.

"More like would have dragged us in the bathroom to watch her take the test," Beki snorted but Hinata gave her a grossed-out look. "She has some serious boundary issues, I tell you what."

"I can't imagine her surprise, coming home to see her boyfriend has become the Hokage," Hinata shook her head.

"Oh, it was hilarious." Beki grinned. "Mom doesn't like the spotlight. I mean, she does, but not in that 'societal prestige' sort of way. She wants to be known and feared, not followed by paparazzi or having people hassle her about what shampoo she uses."

"That's understandable." Hinata said. "Is that going to affect their relationship?"

"Maybe," Beki shrugged.

"Neji was telling me you haven't seen your mom since you got here?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, apparently she just like, moved right in with Kakashi or something," Beki shrugged again, this time with a note of passive aggressiveness in her voice. "It's not like I'm her daughter and she knows I'm pregnant and it might have been nice for her to support me through this process-"

"Shhh," Hinata reached out and pat Beki's hand. "I'm here for you. If you want, we can stop by his office and make sure she hasn't just gotten arrested or something."

"That's a good idea," Beki nodded. "With Yuki incarceration is always on the table."

...

"This is a difficult decision, Neji," Hiashi stared him down. "I know that at times we think we fully understand a situation and make our decisions according to that perceived truth. Learning about the consequences can sometimes change our minds."

Neji was pale. His expression was unreadable, as though had just had to pick between the electric chair and a firing squad. "I'm certain."

"Well then," Hiashi stood. "Let's go share the bad news with everyone."

...

"He's on his lunch." Shikamaru folded his arms.

"Hi, Shikamaru, nice to see you," Beki gave him an exasperated look. "It's me. Beki. Back from the dead."

"Wow, I'm so surprised and immensely glad to see you." Shikamaru's voice was practically dripping with sarcasm. "I know you're here to see the Hokage and I'm telling you he's on his lunch. Come back in thirty minutes."

"Is my mother up there?" Beki asked.

"Yes." Shikamaru's expression was unchanged. "She's up there with him."

"Well, I kind of need to talk to her. Do you think that you could go up there and ask her to come down?" Beki kept her voice steady. Sometimes she wondered if Shikamaru was difficult with her on purpose.

"Look, Beki, if you wanna go up there, feel free," Shikamaru threw up his hands. "I personally don't like walking in on people indisposed but you've never had a thing about nudity."

"Ew!" Beki recoiled. "You're kidding me!"

Shikamaru stood to the side of the stairs and motioned up the stairs with an "after you" exaggerated flourish. With a frustrated and somewhat disgusted sigh, Beki stormed up the stairs.

"MOM!" Beki shouted on her way up, hoping that would be enough of a clue for them to get somewhat decent. "MOOOOM!"

Beki grabbed the handle out of habit and groaned loudly as her arm refused to cooperate. "If you're in there, can you open the door?"

Within moments, the door opened to reveal the Sixth Hokage. Beki blinked in surprise, then she peered into the office beyond. Yukihana was seated at a small table beside the Hokage's desk with a diner bento box in front of her.

"Oh, hi Beks," Yuki grinned as she took another bite.

"Hello, Beki," Kakashi stepped aside to allow her access.

Without meaning to, Beki immediately compared the current Hokage's office to its state back when Tsunade was reigning. It was better organized and cleaner, yet somehow that made the space feel sterile. As a matter of preference, Beki liked spaces that had personal touches. It gave a room character and a lived-in feel. It may have been her ambassador upbringing or perhaps, at its most basic, her shinobi training kicking in. Knickknacks and photos were clues into a person's life. They gave insight into the owner's thoughts and preferences. Subconsciously taking in and knowing about Tsunade had made Beki more at ease than she was here in Kakashi's space. The only personal identifiable items she could detect were a single framed photograph facing his chair and her mother.

"Shall we jumping right in to how you backdoor abandoned me?" Beki put her hands on her hips and gave her mother a frustrated look.

"Sweetheart, the Hatakage and I have a lot to discuss," Yuki's expression was calm. She ignored Beki as she mouthed back "Hatakage" in confusion. "In the middle of his regular duties, we have to figure out what we're going to do about our peculiar legal status."

"Honestly, the most above the table option would be to report in to Getsu," Beki folded her arms.

"That isn't an option at this point," Yuki propped her elbow up on the table and rested her chin in her hand. "Think about it: you're in a delicate physical state but you're probably the only internationally renowned shinobi in Getsu history. Its unlikely you would regain your old position as ambassador, however I don't see them just letting you live out your life in peace. They'll want you working in media or public relations. With your disposition that wouldn't end well."

"So what, we take on pseudonyms and live as ronin?" Beki asked.

"Fortunately for you two, I'm in a unique position to create new identities for you." Kakashi spoke and Beki nearly jumped. He had been so still and silent in his chair she had nearly forgotten him. "There would be stipulations, of course. More so for you than your mother. Asou Yukihana technically died nearly two decades ago. After the Fourth Shinobi World War and other similar catastrophic events, its unlikely many shinobi who would recognize her from the past would be alive to identify her now. On that same token, even if they are, the real Asou Yukihana would be well into her forties. Yuki could easily claim to be a distant relative or completely unrelated altogether."

"But me..." Beki shuffled uncomfortably. "I had a prominent position and was well known to a lot of people of authority in other shinobi villages."

Kakashi nodded. "Good. You follow."

At the sight of Beki's gloomy expression, Yuki tapped the desk to gain her attention and gave her daughter a smile. "Don't be so glum. We figured it would be best if you just stayed within Konoha's borders."

"I mean, traveling is off the table for me anyway until my body levels out," Beki folded her arms. "Not too much of a sacrifice there."

"You won't be able to work in any capacity within the government, either," Kakashi watched her as he spoke. It was an old habit and practically unnecessary in this situation. Kakashi was accustomed to checking for tells that a person was lying as he spoke to them. Beki took after her mother in that during casual, friendly conversation the girl read like a picture book. "To prevent any accidental contact with anyone who might blow your cover."

"That's reasonable." Beki nodded and gave a polite bow. "Thank you for taking care of all this for us."

"There is one more thing." Kakashi's voice wasn't unfriendly but he spoke with an authoritative tone. "You may no longer use your Maiden powers. They are far too easily identifiable as yours and yours alone."

"You have nothing to worry about, Hokage sama," Beki gestured towards her back. "Those stakes that Obito guy shot through my kidneys trashed them. I've got a pair of transplants that aren't acclimated to dangerously high temperatures. I go Burned Maiden and they crisp."

Kakashi glanced at Yuki, who nodded in assent. "She's got a bun in the oven, too."

"MOM!" Beki stomped her foot.

"What?" Yuki scoffed. "I'm helping build your case for you."

"That's incredibly personal information-" Beki spat.

"That I'm sharing with the Hokashi, who is kindly risking conflict with a foreign shinobi power to give us safe harbor," Yuki cocked an eyebrow. "Getting a little rusty at your foreign policy, Beks?"

Beki could only fold her arms and pout. Kakashi glanced back at Yuki again, his eyes wide in surprise. "You're serious?"

"Yeah. She went to war pregnant and didn't know it," Yuki explained. "They caught the pregnancy and managed to save them both."

"Congratulations are in order, I suppose," Kakashi took a deep breath. "Well. That will be a little additional paperwork."

Yuki shrugged. "Forging medical records isn't that hard, I bet."

"There have been a few hospital fires." Kakashi shook his head. "No forging necessary. We're in the habit of saying 'hey, the originals to these burned up. Here's the copies we had at home'."

Yuki raised her left hand and set it on the desk. The whole conversation, Yuki had used her right hand for everything. Beki caught sight of the source of Yuki's limited mobility: a shiny pair of handcuffs securing her to the desk.

"Whoooa," Beki balked. "Are you handcuffed?"

"See, here's the thing," Yuki gestured to Kakashi. "He's got a theory: either I am an imposter and with twenty four hour surveillance, I'll eventually slip up and Kakashi will kill me on the spot-"

"Or she's the real deal and I'm never letting her out of my sight again." Kakashi had begun to peck at some forms on his desk.

"How can he conduct business with you here?" Beki gestured at her mother. "You would laugh out anyone who dared come in here to hire help."

Kakashi gestured to a small pill box on Yuki's desk. "Earplugs."

"But if she is an imposter, aren't you worried about her peeping on paperwork?" Beki cocked her eyebrows.

Yuki leaned down and picked up a screen, similar to those used by students taking tests. It was a crudely constructed piece made of several manila folders taped together. "Boom. Instant privacy screen."

"How does this fly?" Beki stared in awe.

"You would be amazed what it takes for a situation to be considered 'strange' here," Kakashi said casually.

After a few more minutes of pleasant but empty conversation, Beki excused herself. Hinata had been talking with Shikamaru as they waited. Both glanced up as Beki as she made her descent. Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow quizzically but Beki shrugged.

"Sorry to disappoint you. It was incredibly decent in there."

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head. "Sorry. I saw the handcuffs and I ran."

"I don't blame you," Beki glanced back over her shoulder. "They really are an odd pair."

"So how did you two come back from the dead?" Shikamaru looked her over. "Your corneas aren't black and pale as you are, your skin isn't all patchy. It isn't the Edo Tensei, then."

Beki shook her head. She explained her and her mother's rescue for what felt like the millionth time. Shikamaru was sharp, so Beki was extra cautious to avoiding any information that might identify her saviors.

"Welcome back," Shikamaru sighed. "Try not to cause too much trouble, okay? All that stupid childish bullcrap you used to pull was fine under Tsunade, but the situation is different now. The entire ninja world, the big five, are under a tentative peace agreement. Kakashi's good, but I don't think he's good enough to iron out a KIA shinobi from another village taking out a kage with bakery products on his turf."

"Duly noted," Beki folded her arms. "You don't have a lot to worry about. I can barely use my arms now."

Shikamaru blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I can't rotate my arms or elevate them above my waist," Beki explained.

Shikamaru got a dark sparkle in his eye and suppressed a smirk. "Good to know."

Beki rolled her eyes. She could only imagine the hell maze of doors and simple climbing puzzles he was devising. "Come on Hinata. I'm starving."

"Okay," Hinata smiled as she took Beki's arm supportively. "What sounds good?"

Beki tasted her mouth pensively. "Salt. And meat."

"Does hibachi sound good then?" Hinata asked. "That would probably be the best option if meat is what you really want."

"Yes!" Beki punched the air. "Or a barbecue joint." As they walked towards the part of town that held the most dinner restaurants, Beki held her hands against her lower back. "You know Hina chan, its weird. I'm normally a chicken or a fish person but all I want right now is red meat."

"Maybe your body is repairing damage and building new muscle. It might be looking for the extra protein to facilitate healing." Hinata offered.

"Let's hope that's what it is," Beki rubbed her belly. "Because if that's not it I think I've got a tiny carnivore in here."

...

Shortly after dark, Neji mirrored Beki's journey to the Hokage's office. To Neji's surprise, the long enduring kage had gone home on time for once. Luckily for Neji, he ran into Shikamaru as he was locking up for the night. He gave Neji the directions to Kakashi's house and a "good luck" based on how awful Neji looked.

There wasn't enough time. Neji's mind was racing with all the possible outcomes, poring over his choice and the consequences that came with it. It had been a pebble dropped in a pond, the ripples racing across the water and cascading over the waterfall at the other side. This was the first step to a resolution. Neji didn't know how to feel. He was going to go to Yukihana with a simple apology and a world crushing request.

As shallow and aggressive as the woman could seem, Neji knew Yuki had a solid grasp on traditional clan life. Before the war she had come to his rescue with the last betrothal scandal. She approached Hiashi on his own ground and matched him evenly. If anyone could understand Neji's predicament, as well as the options he was offered, it would be her. The only thing that complicated her understanding was that it affected her daughter's future.

At last, Neji reached the stately but simple Hatake residence. He knocked on the door, hoping that the recently reunited au pair weren't off having dinner somewhere, like Neji wished he could be. After a few moments, he heard soft laughter as footsteps approached the door. Yuki swung it open unceremoniously, half expecting to see her daughter on the other side. The moment Yuki's eyes fell upon Neji the laughter died on her lips. Just by looking at him Yuki could tell something was off. She frowned, her brows knitting as she spoke in an even tone:

"Beki is not going to like this."


	120. Consequences

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter. I can't wait to hear what you think!**

* * *

Her new and seemingly insatiable craving for meat briefly abated, Beki pat her stomach contentedly. Hinata walked beside her. The Hyuga heiress was dainty in constitution and rarely ate meat in any sizeable quantity. The pair had decided on a barbecue restaurant, and after several plates of the heavily marinated and salted meats, Hinata was already looking bloated.

Night had fallen. The streets were still comfortingly full; there were enough people that the streets didn't seem lonely, but not so many that the girls were squished in a sea of flesh. A soft breeze carried the smells of fried food and incense as the pair walked towards the Hyuga compound. The crowd thinned and the scent slowly switched back to grass and the sharp scent of leaves. The breeze set the trees dancing. Beki had walked this road hundreds of times, felt this same wind kiss her skin and tickle her with her own hair. For the first time since she woke up in that hospital bed, Beki was at ease. She was home.

The only aspect that was out of place were Hinata's odd new behaviors. She was constantly double taking at Beki, as though in the split second between sentences she had somehow disappeared. Hinata had always been slightly aversive of physical contact, however if Beki had ever asked for a kiss on the cheek or reached out to hold her friend's hand, Hinata wouldn't turn her down. The woman always kept close watch on herself when she was walking, though. Beki could count on one hand how many times Hinata had accidentally bumped or brushed up against her. Now, though, it seemed like Hinata was constantly hip checking her. As irritating as it was, Beki let it slide. Hinata was probably still in shock that Beki was back from the dead. Maybe it was a subtle way to assure her senses that Beki was alive.

Heavy footfalls drew both of their attention. Someone was approaching from the rear with a familiar gait. Beki turned around, a smile already spreading across her cheeks.

"Hey Neji-" Beki began but the sound of Hinata gasping cut her off. At the shrill sound, Beki immediately began searching him for the source of distress. Was he injured?

When Beki's gaze reached his face, she found the cause of Hinata's locked on look of horror. "You got a haircut?"

Neji reached up self-consciously, averting his gaze as he brushed his fingers through the short ponytail behind his head. "Yeah."

"It's cute." Beki grinned. "Like a little wolf tail. Or a spunky cheerleader."

Hinata had clapped her hands over her mouth and was looking back and forth between them, as if asking Neji to explain or begging Beki to understand the significance of the situation.

"Lady Hinata, may I borrow Beki for a moment?" Neji asked as he took his love by the arm.

Hinata nodded silently, watching transfixed as the pair stepped out into the woods. Neji supported Beki as she walked over the tree roots, careful to help her avoid any loose rocks or slippery patches. Beki couldn't help but notice the worry etched across his face. It wasn't a small concern, the sort of thing that would just knit his brows. It was concern carved into his very features: the set of his jaws, the squint of his eye, the pull of his skin. Something was eating at him and it was big.

"What's going on Neji?" Beki reached up and caressed his cheek. "Your talk with Hiashi go south?"

Neji opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and took Beki's hands in his. "There was a lot Hiashi and I discussed. I cut right to the point with him. I told him I wanted to marry you and he was not pleased. He forbade it."

The way Neji gripped her hands set Beki's heart racing. Hiashi forbade it. In all her time with the family, Beki had conveniently forgot one compelling factor: Neji could literally be forced to follow orders. She caught herself clutching him back, peering into his eyes for some hint that she was wrong. If Hiashi had ordered him, what could she do? Beki could never ask Neji to disobey and die. She loved him with all of her heart, enough so that she could live with letting him go in those circumstances. Beki would rather have Neji alive with someone else than to live the rest of her life knowing he had died because of her. With what a mess Neji had been after her sacrifice, Beki wasn't sure she was strong enough to live through the same situation.

"I told him about the baby." Neji gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be using our child as a negotiation tool."

"What did he say?" Beki nearly squeaked, her throat was so constricted with fear.

"He gave me two choices: follow my path and suffer the consequences of my making, or follow the path set before me and let nature take its course." Neji let go of Beki's hands and took a step back. The worry twisted his face further, contorting it to the point of fear. His entire body was rigid, as if he were preparing for a deep bow. Beki's heart sank into her stomach as she prepared herself for the bomb that was about to drop. She centered herself and adjusted her footing in case she swooned. Neji began to move, his body sinking to the earth. Beki closed her eyes and swallowed hard, opening them again after a deep breath. She expected to see him on his hands and knees with an apology on his lips. Instead, Neji had only stooped to one knee, one hand timidly outstretched before him. In the center of his palm was a small gold ring.

"Tsukimori Haruka," Neji's voice nearly cracked. "Will you marry me?"

Relief crashed over Beki like the incoming tide. "Oh, thank God," Beki laughed nervously, putting her hand to her chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

Neji hadn't moved. "Kind of waiting for an answer here, Beki."

"Of course I'm going to marry you," Beki reached out and gently took the ring. It was simple yet elegant. The gold band was unadorned save for the setting of the single flawless diamond. The stone was held in place by looped brackets. It looked like a flower, the stone the center and the brackets' loops the petals. The simple scrollwork immediately on either side were a single leaf on either side. The inside was stamped, and by the color of the metal it was old. While Neji shakily regained his footing, Beki examined the ring more closely. It was incredibly familiar, yet she couldn't place where she had seen if before. It was clearly an heirloom. Had she seen it in a secondhand store? Was it passed down through the Hyuga?

"Where have I seen this before?" Beki muttered, half to herself.

"It's your mother's," Neji brushed off the leaf detritus that had speckled his knees and shins. "Sorry I didn't have time to clean it. I literally ran there to ask her permission for your hand and she dug it out of Kakashi's attic-"

"Wait, what?" Beki scrunched her nose. "Okay. Slow down and start over. This is my mother's ring?"

"Yes," Neji sighed. "So I went to Kakashi's house to ask permission for your hand. At first I was worried because I thought she would be angry with me about the war."

"Why would she be angry?" Beki frowned. "You didn't do anything."

"That's exactly the problem. I didn't do anything. I didn't protect you," Neji clenched his fists. "At least, that's what I've been accusing myself of for four years. Your mom had the same reaction you did. When I asked for her forgiveness, she asked if it was about getting you pregnant."

Beki couldn't help herself. She let out a small sputter of a laugh. That was exactly where Yuki's head would have gone.

Neji rolled his eyes and after ignoring her outburst, continued: "She told me that it was her fault for collapsing. The only person in the world that had a responsibility to protect you was her, and she failed. It was turning into the apology Olympics on the Hokage's doorstep so he yelled us to bring it inside. So then I had to bare my soul in front of both the mother of the woman I love and my boss." Neji furrowed his brows. "Come to think of it, how did the Hokage know you were pregnant?"

Beki waved her hand dismissively. "Mom must've told him. Continue."

"I told them I had gotten permission from my family to dissolve the contract and I asked for Yuki's permission to take you as my wife," Neji went pale at the memory. "She...Your mother is a monster, Beki."

"What did she try to do, test your resolve?" Beki scoffed.

"Yes. That's exactly what she did," Neji swallowed hard. "She um...might have gotten a little handsy. But the Hokage dropped his voice. I think I heard him mutter something about a leash and she lightened up. Yuki said we had her blessing and asked if I had a ring. I hadn't gotten that far yet. Your mother started swearing about how she probably had something I could use but that it was probably lost when her apartment was seized."

Neji reached back and tightened his ponytail. "The Hokage said that he had moved all of her stuff to his attic and he knew exactly where her jewelry box was. So all three of us went up there to find it. When your mom pulled this out she got this sentimental look on her face. Yuki looked like a different person. To anyone who didn't know her, she might even pass as normal. When she handed it to me it was almost reluctantly and she was sighing all over the place. She said that this ring belonged to your father's family. It was his grandmother's. Then there was something about how his brother was supposed to inherit it but he had stolen it..." Neji shook his head. "Anyway, Yuki said it only seemed right that she pass it on to you and keep it in the family."

Beki glanced down at the ring, which was a little tight from dinner bloat. It brought a smile to her face to think that at some point, her goliath of a father had probably nearly ruined his pants and asked her mother to marry him in the same fearful, cracking voice Neji had. "Okay. I'm caught up now."

Neji took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "That was the big thing, you agreeing to go along."

"There's more?" Beki scratched her neck.

"Yes. Because I'm breaking the contract, there are...consequences." Neji reached out and took her hands again, running his thumb over the ring on her finger. "Because I've wasted Miyu's family's time twice, I have to repay double her dowry. It's...its going to be almost everything I have saved up."

"Even though you did all those risky, high rank missions?" Beki's eyes widened in amazement.

Neji nodded. "Her family is wealthy. They're an offshoot of the Hyuga and they wanted to make a good impression. They were...more than generous." Subconsciously, Neji began to massage Beki's hands in an odd display of relieving his own stress.

"We'll be okay," Beki smiled gently as she reached up and pet his hair affectionately. "It might be tough for a while. I can find work in town and you can just take extra low rank missions. Once the baby gets here, mom can help us out with watching it."

"No dangerous missions?" Neji said with a look on his face that showed he knew the answer already.

"Absolutely not," Beki poked his nose. "I have to watch my stress, and you being out there with your life on the line would definitely get my blood pressure up."

Neji nodded. He took her hands and kissed them each, holding them against his face. Beki watched the way he visibly relaxed at the contact, his breathing deepened and the tension in his face slowly ebbed. "So are you going to just keep avoiding the elephant in the room?" Beki asked.

"Hm?" Neji glanced up at her.

She pointed at her own head. "You know, Hinata losing her crap because you got a haircut?"

"It wasn't voluntary," Neji began but then shook his head. "Well, I mean it was and it wasn't. When you have brought shame upon the family, the Hyuga cut their hair short."

"Ooh," Beki winced. "So you're taking the brunt of the shame on this situation?"

"As I should," Neji shrugged. "They aren't disowning me so it wasn't all cut off."

"So it's just a way for the family to know you're in the doghouse?" Beki asked.

Neji nodded. "I'm allowed to regrow it over time."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Beki stepped in closer. She took his face in her hands and turned it to and fro, examining his haircut from different angles. "I kind of like it."

"Really?" Neji gave her a tentative smile.

Beki nodded. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you had the most beautiful hair I had ever seen in my life. This...this suits you though."

"Whether you like it or not, I was picking you over my hair," Neji chuckled as he brought her into a hug. "And my honor."

"And your quality of living," Beki snuggled into his chest, savoring the familiar scent of his sweat and his linen shirt. "So when you say we're going to be poor...?"

"I can't even take you to the movies," Neji squeezed her tight. "When the festival comes to town, if I save up, I think I can buy you one taiyaki."

"Woooow," Beki chuckled. "It's okay. I always liked roughing it with my dad."

"Your words are comforting but I can't help but feel guilty about it," Neji's voice was soft. Beki could feel the sound of his voice as it reverberated in his chest. It was a comforting murmur against the bass beat of his heart. "After everything you sacrificed for me, I feel like you deserve better. You deserve to be comfortable and spoiled rotten."

Beki shook her head. "You can't think like that. I mean, you would be looking out for me if this was a situation that would never change. If you were in a position where we would be trapped in poverty or constantly running from the law, then yes, feeling guilty would be considerate. But you can work and I can work and over time it'll just get better and better."

"Is this where you throw in the cheesy 'and we'll always have each other' line?" Neji smirked.

"See, this is how good you are," Beki pat his cheek affectionately. "You already know what I'm going to say before I do."

Neji kissed her gently and then let her go. "Let's go share the good news with Lady Hinata." As they walked out of the woods, Neji kept a supportive hand under Beki's arm as she navigated the treacherous ground. Once they were back on the grass, his hand naturally dropped down into hers.

Hinata had been hovering nearby, fidgeting nervously with her hands and her head bowed in thought. At the sound of their approaching footsteps, her head snapped up and eyes locked onto them. Beki raised her left hand to meet Hinata's expectant gaze. "I guess we're really going to be family now."

Hinata let out the longest groan of relief in history as she threw herself on her friend. Beki felt guilty that she couldn't return Hinata's excited embrace, only meet it halfway with arms lukewarmly draped around her waist. "Thank God!" Hinata sighed. "I was so worried it was bad news." She released Beki and turned her attention on Neji. "Did father...?"

"To be fair he gave me a choice," Neji gave a small shrug. "What's a little dishonoring the family now and then?"

Eyes welling with pride and lip quivering, Hinata reached out and pat her cousin's shoulder. "Thank you, Neji."

"There's nothing to thank me for," Neji averted his gaze as an embarrassed flush crept into his cheeks. He set his jaw and made a point to seem fascinated by a nearby tree.

Beki wrinkled her nose as she watched the strange interaction. There was some secret Hyuga knowledge afoot here and Beki didn't like it. How had Hinata known Neji got in trouble? He had literally walked up and pulled her out into the woods. Hinata's hearing was good, but the only person Beki had ever known to be able to eavesdrop from that distance was her mother. Emboldened by her new status, Beki puffed up her chest and pried:

"It's the hair thing, isn't it? Has someone else gotten in so much trouble before?"

Both Hyuga's necks snapped in her direction, eyes wide, cheeks flushing with embarrassment, then almost immediately snapped away in opposite directions. It was a beautifully synchronized feat of mutual bashfulness that was simultaneously endearing and infuriating. They both began to mumble incoherently, Hinata's fingers locked in a dance and Neji tugging nervously at his new ponytail. Images from the past suddenly flashed through Beki's eyes. Nights long ago, almost a lifetime now, cozied up under the covers in the winter. Photo albums spread across the comforter as Hinata shared her life with Beki. Looking back, in most of those photos, Hinata's hair had been above her ears. Beki's eyes grew wide and she gazed at Hinata with a new understanding. Her friend's flush had deepened to a crimson. As if sensing Beki's thoughts, Hinata spoke:

"Father nearly disowned me because I was such a disappointment when I was younger."

Beki's throat grew tight and tears burned her eyes. She tried to blink them away, to swallow the hurricane of emotions that washed over her, but she couldn't. Neji loved his family. All his ambitions had been to elevate his family's name, every honor passed onto them. He lived in perpetual servitude to that name, bearing the yoke gratefully. The financial sacrifice was jarring enough, not to mention the humiliation of Neji having to break up with his fiancé in front of her family. The final piece had fallen into place. Neji was literally throwing his entire life away, all his work, his honor, his very way of living to be with her. Beki's tears spilled over onto her cheeks as a single sob stole out of her throat. Hinata and Neji both gave her a look of concern and stepped closer. In one fell swoop, Beki had wrapped an arm around each of their waists and pulled them close, burying herself simultaneously into Hinata's shoulder and Neji's chest. Gently, the pair wrapped their arms around her, wordlessly comforting her.

"I love you guys," Beki hiccupped. "I love you guys so much."

After a moment, Neji spoke softly:

"Beki, could you tell me and Hinata whom you love more?" Beki's head shot up and gave him a dirty look, to which he replied with a small smirk. "Too soon?"

...

When Neji arrived, Miyu's parents invited him inside warmly. Their home was elegant but simple, large but not sprawling. All their furniture was lush dark wood polished until it reflected like black mirrors. The entire house smelled faintly of sandalwood. Miyu had been milling about in a pair of black skintight yoga shorts and a baggy mustard colored t-shirt with a cartoon panda on it. Her hair had been sloppily thrown up on top of her head, fixed in place with a tortoise shell barrette. At the sound of his voice, Miyu had let out a small tea kettle whistle and ran full speed up the stairs. The entire time she was gone, Miyu's parents peppered Neji with offers of food and drink and pleasant inquiries into the wellbeing of his family. Miyu at last returned in what she considered more proper attire: a knee length houndstooth skirt and a red blouse that had sleeves that reminded Neji of flower petals.

At last Neji was asked for the purpose of his visit (although he was welcome anytime, Miyu's mother insisted). "I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but there is news I must share with the three of you." His chest clenched at the way the three happily tripped over one another to lead him into a formal sitting room. Miyu and her mother made a big show of finding him the fluffiest cushion in the house. Her father insisted at least two more times on serving tea, to which Neji declined. At last, after what seemed the longest five minutes of Neji's life, they were all seated and at attention.

"I would like to begin by thanking you," Neji bowed his head. As he continued, he remained stiffly in that position. "I understand that in the past I complicated your lives with the earlier engagement arrangements and again with this one."

"Oh it was no trouble," Miyu's father batted at the air dismissively. "You're a young successful shinobi. We knew there would be other offers."

"Your family has been not only kind but generous with me, despite my status as a member of the branch family of my clan," Neji began. "And that is why I am deeply remorseful when I inform you that I must break the marriage contract."

The patient, listening silence of Miyu and her family suddenly became tomblike, crashing down like a physical weight around them.

"What...what has happened?" Miyu's mother was the first to recover her voice.

"This is purely out of my own selfishness." Neji explained. "It has nothing to do with politics or my family. The Hyuga have outwardly demonstrated their displeasure with my decision. Hiashi demanded that I meet with you personally to explain and apologize in person."

Miyu's parents began to talk back and forth, their voices raising and dropping in quick succession. Miyu sat there, stunned. Neji reached into his shirt and extracted the fat envelope he had secreted within it. He held in his hands the entire amount of his life's savings. Without so much as a second's hesitation, Neji set the envelope before them and dropped into a deeper bow. "I can understand how much trouble this will cause you, despite your kindness towards me. This is the second occasion in which I have wasted your time. That is why I brought along double the value of Miyu's dowry. I know it is only a small consolation as time wasted can never be recovered but I do this out of thanks for the undeserved treatment you showed me."

"This is unacceptable!" Miyu's father was on his feet, shouting. "How dare you think you have the right, the authority, to breach this contract!"

It was Miyu's mother's turn. "And what of our daughter's reputation? No one cares about you! You're a man, and a peon of the branch family! Our daughter is our sole heir and pride and joy. Do you think money will fix how society will view her? She has been engaged to you for six months! Breaking off an engagement halfway to the altar. At best she'll be considered incompetent as a potential wife, at worst she'll be treated as used and discarded goods!"

Miyu watched Neji numbly. She knew she was in the room, could hear her parents' words, but it was as if she were underwater. The light had a strange shimmer to it, giving everything a surreal glow. Her fiancé remained bowed, taking the insults her parents hurled like rocks. He was letting them. Miyu was sure if her father began to beat Neji, he would sit there and take that, too. Without thinking, Miyu was on her feet. She crossed the room and looped an arm under Neji's, gently raising him from his bow. "Mom, Dad, I'm going to go talk with Neji alone for a moment."

"We aren't done talking to him yet!" Spittle flew from her mother's mouth. Miyu had never seen them this angry.

"Just...please?" Miyu gave them both a pleading look. They settled somewhat, but they were still scarlet with rage. To Miyu, they looked like a pair of pots, the lids dancing from the pressure building within.

Neji rose to his feet and allowed Miyu to lead him out into the garden. It was nearly sunset. The color of the sky was beginning to warm near the horizon as a soft breeze set the boughs of the trees swaying. The early evening air was pleasantly warm and carried with it the scent of honeysuckle. Miyu brushed her hair behind her ears. She bit her lip and turned her chestnut eyes up to his. "What's going on, Neji?"

"It's as I said, Miyu," Neji said calmly. "I have to end our engagement."

"Is this because you hit me the other day?" Miyu had thought a lot about his outburst in the marketplace and his other bizarre behaviors that day. "Neji, I'm not mad about that. I know something is going on and I would be happy to help you if you would just tell me." Miyu reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "Neji, I'm here for you."

She wasn't going to make this easy. Neji's mind raced through multiple possible conversation tracks, attempting to find the magic combination to let this girl walk away with her feelings intact. The prospects were not promising. Knowing his attempts to preserve her emotional state to be futile, Neji took the direct path. "Miyu, there's no nice way to say this. There's someone else."

Miyu blinked repeatedly as her brain tried to process what he said. "Someone...someone else...there's someone else you're interested in?" Neji's loner personality, secretive attitude, and ability to have female friends he was not at all attracted to sparked a logical conclusion: "Neji," Miyu dropped her voice. "Are you...are you gay?"

Neji was not expecting that but he had taken that hit enough times to not let it hurt his pride. "No, Miyu, I'm not gay. Do you remember Tsukimori Haruka? The woman we ran into in the marketplace?"

Miyu furrowed her brows. "Yes?"

"Her." Neji looked Miyu dead in the eye. "That's the woman I'm in love with."

"But Neji, how? Why?" Miyu began to slowly shake her head. "When did you two...where...?"

Neji was tempted to reach out and hold her shoulders comfortingly. He stopped himself. Miyu was a nice person. Their time together had been pleasant and she had always been kind to him. In a shallow, completely platonic way, Neji had become fond of her. "Haruka was the girl that I was engaged to before. I know no one ever explained it all to you because it should have never been a problem. Haruka and I had only been engaged about a month when we were called to war. During the war, she was seriously injured and was missing in action. With the state she had disappeared in, everyone presumed she was dead."

"And she just shows up, four years later, out of the blue right before you get married?!" Miyu folded her arms and leaned in close, a suspicious look on her face. "How can you be sure it's really her? The timing is too convenient. This has got to be a scam or something."

"For someone to be a perfect transformed replica of her, they would have needed to encounter her in person," Neji explained. "Her mannerisms, her speech patterns...I don't think it could possibly be an imposter."

"What if it really is her, though? How do you know hasn't just been off somewhere doing something else and is just...I don't know, crawling back now?" Miyu's voice had started to rise from the constriction of her chest. She was bouncing nervously on her heels.

Neji shook his head. "Do you remember the comments you made about her appearance?"

"Yeah, I thought it was fishy that a teenager was claiming to have worked with Tsunade sama," Miyu cocked her head. As she did her brows knit further. "Wait, that should be even more proof! How would she come back exactly the same if it's been four years!?" Miyu pounded her fist into her hand triumphantly. "We got her!"

"Her mother is an ice jutsu user. She froze herself for a long period in the past and came back the same as she had gone in," Neji continued. "That's why Haruka is exactly the same. She was nineteen years old when she went in her mother's preserving ice, so she would come out nineteen. An imposter would probably have shown up looking older."

"So she just shows up, you take her word at face value, throw everything away for what?" Miyu's throat had tightened to the point she was nearly squeaking. Her eyes were squinted and she was blinking frequently, doing her best to keep the tears at bay. "There's five years between you two! That's a huge difference in maturity, in life experience, in a lot of things! Do you think things are just going to magically be the way they were before the war?"

"I love her, Miyu." Neji kept his voice calm to try to waylay escalating her.

"I love you!" Miyu burst, clapping a hand over her mouth the second the words were out. Neji didn't react. She closed her eyes and the tears came free. It was the first time she had come out and told Neji how she felt about him. Neji had known she held some affection for him, but he had no idea it ran this deep. He stood there silently as she wept, patiently waiting for her to speak. "I have done everything I can to be there for you. I've tried...I've tried to help you, to protect and support you. Whatever you wanted or needed I tried to make it happen. I was...was so happy. I thought my parents were selling me into marriage with some cur but you..." Miyu shook her head and bit her knuckles, trying in vain to reel back her emotions. "You were everything I could have ever asked for."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Neji was not unsympathetic. He hated that he had to hurt Miyu. In this incredible, miraculous turn of cosmic events, the poor girl had done nothing wrong. Neji knew she really had done her finest effort to be a good wife-in-training, to make friends with his friends, to impress his family. No matter how hard she tried, though, she would never be Beki. And Beki was the only thing he had ever wanted. "I think you're a very nice girl, but I've only ever thought of you as a good friend-"

"Why?" Miyu yelled, hugging herself. "What does she have that I don't? Why do you love her and not me? Did...did I do something wrong? Can I do something now so you'll stay with me?"

"There is nothing wrong with you." Neji spoke definitively. "You are a kind, intelligent, considerate, and talented medic. I also think, and I think other people would agree, you are an attractive young woman. I can't...there isn't...," Neji sighed. "There isn't one thing I love about Haruka. I can't tell you that it's because she's blonde. You going out and bleaching your hair wouldn't improve you in my eyes. It's everything about her, the good and the bad. She wouldn't be considered a pop star like beauty. Her features and figure could even be considered a little on the manly side in some respects. She has a jawline that makes me feel inadequate as a man. Her hair is like spun starlight and her eyes remind me of the moon. The way she smiles and her laugh are infectious. When she's in a good mood, she brings everyone around her up. At the same time, she is the most infuriatingly stubborn person with a horrible temper-"

"So I'm too boring?" Miyu interrupted, for perhaps the first time in their relationship. "This Haruka...she's...she's lively. Volatile. I'm too predictable?"

Neji looked up at the red and gold sky as if an answer would write itself in the clouds. "No. I liked you as Miyu just the way you are. I love Haruka for being Haruka. I know it's impossible for me to ask you this but don't take this situation personally. If she hadn't come back from the dead, you and I probably would have gotten married and affection would have come along."

Miyu had managed to calm herself somewhat. The tears were still coming and she hiccupped occasionally, but her gaze was steely. "I can hear a 'but' in there."

"I never would have loved you as much." Neji folded his hands. "I'm sorry."

Miyu shook her head. "I just...I don't get it. What could she have possibly done for you that's-"

"We thought she died saving my life." It was Neji's turn to interrupt. "She threw herself in the way of an attack that would have killed me for sure."

It all made sense. Neji's symptoms and behavior weren't uncommon for shinobi who returned from the war. After this last revelation, Miyu's mind began to pour over the other cases. Each had suffered some extreme form of trauma, such as having had to fight a risen dead loved one, watching their squad be slaughtered, and so on. Were this anyone else, Miyu would have been happy. Who didn't love a good reunion between estranged couples? But this was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. Neji was Miyu's fiancé. It didn't matter that he had been engaged to Haruka before. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a tiny voice was telling Miyu she was being selfish. Neji was the most lucid she had ever seen him. He wasn't adrift anymore. He was grounded, powerful, and alert. It was like she had taken in an injured wild animal, rehabilitated it, and then was surprised it didn't want anything to do with her. It was like Neji said. This Haruka girl, she sounded alive. She was passion and fire incarnate and Miyu was just a reflecting pond. Shallow and attached to whoever took the time to look inside. This whole relationship, Miyu had made everything about Neji. She wanted to be her best for him, to get him to love her. All these new thoughts and feelings were whirling around inside her, tossing her stomach like a bad carnival ride. Miyu felt like retching.

"There's nothing I can say or do to convince you to change your mind?" Miyu's question came out more as a statement. Part of her had already begun the acceptance process. This relationship had been like one of her patients. Despite whatever hopes she harbored, sometimes a person came in that she just knew wasn't going to make it, no matter how hard they tried.

Neji shook his head. "I wish you the best, Miyu. You deserve someone who believes you are their one and only."

"Those are all pretty words, Neji," Miyu shook her head. "And if I heard them said to someone else I would think it's good advice. But now, when it's me..." She turned her back and started for the door. "You can let yourself out. I'll do what I can to get my parents off your back. No promises."

"I..." Neji's voice trailed off. She was right. No one wanted apologies and long explanations when their world was crashing in on them. When he had woken up in that cart with a freshly crippled Gai sensei, it had sickened him when his sensei had tried to comfort Neji. Here this man was, his entire body broken in the name of saving the world, and part of Neji had resented him for sharing words of sympathy. It had all seemed empty at the time, phrases like "it'll heal with time" and "she'll always be with you". Yet, in a similar situation, Neji was doing the exact same thing. Instead, he dropped into a deep bow. "Thank you."

Miyu slammed the door as she went inside but instantly peeked out of the curtains at him. It was foolish, a childish compulsion. A sliver of hope still clung to her heart, though. Part of her wanted to see him go for the gate and hesitate with his hand on the latch. To turn around and come running back up the path, pounding on the door crying that he was wrong. That he loved her too and just hadn't realized it yet. Instead, she watched as he walked out the gate and into the night. Her knees gave out and she sank down to the floor as the sobs she had held back came bursting to the surface. Neji hadn't even hesitated.

Neji had kept his head down the entire time he addressed Miyu and her parents.


	121. Wedding Plans

Hinata had just set a steaming cup of ginger tea in front of Beki when they heard the knock.

Hinata opened the door and stood aside for Neji to enter. His face was twisted in a complex mixture of emotions: guilt, worry, and frustration. The moment he laid eyes on Beki, however, his entire body relaxed and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Hey," Beki groaned as she sipped the vibrant yellow liquid. "How did it go?"

Neji walked over and kissed her temple. "About as well as I expected it to. I have no doubt her parents will probably be here tomorrow morning to start hell with Hiashi." Subconsciously, Neji began to knead Beki's shoulders. She leaned into his hands, letting out tiny grunts of relief. As he massaged her, Neji noticed the tightness in her muscles. No matter how much he worked, the stiffness never abated. Her shoulders wouldn't roll and there was no movement in the area around it. It was strange, feeling the physical constraints of Beki's injury. He made a mental note to thoroughly examine the damage with his Byakugan later when they were alone.

"Would you like some tea, Neji?" Hinata raised the kettle.

He nodded. "Yes, please."

"So how did Miyu take it?" Beki asked.

"Worse than I expected," Neji sighed. "I didn't realize she had grown rather fond of me. We were never physically affectionate beyond occasional hand holding. In my mind, I just considered us friends by force. Miyu apparently took the engagement to heart." He paused, weighing whether it was better to be completely transparent with his future wife or to preserve what little of Miyu's dignity remained. After a slight pause, he made his decision: "She may have confessed to me during the break up."

"Poor kid," Beki said and immediately stopped herself. Technically, Miyu was older than Beki. This was another one of those strange adjustments she was going to have to get used to. She chuckled and shook her head, thinking of the frustration her mother must have felt dealing with people a decade younger than her that looked old enough to be her parent. "I can't blame her for falling for you. I certainly did."

"Took you long enough," Hinata mumbled as she set Neji's cup down before him.

"What was that?" Beki asked sharply.

"Nothing," Hinata shrugged. She sat down across from the pair and basked in the warmth of their love. Things were finally as they should be. Her beloved cousin had regained his sanity and seemed genuinely happy again. Her best friend, assumed lost forever, was returned to them with only minor damage. They were both in Hinata's house and within her safety net. Although the hot cup in her hand and the soothing scent of chamomile reassured Hinata this was reality, part of her wouldn't have been surprised if she woke up from this wonderful dream. That would be tragic but it wouldn't be the first time. More than once since her death, Hinata had dreamed Beki had walked through the front door with a smile on her face. She woke up from those dreams crying. Naruto would roll over and hold her tight, rubbing her back and kissing her until she calmed down and drifted off again. Naruto never asked why. He knew; he had been there. For a time, Naruto had blamed himself in part for Beki's death. Naruto would never admit it but Hinata could see it in his eyes.

Whenever the couple bumped into Kakashi, he told them to take care of each other. Naruto kept up a good face but Hinata felt him wince. The most obvious show of his internalized guilt was the way he interacted with Neji. Naruto had gone out of his way to try to be there for his friend by asking him how he was doing or offering to go out and have some guy time. Neji would always decline and Naruto would fall quiet for a while. If Hinata asked about it, Naruto would just shrug and say he would think of something to help Neji out of his funk. That's what friends were for.

The years had gone by and Kakashi stopped making comments. Hinata's nightmares became less and less frequent, and Neji withdrew from everyone, taking the pressure of his depression away with him.

"Mom is going to want to spearhead all of the wedding planning," Beki folded her arms on the table. "If you have any requests, say your piece now."

Hinata sat quietly, demurely sipping her tea. Any moment now, Beki would smile and offer her the position of matron of honor. She was her best friend afterall; practically a sister. The two of them had gone through so much together it only made sense. Besides, regardless of what Yuki took over, Hinata was likely to be Beki's preferred emotional support provider. Hinata had just gotten married a few years before. There was lots of helpful advice and encouragement she could give Beki. It would be so much fun, going with her to dress fittings and cake tastings. As Hinata fantasized, she realized that the seconds had stretched to minutes and Beki hadn't said anything. Was she not going to ask? Hinata began to fidget under the table nervously.

Beki scratched her chin. "I remember Tenten mentioned something a long time ago about wanting to be a bridesmaid...I'll have to think about dresses, too."

"I WANT TO BE MATRON OF HONOR!" Hinata slammed her hand down on the table and Beki and Neji jumped. Hinata flushed and retreated into her hair. "Sorry. It's just...I never thought I would get to see this wedding. I'm beyond excited about it and you didn't ask..."

Beki gave a soft laugh and shook her head. "Calm down there, tiger. You get the position by default. Who else would I give it to?"

Hinata smiled happily. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"When would we have the wedding?" Neji leaned on an elbow and glanced at his fiancé, his calm expression betraying none of his surprise from Hinata's earlier outburst. "Tenten's expecting."

"Oh shoot, you're right," Beki wrinkled her nose. "Lee was saying something about that. I doubt she'll want to waddle up the aisle." She rubbed her own stomach self-consciously. "Now that I think about it, that means we're going to have to do this soon. _I_ don't want to waddle down the aisle."

"You won't hear any complaints from me," Neji laced his fingers through Beki's and gave the back of her hand a kiss. "The sooner we're married, the happier I'll be."

Hinata's thoughts wandered as the pair shared a few whispered words of affection. "Who would be your best man, Neji?"

"My first answer would be Lee," Neji scratched his chin. A bit of dark stubble was coming in, giving him a slightly rugged appearance. "All the responsibilities of helping out with a wedding, though...I'm afraid he would over do it."

"Oh, you mean you aren't interested in a 50-mile survival training in the wilderness for your bachelor party?" Beki laughed.

Neji shook his head. "We would only be allowed a knife and a canteen and he would force us to wear tuxedo printed tights."

"And fight a bear to prove that you would be a good husband or something," Beki laughed.

Hinata shuddered. "That's...that's exactly what he would do."

"We'll just relegate him to a regular groomsman." Beki nodded. "Then who's your best man going to be?"

"Do you think Naruto would agree to it?" Neji glanced at Hinata.

"I would assume so," Hinata swirled the liquid in her cup. "We're getting a little ahead of ourselves here. Naruto doesn't even know Beki is alive again. It's so funny how quickly we fall back into old habits, isn't it? You were dead to us only a few days ago and here we are, acting like no time has passed at all."

"Once I was over the initial shock of it, I was more than happy to accept that it was real," Neji gave a bitter laugh. "I mean, who wouldn't be? That's the only thing going through your mind when you've lost someone. 'If only I could have them back…'."

"You make it sound like you had a list or something," Beki ran her fingers through the looser hair at her crown.

"I did," Neji's voice softened. "It was almost like bargaining for me. I remember just sitting there and praying about it. If you came back, I would never let you get hurt again, that sort of thing. Then it just kept building from there, like a subconscious effort to sweeten the deal and tempt the fates enough to return you. I would cook for you, rub your feet, draw your baths, spoil you with treats and surprise date nights constantly. I eventually ran out of promises to add. I gave up on you coming back. I...I was ashamed of how silly I had been. In the end I only added to my torture, picturing all those happy scenes of us together-"

Beki furrowed her brow and gave him a suspicious look. "Does that mean all that is off the table now, or can I cash in on some of that? Because having baths drawn for me and foot rubs on demand is the kind of thing I want to get in writing."

"No prenups, Beki," Neji chuckled. "Just my word as a man of honor that you will be the best kept wife on the planet."

Beki smiled. "I can live with that."

…

A few hours later, Hinata was in the midst of cooking dinner when a key turned in the lock. Beki and Neji were knee deep in wedding plans, partially developed guest lists and other assorted ideas scribbled over post its and a notebook Hinata had dug up in the office. All heads turned towards the door as it opened and the man of the house stepped inside.

"Phew," Naruto trudged through the door and kicked off his shoes. "Hinata, I tell you what, it is good to be home-"

Having sensed bodies at the table, Naruto's eyes had traveled there expecting to see his pretty wife leaping out of her seat to hug him. Instead, he saw Neji and a dead person. Before he could open his mouth, Hinata had barreled towards him from the kitchen and nearly took him out at the knees with her greeting hug.

"Hi honey," Naruto mumbled automatically as he kept his gaze on the more pressing issue before him.

"Hey, welcome home," Beki grinned, knowing full well what he was thinking. "I'm back from the dead, by the way."

"I see that," Naruto was holding Hinata in his arms and gently rocking her side to side as he surveyed the pair at the table. "Neji...you cut your hair."

Instinctively, Neji reached back behind him to adjust locks that were no longer there. A self-conscious smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Yes. I did."

"And you just smiled," Naruto stared at Beki intently. This was impossible. Beki had died four years ago in the war. Was this an enemy shinobi, or worse yet a white Zetsu that had somehow slipped away? He poured over Beki's aura, examining her chakra for any sign of malintent. It was pure and bright. Naruto didn't even see a glimmer of wickedness in her. "I guess… I guess this is for real then, huh?"

Hinata nodded in his arms. "It's really her! And she's going to live with us again."

Naruto's jaw dropped in surprise. "She is?!"

"I've been considered KIA for years," Beki used her hand to rotate her chin sideways and pop her neck. "If I went home now I would either be treated like a ronin or taken on tour like a freak show."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "And she can't travel anymore because of her injuries from the war."

"What does that have to do with her living with us again?" Naruto asked. "And does Neji's fiancé know that his dead ex is back? Does the Hokage know she's here?!" Naruto's confused face had started out as furrowed brows and was now contorting his entire expression. His lips curled down in a frown and his nose wrinkled as the story developed.

"Miyu knows," Neji shuffled uncomfortably. "Why do you think my hair got cut?"

"Because it was obnoxiously long and you were probably tripping over it all the time, and I don't know, it's really hot outside?" Naruto shook his head. "Was that a trick question?"

"I dishonored the family by breaking up with Miyu," Neji explained. "Beki and I are resuming our original engagement."

"Father agreed it would be appropriate for her to live with you and I until the wedding," Hinata hugged Naruto's arm as she spoke. "How long were you guys thinking?"

"I think I have about four weeks before I absolutely look like a cow," Beki rubbed her belly. "If we could throw everything together in two, I would be happy."

"Is that enough time," Neji gave Beki a concerned look. "I'll do whatever you would like but please don't sell yourself short. We're only going to get married once."

Beki shook her head. "I think it should be plenty of time. If you and I can sit down and get most of the preliminary stuff done and leave the rest to mom, I think it'll turn out nice-"

"Hold on," Naruto gave a frustrated sigh. "When I left a week ago, Beki was dead, Neji was sad and marrying Miyu. I'm back and now Beki is living in our house and marrying Neji, who sacrificed the family's honor but has completely one-eightied and is himself again?"

"I've never felt better," Neji smirked and squeezed Beki's hand.

"I…" Naruto gently disentangled himself from Hinata. "I gotta sit down, baby. This is too much."

"Good timing." Hinata kissed his temple. "I was just finishing up dinner."

Naruto took up his place at the head of the table and began to look over Beki and Neji's notes. Beki slid the seating chart over to him. "Everything look okay so far?"

Naruto nodded with an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, I was wondering," Beki rested her chin on her elbow. "Did your friend ever come back? That Sasuki kid or whoever?"

"Briefly," Neji snorted.

"Hey!" Naruto pouted. "Sasuke didn't come home 'briefly'. He totally came home. He's just a busy guy and has...Uchiha stuff to do. He's completely back on the Konoha team, though."

"Speaking of which, while Hinata was taking me around town I didn't see Sakura anywhere. Where is she?" Beki asked.

Neji gave her a smirk. "She left with Sasuke."

Beki laughed. "So now you're down two friends, Naruto!"

Naruto grumbled about how everything was a matter of perspective when Hinata brought over steaming plates of curry.

"Yes!" Beki rubbed her hands together and dug in. After a few moments, she had completely obliterated her portion of katsu. Neji slid his plate over to hers and gave her some of his. Beki beamed. "You're the best, Neji."

Naruto glanced up from his food, the gears visibly turning in his head. "Wait...earlier you said you would look like a cow in a couple of weeks."

"Oh, yeah," Beki ate a piece of chicken. "I'm pregnant."

Naruto put down his chopsticks and buried his face in his hands. "If you've only been here three days how are you that far along!?"

"It's from before the war, Naruto," Hinata pat his leg. "She was in her mother's ice and they thawed her out. I know it's confusing. It's a lot of information at once but it'll all level out."

"You people are acting like this is normal!" Naruto sighed and resumed eating. "As long as everybody's happy, I guess it's all okay."

"So that means you'll be my best man?" Neji asked without skipping a beat.

Naruto gave him a look that could bore through steel plates. "I would love to, Neji. Absolutely love to."

…

Yuki was out stretching her legs when a familiar voice called her name. She perked up and turned around with a wide grin splitting her face. "Tits!"

Miki's expression instantly dropped into annoyance. "I have a name, you know."

"Tits-and-ass-for-days, yeah, I know," Yuki's wicked smile stretched to catlike proportions. "What can I do for you?"

MIki rolled her eyes and tossed a bottle at Yuki. "These are prenatals we specially formulated for Beki. Make sure she takes them every day."

"Where's my present?" Yuki cocked her head. "You pay so much attention to Beki it'll make me jealous."

"She's my friend," Miki folded her arms. "You're just her creepy mom."

"Sooo does that mean you won't let me cop a feel?" Yuki reached out to grab a handful of Miki's breasts but Miki slapped her hands away.

"Hey! I'm spoken for."

Yuki shrugged. "I'm a girl. That totally doesn't count."

"It totally does! It counts for double! If I cheat on with a girl, that's two lies in one!" Miki groaned in frustration and turned away. "I'm out."

"How can you have a body like that and be such a prude?!" Yuki called after her. It really wasn't fair. If Yuki had a body like that, she would be damn sure to share it. It'd be like having the world's best chocolate chip cookie recipe and keeping them all for yourself. As Yuki imagined what she would look like with Miki's proportions on her own taller frame, she heard a small cough behind her. She turned to see the Hokage in full raiment with an annoyed look in his eyes.

"This doesn't look like the bathroom, Yuki."

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Can you blame me? You take the dogs on more walks than me."

Kakashi jerked his thumb towards the office. "Walk, woman."

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Yuki sighed. No one was any fun.

...

"Should we throw a bachelorette party?" Beki was laying the length of the couch with her feet up on Neji's lap. He was massaging them diligently, paying special mind to how swollen they were getting.

Hinata shook her head as she set a cup of tea beside Beki. "I don't think you have to. Just about every girl you would want to invite is pregnant out to here." She gestured with her hand almost a foot away from her belly. "We could still do a traditional bridal shower with a good punch and healthy treats."

Beki glanced at her fiancé. "What are you going to do, Neji?"

Neji shrugged. "It's Naruto's problem."

"Don't you sound all riled up," Beki laughed. "You can't even feign interest for your friend's sake?"

Neji shrugged. "I'm sure they're going to come up with some lame strip club idea or something."

Beki reached over and cupped his face in her hand. "At least they won't mistake you for a stripper now."

Neji narrowed his eyes and pretended to bite at her fingers. "Just because your pregnant doesn't mean you can take pot shots."

"I'm a bitter cripple now, sweetie," Beki settled into her cushion. "You can still run if you want. Otherwise, you're stuck with me forever."

Neji stopped rubbing her feet and folded his arms. "I think all the attention you've been getting has been making you a spoiled ungrateful brat."

"No, please, don't stop," Beki tugged on his arm. "I'm sorry."

Neji sighed in frustration and resumed by massaging her calves. Hinata furrowed her brows and took a sip of her tea. "Playful bickering or actual dispute?"

"Playful bickering," Neji answered. "It is getting to her head, though. Beki knows after getting her back from the dead she could outright stab me in the thigh and I would instantly forgive her."

"I could," Beki cocked her head. "But I don't plan on it. He can't carry me if he's injured."

"You see?!" Neji gestured at Beki. "This is what I'm dealing with!"

Hinata shrugged. "It's not that bad."

Neji wagged a finger at Hinata. "You're just as bad as me! You're so happy to have her back you're spoiling her like a child, too!"

Hinata sipped her tea. "And?"

Beki swatted Neji's arm with an evil grin. "She's my favorite Hyuga."

...

A week later, Neji stood outside perhaps the seediest building he had seen in his life. Under no circumstances would any self-respecting gentleman be seen anywhere near the premises, yet here he was, surrounded by his "friends". Naruto, Lee, Kiba, Shino, Sai, and Chouji (Shikamaru was suspiciously absent) were all boisterously propelling Neji down the street.

"Naruto," Neji leaned his direction as they stood outside the battered black doors. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah," Naruto grinned. "Kakashi sensei said this is the place they used to take their friends to for their bachelor parties."

"It looks filthy," Neji wrinkled his nose.

"You can't be that way, Neji!" Lee punched the air. "You must embrace this last shred of the freedom of your youth!" His eyes sparkled, a single tear falling dramatically from his lashes. "Do it for Gai sensei!"

"He could have come along," Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

Kiba shook his head. "They didn't have a wheelchair ramp."

"Crippled men have dicks, too," Sai shrugged. "They're losing out on paying customers."

Naruto stepped forward and opened the door. Loud music washed over them, pounding like a racing heart. It instantly set Neji's teeth on edge but tonight wasn't about him. It was about his friends doing the best they could to make sure he had no regrets as he walked down the aisle. One thing they could be sure of was that he had never been in a place like this, so one way or another, he walked out wiser for their efforts. The group walked inside and Neji prepared himself to ignore the filth of glitter and human secretions on the floor beneath them. Once they were in the building, however, he was surprised that it was clean. The entry room was dark, lit mostly by lights running along the floor and the occasional set of soft colored lights. The girl at the desk looked strangely familiar. Her appearance completely conflicted with Neji's preconceived "den of sin" aesthetic he had assumed these places had. The woman was pretty and fully clad in a gold dress and heels. The only concession to the venue was the deep dip of her neckline, exposing some impressive cleavage. She exchanged some mumbled words with Naruto. The girl gave a quick nod and motioned for the party to follow her through the curtains.

Naruto blinked in surprise. "We got the whole place?"

"We're under new management," The girl brushed some of her dark wine-colored hair behind her ear. "Your party was the first to book us since we reopened. We wanted to say thank you by giving you the run of the place. All we ask is that you spread the word about what a good time you had."

It was obviously a strip club but upscale. The white tiles had flecks of glitter in them that reflected the sparse lighting. Velvety black curtains lined the walls along with a long black stage that ended with a single pole and the room smelled faintly of an enticing exotic perfume.

"We also understand this is a bachelor party," The girl motioned with her hand and two strippers in sparkling, skimpy gold costumes rolled out the biggest cake Neji had ever seen.

"No." He said under his breath.

"Yes!" The rest of the guys yelled as they punched the air.

The redhead who helped roll out the cake held out a cake knife to him and Neji sighed, stepping forward amidst the encouraging cries of his friends. Just as he was about to plunge the knife into the cake, it exploded.

Neji was splattered with cake as a form emerged from it's depths. In the dim light, all Neji could see was the vague form of a woman and her large breasts, her pearl covered bra inches from his face.

"Fancy meeting you here, _son,_ " The low familiar tones of the woman's voice cut through the men like a garrote. All eyes snapped to Neji as he leered up at the woman half submerged in cake.

"Does Kakashi know you're here?" Neji stared Yuki down without flinching.

Yuki shrugged and smiled mischievously. "Well, I did tell him I was going to crash your bachelor party. I doubt this is what he had in mind."

Naruto pointed at her accusingly. "What are you doing here, Yuki?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Yuki threw up her hands. "Making sure you guys have a good time! I used to work here. I called in all the dancers I knew. We'll have so much fun together!"

"She's totally taken over the bachelor party," Kiba scoffed. "This is where Beki gets her habit for ruining group events."

Shino shrugged. "We're all trained as spies. We can't really be surprised that the girls sent in one of their own."

"But his mother in law," Sai chuckled. "That's cold."

"So is like, Neji not going to be able to get a lap dance now that you're here?" Naruto screwed up his face in confusion. "Is that not okay?"

Yuki shook her head. "No, its completely alright. Expected, in fact. I'll just be there to supervise to make sure that the dancers do a good job."

Kiba buried his face in his hands. "This is the worst party ever."

Neji folded his arms. "Why don't you do the lap dances then, Yuki. If you're so experienced."

A small flash went through Yuki's eyes. "Is that a challenge?"

"I'm calling your bluff," Neji stared her down.

Yuki rested her chin on her hand. "When did you grow a backbone?" Her smile twisted into a cruel, predator's sneer. "Sure. I'd love to."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Naruto threw himself between them. "I don't know what kind of power play is going on here, but both of you- don't be stupid. Neji, this is your boss's girlfriend. Yuki, this is your daughter's fiancé. Nobody wins here."

Lee's eyes sparkled as he watched the exchange. "There's so much passion here! Bachelor parties are the best!"

"It's the Fourth Shinobi World War again," Kiba scoffed. "Here's Naruto, using talk-no-jutsu to resolve all conflicts before they get interesting."

"You think we're going to eat that cake?" Chouji asked. "It looks like white cake. I think it's buttercream frosting."

"That's disgusting," Shino gave him a grossed out look. "A woman has literally been sitting in there!"

Chouji shrugged. "The outside parts didn't touch her, right? And she looks pretty clean."

Sai had quietly stepped back and taken out a pen and some paper and was sketching the scene.

"Dude, what are you doing," Kiba leaned over to see what Sai was sketching.

Sai shrugged. "Blackmail."

"But you're drawing it," Shino scoffed. "Who's going to believe drawn evidence."

Sai gestured to the group. "We have the Hokage's girlfriend in a strip club facing off against his student and her daughter's fiancé. I couldn't make this up if I wanted to."

Kiba shrugged. "He's got a point. And he's a bad liar."

Sai gave a dismissive wave. "Why would I lie when this is the truth?"

...

Hi everyone. It seems like we're coming to the end of an era here. I've mapped out the last of my content and I'm pretty sure next chapter will be the end of ToTM. It's been difficult for me to decide when and how to finish off the story. Writing Tale of the Three Maidens has almost become part of my lifestyle. A good portion of my free time was spent either writing or discussing new plot points or editing chapters. You all have done such a wonderful job supporting me through my growth process. I have really appreciated all the encouragement and feedback you have sent my way.

I don't think this is the end for my characters, though. I know some people have expressed interest in a sort of Gaiden to ToTM focusing on Yuki and Kakashi in the years between Naruto Shippuden and Boruto. I have some ideas for that but I don't think it will end up being quite as encompassing as ToTM has been. That being said, I'm also in the very early stages of developing a sequel to ToTM during the Boruto timeline. I'm waiting for that series to develop a little more (if ever, at this point ) before I start writing and publishing that.

As a thank you to those of you who have invested so much time in me and my husband, Tallman and I have started up a discord where you can come and chat with us. Messages can be left and responded to at later times but we will check back frequently. I have a lot of artwork that I've developed slowly that I'm excited to finally be able to share without having to direct you guys to other sites. Together we have built such an interesting and supportive community we would be sad to let it go to waste. If you're interested in joining us, here's the invite:

discord. gg/ DTYfNqH (take out the spaces)

If you do join us on there, or if you are just interested in either YukixKakashi Gaiden/sequel, let me know either through review, PM, or the discord. I look forward to hearing from you guys soon!


	122. Maiden's Legacy

"Where is she?!" Beki had wrung her hands so many times they were turning red. Hanabi rolled her eyes and blew her bangs out of her face as Hinata desperately tried to comfort her friend.

"She'll be here any minute," Hinata took ahold of Beki's hands and held them tightly, preventing her from inflicting further damage. Beki's usual habit of tugging at her hair had been thwarted by the intricate updo Hinata had spent an hour fixing and the white headdress that protected it.

"I can't," Beki shook her head, sending her chandelier earrings dancing. Tears were forming in her eyes and she hiccuped, her lip quivering and hands trembling. At the sight of the tears threatening to ruin Beki's pristine makeup, Hinata's head snapped toward Hanabi.

"Hanabi," Hinata practically hissed. Her sister had been dragging her heels all morning. It had been a fight to get her out of bed and into her dress. On top of the time loss, Hanabi's generally pissy attitude hadn't helped at all. From the moment she got up this morning, Beki was in the worst emotional shape Hinata had ever seen. She was completely vulnerable and scared out of her mind. The least Hanabi could have done was sat quietly and kept the eye rolling to a minimum. The entire time Hinata and Yuki had been getting Beki ready, her sister had let off at least one morose sigh a minute and mumbled something rude.

Hanabi sensed Hinata's quietly mounting ire and rose with visible irritation from her seat. She walked over to the counter, snagged a couple of tissues, and crossed the room to Beki and Hinata. With surprising gentleness and intense concentration, Hanabi delicately dabbed away the tears sitting like morning dew on Beki's inky lashes and the black flecks of mascara that had smudged her skin.

"Thank you," Hinata sighed with relief.

"What time is it?" Beki's hands twitched. Hinata was still restraining them in a vice like grip, so Beki's only way to output anxious energy was to bounce on her heels.

 _I'm about thirty seconds from blocking her tenketsu,_ Hinata grimaced.

"We have plenty of time," Hanabi said flatly with a quick glance at the clock on the dresser.

"What's taking her so long?" Beki stared at the door. "Do you think there was an accident? It got ruined somehow and she's trying to find a replacement?"

"Beki," Hinata squeezed her hands reassuringly. "Your mother will be here any second-"

The door opened and Yuki entered, leading with a large white garment box. "I swear to God, every single person on the street felt the need to congratulate me individually," She shook her perfectly coiffed head and set the box on the counter. A quick glance at her anxiously fidgeting daughter and Hinata's strained smile left Yuki chuckling.

"Were you this bad, Hinata?"

"No," Hinata shook her head. "I was a little nervous but nothing like this."

"Me either," Yuki laughed as she opened the box and took out the kimono within. "You would think she's facing execution."

"Everything is going okay?" Beki blinked. She had become eerily still. Instead of a ball ricocheting around the room, she was now a teakettle. The stress was slowly building under the surface and was waiting for an excuse to explode.

"Yes, Beki," Yuki sighed. "Everything is fine."

As Yuki unfolded and held up the kimono, she caught herself sizing it up. It had been a rush job; less than two weeks to go from nothing to finished. There were less than a half dozen professional kimono shops within Konoha or in the vicinity, and the selection that met Yuki's standards was slim indeed. There had only been seven rolls of silk of a high enough quality between them all and only two whose patterns and motifs were worthy of adorning her child. Had this been before the war when the pair were allowed out in the open, or if Yuki had a few months to work with, the kimono her daughter would wear down the aisle would have made the one in her hands look like a dishrag. Yuki tried to tell herself these things didn't matter. Her daughter was marrying the man of her dreams and was happy. That should be all a mother could want on her daughter's wedding day. But to Yuki, it did matter. This was her one and only child, the sole heir to her clan; Tsukimori Haruka was Yuki's little princess. When Beki had been small, Yuki had wanted to give her the world. The tiny, fifteen minute wedding she had with Seiichiro in the main hall of the shrine wasn't good enough for Yuki's daughter. Beki would walk down the aisle adorned in the finest silk, scarlet rose petals crushed under the finest geta, and her hair studded with gold, pearls, and jade. The wedding would be in spring, when the wisteria and peonies were in bloom.

Instead, Beki was being married in muggy, sticky summertime. There were bugs everywhere and half of getting ready was spraying and powdering up enough that their makeup didn't melt and their hair didn't go limp. The building Beki was getting married in was newer but in many ways less opulent than even the Three Maiden's shrine. Hinata had done a pretty job of fixing Beki's hair and the few ornaments she wore were good quality hand me downs from Yuki. It nagged at Yuki that in many respects, this whole ordeal was beneath her daughter.

Although Yuki adored Neji as a mate for her daughter, there was no denying that as a branch family member, Beki would be marrying down. Perhaps that was the factor tugging so hard at Yuki's subconscious; a need to display her daughter's pedigree, to send a message to the family she was joining. Yuki's daughter was a somebody, and just because she was marrying into the branch didn't erase that fact. This was just as much for Beki as it was for the Hyuga. She needed to remember she was someone. It was easy to be swallowed and assimilated, shoved into a station you didn't deserve in the tide of a marriage.

Hinata released Beki after giving her a reassuring hug and walked over to help Yuki with the kimono. It was a warm white, almost a cream, and tiny gold strands were woven into the silk so that it shimmered subtly in the light. With her marriage to Neji, Beki would essentially be "born" in Konoha. The record trail of her new life would begin with the marriage license. Whatever family name she was ascribed on the forgeries that had been planted, they would find out later. Those records would depict Yuki's daughter as an unremarkable nobody, vague descriptions of her service to her country and a common lineage. None of their proud heritage would follow her but Yuki couldn't help herself. When picking the kimono silk and selecting the accessories, she had refrained from anything with a moon motif. "Nobody" Haruka was born and raised in Konoha, not Getsu. However, as she had surveyed the bolts, the Tsukimori family crest had come to mind: the moon and a maple leaf. Nothing would be suspicious about a Konoha baby getting married with a leaf motif. As Hinata and Yuki draped the formal kimono over the under layers Beki had already put on, the metallic red, gold, and ochre leaves caught the light beautifully. Yuki smiled to herself as she observed the way the warm tones livened up her daughter's pale complexion. She would walk out a Hyuga, but even if she couldn't use her name, Beki would walk in a Tsukimori.

Between Hinata and Yuki, finishing dressing Beki only took a few minutes. Hinata and Hanabi finished getting ready as Yuki preened over her daughter, fixing flyaway hairs and smoothing seams. Beki looked up at her with the same frightened deer in headlights look she had given her mother as she dropped her off at the academy for the first time.

"You'll be okay, pumpkin," Yuki tapped her nose gently, her own words echoing in her ears from all those years ago. "I'll be close by."

…

Naruto stood behind Neji at the altar, shifting occasionally from heel to heel or bouncing slightly in place. Lee, on the other hand, was as still as a statue. A look of grim determination set his face in stone. The few times Neji glanced in Lee's direction, he didn't even see the man's chest rise. All Neji could pray was that Lee didn't pass out up at the altar and derail the wedding Neji had waited four years for.

The boys had already walked their respective bridesmaids down the aisle; Lee had escorted Hanabi and Naruto had the honor of bringing his wife down the aisle. Neji had walked a gently sobbing Yuki to her seat and for a moment, Neji had almost thought the woman human. Then, when no one was looking, she slapped his ass as he walked away and Neji remembered Yuki was always a monster.

Now, all that was left was the bride. Neji focused on his breathing: in through the nose, hold for a second, out through the mouth. The music swelled and at last, the moment arrived. The doors opened in the back and all heads in the house turned. Beki stepped into view, one arm looped under Hiashi's for support. The pair were an extreme juxtaposition, Hiashi's somber black apparel and dark hair in extreme contrast to Beki's white and silver. Yet somehow the pair were in perfect balance. Neji was dumbstruck by how beautiful Beki was. He had seen her in a million outfits (and none at all). He already thought he knew her at her prettiest. In this moment, though, she was flawless. He would have never guessed she would wear something so traditional but it suited her. The lines of the kimono softened her broad shoulders. The bright, lively colors in the pattern were festive and bright, warming up her usually cool complexion. Neji thought he was ready but seeing her was more than he bargained for. A gentle tap on his arm drew Neji's attention. He glanced at Naruto, who was subtly offering a handkerchief. Neji's tears had betrayed him; falling completely of their own volition. Neji whispered a soft thank you only to have Lee's antics catch his eye. Tears fell freely down his friend's face. Tenten was dutifully slipping him tissues in the front row and stuffing Lee's used ones in her bag. She only looked slightly frustrated by the whole affair.

Hiashi walked Beki slowly and carefully, subtly checking to make sure she had her footing before proceeding onto the next step. The measured way Beki walked in the geta made it seem like she was floating. At last the pair reached the altar. Hiashi helped her up the step, gave Neji and his daughters a nod, then took his seat. As the ceremony began, it was all the discipline Neji had not to lean over, kiss Beki's temple, and hold her hand. Up close he could see she was trembling ever so slightly and could feel her eyes darting around. If it were any other time, he would tell her everything was fine and hold her. Neji had never known Beki to have stage fright, but the presence of his family and their friends on such a personally important occasion was too much for her. It could have been the anticipation, too. This was a day the pair had waited more than four years for and their entire futures rode on today's coattails. Neji knew that had this happened before the war, he would have been shaking, too. Since then, he had literally had the worst thing that could ever happen to him come to pass and saw it through to the other side. It would take the Ten Tails itself crashing in the room to ruffle his feathers, and even if it did, Neji would never let the past repeat itself.

But what if Beki's behavior has something to do with the baby? Neji stole another glance at his wife to be, at the flush to her flesh and the single bead of sweat as it traced a path down the back of her neck and into her collar. In all the craziness of getting ready, had Beki not had enough to eat or drink? He pictured her fainting at the altar and being rushed out on a stretcher. Neji's hands itched to hold her more than ever. No. Yuki had her all morning. The only person on earth who perhaps could beat Neji on his protective feelings for Beki was her mother. Not only had the woman probably made Beki eat, it was likely to have been plenty fortifying for the day to come. _It's just her nerves, Neji. Leave her be._

A small smile broke his stoney facade despite the somber occasion. It was happening. They were finally getting married. All the pain, the fear, the heartache, the stumbling blocks of family and obligation, none of it mattered. From this day on, the pair would be one. She would be his wife. They would have their baby. Something told Neji that there was something special about this union, some kind of divine guarantee, that somehow together Beki and Neji would beat their mutual family's curse of being orphaned young. They would be one big happy healthy family.

Neji stole another glance at Beki. She was so beautiful in her wedding kimono. It was more traditional than he thought she would go, then again Neji was sure Yuki was behind it. Normally Beki looked terrible in warm colors but somehow the balance of her kimono was just right. To him, she was the loveliest girl in the world. On this day, though, in this minute, she was so radiant she was practically glowing. His stolen smile began to grow with his affectionate thoughts only to drop in shock. Beki was actually glowing. It was faint, but the heat she was generating was enough to give off the smell of warm cotton and silk.

"Haruka," He said under his breath and her head snapped to face him. He gestured for her to take a deep breath and she nodded, setting her earrings swaying.

When it came time for their vows, Beki and Neji had to be vague. The ceremony was not a private affair. Extended family members and allies of the Hyuga were in attendance as well as a security detail assigned by the Hokage. The Sixth had said it was just an additional security measure but Neji couldn't shake the feeling it was to test if Yuki and Beki would follow his orders regarding preserving their new identities. It ate at Neji that he couldn't speak from the heart for his vows, but there would be plenty of time for that later. Beki managed to muster up enough courage to deliver her vanilla vows in a sonorous and confident tone. From there the ceremony continued:

"Do you, Neji, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" The priest asked.

"I do," Neji smiled at her, giving her hands an affectionate squeeze.

"And do you, Haruka, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" He blinked, as though just noticing the girl was slightly glowing. Assuming it was a trick of the light, the man gave a small shrug and waited for her answer.

"I do," Beki returned Neji's smile. Her eyes were dewy with tears and her hands had finally stopped shaking.

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife." As soon as the priest finished, the room broke out in applause. From there, Neji and Beki were ushered around to take formal wedding portraits and then into the reception. They hardly had a moment alone. Every friend and family member came by to talk to them and offer congratulations. They all meant well but Neji would have killed to get to talk to his wife alone for a minute. After the ceremony, Beki had stopped glowing, but now her color looked bad. She had grown very pale and there was a deadness to her gaze Neji found concerning.

"Hey," He squeezed her hand between well-wishers. "Are you feeling alright?"

Beki gave the tiniest nod, paused, then shrugged with a sigh. "I'm really worn out."

"From all the socializing?" Neji asked.

"Yes, and I'm having trouble with all the layers here. It's hard to move and breathe. Plus I feel like I'm overheating," Beki fanned herself.

"Let me go get you some water," Neji pat her knee and got up from their table. The moment he did, Gai sensei swooped in.

"Congratulations are in order!" Gai beamed.

"Thank you, Gai sensei," Neji bowed. He attempted to walk by but Gai had blocked the path with his chair.

"Now that you're married, there are some important matters we need to discuss," Gai folded his arms somberly. "Things that a father should tell you about what it means to be a man."

Neji clenched his fists behind him. He adored Gai sensei but that was instantly coming into conflict with Neji's insatiable need to take care of his wife. Either he would have to cut off his crippled, golden hearted sensei, or he would be forced to leave Beki teetering on the brink of collapse. As Gai started to speak, Hinata appeared.

"Lady Hinata," Neji grabbed her arm as she passed. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course, Neji," Hinata smiled. "What is it?"

"Could you go get Beki some cold water?" He watched as expression darkened into a mirror of his look of concern. "She's feeling overheated in the kimono."

Hinata nodded. "I'll take care of it."

"Thank you," Neji practically sighed with relief but held it together. He let Hinata go knowing she would take just as good of care of Beki as he would.

…

Beki stared out at her wedding with a blank look on her face. A small, polite smile was plastered on her lips but her eyes looked dead. All the voices, the music; it blended together until it was just shapeless noise. It was a surreal experience, almost like she was someone else looking out of her eyes. Beki knew she should be enjoying it. It was her wedding, after all. Everything looked lovely and had gone smoothly since the ceremony started. But somehow Beki just didn't feel right. She wasn't sure if it was the hormones or the heat, but she wanted nothing more than to strip down, take a hot bath, and nap for all eternity.

At that moment something was placed on the back of her neck. It was slightly damp and icy cold. The sensation had a stimulating effect, instantly reviving some of the fatigue and fogginess that had taken over Beki's mind. She looked up to thank her rescuer, expecting Neji, but finding a different set of Hyuga eyes looking down at her.

"Better?" Hinata smiled gently.

Beki nodded and closed her eyes, putting her hand over the cloth. "Thank you. That helps a lot."

Hinata sat in Neji's seat. The pair watched as Neji did his best to keep a straight face while Gai lectured the man at his own wedding. "I bet all you want to do is go home," Hinata laughed softly.

"Yeah," Beki sighed. "This has been nice and all but I'm absolutely pooped."

"All that's really left is cake," Hinata glanced over her. "Then you guys can sneak out and Yuki and I can take care of the rest."

Beki reached over and took her friend's hand. "Thank you, Hinata. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You're welcome," Hinata squeezed back.

"I really mean it, though." Beki tried not to let the emotion crack her voice. The hormones and stress were swirling around and making her feel like an affectionate drunk. "Ever since I came to this town you've taken care of me like a sister."

"Well, after today," Hinata beamed. "We are sisters!"

"In law," Beki specified. "I mean we could get all technical with you guys being cousins but your dads were identical twins so genetically you're half siblings-"

"Shh," Hinata squeezed her hand again. "You're getting carried away. The important thing is, we're officially family now." As she spoke, Beki heard Hinata's voice waver. She glanced over at her friend to see perfect, dewy tears make her eyes glisten. "It's going to be so hard to let you move out."

It was Beki's turn to laugh. "Into Neji's room with him? Like, less than a five minute walk away?"

Hinata let go of Beki's hand to pat away her tears. "I just missed you so much. And now you're back and I was just getting used to things again. Waking up, having breakfast together, going out and running errands…"

"We'll still do all that," Beki smiled. "It'll be a little less convenient, sure, but it'll be better for all of us if we have a little privacy."

"We got over privacy very early in the friendship," Hinata gave her a sideways glance.

"Yeah," Beki tugged at her collar. "But the boys haven't. We do have to consider their feelings sometimes."

"You're right," Hinata smiled as she rose from Neji's seat. "Looks like Neji is finally free."

Neji was doing his best to walk at an easy gait to the table instead of the outright run he wanted to. He reached the girls and the polite mask he was wearing slipped. "Oh my God…"

"How bad was it?" Beki laughed.

Neji shook his head. "I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it yet.

"Now you have to share," Beki grinned.

Neji sighed and closed his eyes. "Basically how it's my responsibility as your husband to provide for you, protect you, and even if you get old and fat, to remain steadfastly faithful."

Beki's eyes grew wide and her lip trembled. "He thinks I'm getting fat?"

Neji practically leaped over the table to wrap his arms around her. "No, honey. No. You aren't getting fat. The weight you're putting on is just the baby. As soon as it's born you'll be back to normal."

"So I'm fat right now but it's okay?!" Beki tried not to yell but she was dangerously close to crying.

"Beki," Neji's voice was dripping with exasperation. "You know that isn't what I mean."

"What you're saying," Beki jabbed her finger into his chest like a knife. "Is that my baby fat is acceptable but if I stay fat you need a man in a wheelchair to guilt trip you into sticking around!"

Neji's jaw dropped. Beki's skin was starting to glow again but it was flickering like a bad lightbulb. It somehow made an already disturbing phenomenon that much more threatening. The man was completely at a loss for what to say and Beki was seconds from either causing a scene or starting a fire. He glanced behind Beki at Hinata for help. Hinata widened her eyes and glanced at something off to the side behind Neji, followed by a subtle head jerk. Neji glanced quickly over his shoulder and spotted Hinata's mark. It was genius. Logic and reason couldn't save them here. The only way out of this situation was shameless distraction and bribery.

"Let's go cut the cake, sweetheart," Neji rubbed her arms. "Then we can go home."

"I'm not going to eat any!" Beki pouted. "Or I'll get even more fat!"

Neji sighed. "Hinata?"

"Beki, its marble," Hinata whispered. "With buttercream and strawberries."

"Your favorite," Neji had begun to slowly force his wife toward the table. Beki's grumbling grew quieter as they approached the tables. Neji was glad he could always count on his wife's love for food to save the day.

…

After what had felt like an eternity in hell, Beki and Neji were on their way home. Once they had finished cutting the cake, Yuki and Hinata had taken Beki into a side room and stripped her down. They packed up her kimono and it's trappings so Beki could change into more comfortable clothes. Neji met her at the back entrance and the two slipped off into the night.

They were barely out of sight when Neji stopped, turned to Beki, and scooped her up in his arms.

"What's this about?" Beki grumbled.

"You're exhausted," Neji adjusted his hold on her and began to walk. "I'm going to carry you home."

Beki sighed. "It's okay, Neji. I can walk."

"No." Neji shook his head. "Not today."

"Really, I'm fine," She protested.

"You've let me carry you home in full armor before but I'm not allowed to carry my wife home on our wedding day?" Neji scoffed. "Sorry. I'm pulling the husband card."

"You just got the husband card-" Beki laughed.

"And I'm already using it, I know," Neji nuzzled her. "I'm just so happy I can't help myself."

Beki looped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder. "It'll be nice to finally be alone."

The pair had been married on a Tuesday, and so by this hour the streets were dead. Despite how busy Konoha had become over the years, weeknights were still echoes of its once sleepy origins. Neji carried his wife home. He simultaneously felt deja vu from all the times he had done this in the past but also a strange, hopefulness that things could always stay this way. Neji was truly happy. There was literally nothing more in the world that he could think to ask for; this was all he needed. But with that joy came a kernel of doubt. His happiness was the most selfish thing he had ever felt and it could be blinding him to the truth. As they passed block after block, the worry nagged at him until at last he spoke:

"Beki, you're happy with all this?"

Beki had slightly dozed off on his shoulder. At the sound of his voice, she stirred and blinked up at him dreamily. "Hn?"

"Marrying me, living with my family…this is what you want?" Neji kicked himself internally. Out loud it was such a stupid thing to ask. They had already gotten married and Beki was carrying his child. Then again, there was some measure of comfort in just hearing words confirmed.

"I mean," Beki rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn into his shirt. "It's not _exactly_ what I want but it's good enough for me."

Neji's heart sank. That had not been what he was expecting. Fear slithered like snakes through his body, locking up his chest and gripping him in a profound sense of guilt. What had it been, then? In her four years absence, had something Neji done affect how Beki felt about him? Was it all his scars that had turned her off to him? It would make sense. Since she had arrived a litle more than two weeks ago, the pair hadn't had a chance to be intimate since the hotel room. Neji remembered the way Beki had stiffened at feeling his scars, disappointment and concern in her eyes. He was spiraling in the silence.

At the sight of his rapidly deteriorating expression, Beki chuckled. She reached up and chucked his chin with a smile. "Calm down. I don't mean it like that. You're fine just the way you are."

Neji had to force himself to stifle a sigh of relief. "Then what could you mean by 'it's close enough'?"

"If I could have my way, you and I would live off in a little cottage in the woods," Beki snuggled closer. "Just us. That way me and the kids could be loud and boisterous without having to worry about bothering anyone. We could do whatever we wanted with the place, too. There would be a garden, a dog," Beki grinned. "And I wouldn't have to wear pants."

Neji shook his head, a small smirk on his lips. "You never wear pants anyway."

Beki pursed her lips. "I never hear you complain."

"Back before we were dating that made life hard for me," Neji confessed. "Wanting to look but forcing myself not to."

"Did we even date, though?" Beki looked up at the sky, trying to recall their history together. "I seem to remember us being friends one day and a serious couple the next."

"Someone decided to drunkenly assault me," Neji feigned annoyance. "As a gentleman all I could do was accept to protect your honor."

Beki rolled her eyes. "If that's what you have to tell yourself to feel better about putting out on the first date, so be it."

After walking for what felt like an hour, Neji and Beki at last reached the Hyuga compound. It was strange for Beki, passing up the walkway that lead to Hinata's house. If Neji hadn't been carrying her, part of Beki was convinced her feet would have led her there out of habit. They reached Neji's room and he unceremoniously tossed Beki over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey, what the hell?" Beki pounded a fist into his back.

"I can't open the door holding you like that," Neji said as he slid open the door to his room. He crossed the threshold and gently set his wife on the floor.

This was the second time Beki had set foot in Neji's room. It was just as she remembered it; sparsely furnished and clean, if not slightly depressing. "Thank God I don't have much," Beki laughed. "We wouldn't have anywhere to put it."

"I know," Neji had taken out his ponytail and was running his fingernails over his scalp to relieve the headache he had developed. "I keep looking around trying to figure out where we're going to put the crib."

Beki shrugged. "Worst case the baby just sleeps with us."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Neji furrowed his brow.

"I mean we could plop it in a basket between us if you're worried." Beki suggested.

It was Neji's turn to shrug. "I guess we'll figure things out as we get closer." He glanced at Beki, his next thought on the tip of his tongue only to lose it. She was viciously stripping. In aggressive tearing and yanking motions, Beki was tearing off her shirt, pants, and underthings, and throwing them across the room as if they somehow offended her. Neji stood transfixed as he watched the whole affair with a growing (and admittedly disturbed) sense of arousal.

"What?!" Beki barked. "I had to wear pants, thirty billion kimono layers, hairspray, and more hair ornaments than you can shake a stick at," She spat indignantly, standing proudly with her hands on her hips wearing nothing but her socks. "I never want to wear clothes again!"

Neji made no attempt to hide where he was staying. "Fine by me."

Beki rolled her eyes. "No, Neji. You're supposed to be like, 'noooo Beki you need to wear clothes and be decent waaaahhh'."

"Are you kidding," Neji laughed. "You're my wife now. A man whose wife walks around their house naked all the time? That's hitting the jackpot."

"But I'm not naked," Beki held up one foot. "I'm wearing socks."

Neji smiled. "In a weird way that makes it even better."

"How?!" Beki laughed. "How is just socks better than full naked?"

Neji shrugged, his grin growing. "I don't know. It's playful and cute."

A moment of silence passed between them before Beki spoke:

"So I can't help but notice you're still dressed."

Neji's eyes went wide. "Oh. I thought you were tired." He immediately began to pull off his clothes. The urgency was the same as Beki's, but it didn't come off quite as spiteful and savage. It was more out of eagerness and desperation that Neji unceremoniously threw his clothes across the room. As soon as he was naked, he turned and barreled toward Beki at full speed. Her confident façade crumbled at the tower of a man racing towards her. Beki squealed as Neji scooped her up and tackled her to the bed. She continued to let out small yelps as Neji forcefully yanked the covers out from underneath her and threw them and the pillows off the bed.

Their lips met and limbs intertwined as they both took fistfuls of each other's hair. They kissed passionately until they were breathless. Their hands roved as they gasped for breaths. Beki shuddered as Neji's fingers traced their way up the inside of her thighs, her breath catching in her throat when they reached the space between her legs. After a few minutes of delicious exploring, Beki pulled Neji's hand away and took ahold of his hips. She guided him above her and adjusted, wrapping her legs around his back.

Neji's hands trembled as he took up the spot above her. As a couple, they hadn't been physically intimate for a long period of time. There was still a novelty to their encounters, the remnants of inexperience with each other slowly being scrubbed away. Excitement mingled with the fear of failure, uncertainty combated with an innate, primal compass for what to do. Neji kissed her again. Beki laced her fingers through his hair and kissed him back. When they began to rock, she moved with him. Their bodies were perfectly proportioned to each other so when their forms intertwined, it felt like puzzle pieces coming together.

It was impossible for them to be completely quiet as their lovemaking dragged on and Neji was left thanking God that the rest of the family was still enjoying themselves at the wedding. After they had finished and he had collected the pillows and blankets for them to snuggle up in, the thought occurred to him again. Neji chuckled and shook his head. Beki cocked an eyebrow, a satisfied smirk on her face and her hair a cotton candy bird's nest.

"What's so funny?"

Neji shook his head. "Just that we slipped out of our own wedding to go have sex."

Beki shook her head and laughed as well. "I guess when you put it like that it does sound pretty bad."

Neji had wrapped an arm around her. He pulled her closer, nestling her up against him so he could lean his head against hers. "I mean, I did marry a nineteen-year-old. I can't be blamed for stooping down to your teenage level."

"You make it sound like I'm a bad influence," Beki smirked. "But I didn't hear you complain once."

"Are you kidding?" Neji kissed her. "We can run away from anything if this is what you want to do."

"So what, should we come up with a code word so you know I want to leave and go have sex?" Beki shook her head. "I've got it. I'll make finger guns at you and go 'bang!'."

Neji raised an eyebrow. "That's a little on the nose."

"Aren't men always complaining about how women aren't clear enough about what they want?" Beki let out a mock sigh of frustration. "Fine. How about I excuse myself to go to the bathroom and come back and slip my underwear in your pocket?"

"Okay, no," Neji threw up his hands. "That's how you get a man in serious trouble in public. The point is to hold out _until_ we get home, Beki. Not pitch a tent in my pants in front of everyone."

"Fine," Beki rolled her eyes, a smile still plastered from ear to ear. "What's your suggestion?"

"Hm," Neji snuggled into her. "How about you squeeze my hand, tell me you love me very much and that I'm incredibly handsome, and that you would like to go home."

"Any other compliments you want to compel me to include?" Beki chuckled.

"No," Neji's hand had traveled down her side, sliding sideways until it was protectively over her belly. He stroked it lovingly as he spoke: "That should be enough."

"So what will you tell me if you want to leave and get some us time?" Beki asked, savoring the warmth of his skin against hers.

"Almost exactly the same thing," Neji explained. "I'll tell you that I love you, you're my light in the darkness, my everything, and I want to be alone with you."

"That's a little heavy babe," Beki pat his cheek affectionately. "Not every booty call has to be a renewal of your confession. Just tell me I have a nice butt."

Neji looked a little conflicted but eventually nodded in agreement. "I can't protest. You do have the best butt."

Beki yawned deeply, her mouth wide like a lion mid-roar. "Our baby is going to be gorgeous."

Neji began to roll to his side, cueing Beki to follow his lead. They spooned, adjusting slightly here and there until they were perfectly aligned. Neji had one leg through Beki's and her bottom pressed perfectly into the nook his legs and torso created. He looped one arm under his pillow and the other he wrapped lovingly around Beki. She tucked her hair under her neck and away, so Neji didn't get a mouthful of it.

"If it's a girl, I'll have to make her wear a parka and men's pants all the time," Neji said flatly.

Beki chuckled in surprise. "What?"

"If she gets the Hyuga chest and your butt," Beki could feel him seething protectively in the darkness. "I would have to blind every young man in this village and I don't want that kind of guilt on my conscience."

Beki's eyes grew wide as the vision dawned on her. "And she could be blonde. With freckles."

"So Shino's parka," Neji nodded. "And we'll raise her to have an unhealthy obsession with anime."

"Oooh that's good," Beki nodded. "It can be all the popular stuff, but she'll have to have all the stats memorized. Like character's birthdays and favorite foods."

"We're making our child dysfunctional and they aren't even here yet," Neji sighed. "We're awful, Beki."

She shrugged. "It'll force them to develop a personality and a sense of humor. God knows with this jaw and my choice in sweaters, that's what I had to do."

A moment of silence passed before Neji spoke again. "If it's a boy we'll need to give him some engrossing hobby, like model building, so he doesn't notice girls for a long time,"

He waited for a response. All Neji received as a reply was the steady rise and fall of Beki's chest. Neji smiled gently and sighed. He closed his eyes and nestled into her, positive he was so happy his poor little heart would give out.

...

Several months later

Neji had gotten up early to go train, careful not to disturb Beki's precious slumber. He remembered thinking it was an absolutely gorgeous day. It was early October but the chill of fall had already set in. The birds hadn't yet left for the year; their happy song filled the early morning, blending with the satisfying crunch of fresh fallen leaves underfoot. The leaves had turned every shade of flame, a constant but pleasant reminder of his wife at home. Lee had taken to these right-at-dawn training sessions to make himself better available for Tenten and baby Metal. He was usually out just after four and back in by eight, right when his family was rising. Beki was due at any time, so Neji had adjusted to Lee's new schedule in an attempt to offer his wife the same courtesy.

The training was physically intense and the conversation consisted mostly of the men discussing their families. Or rather, Neji politely listening to Lee's insane fathering advice. Right as they were finishing up, a figure came running their way.

Lee stared intently at the approaching person. "Neji, is that your mother in law?"

Neji turned his attention to the visitor. "It is Yuki." As the seconds stretched, Neji's eyes grew wide as realization gripped at his spine. "Oh my God. It's happening. It's happening!"

"Hey!" Yuki called out from twenty feet away. "Beks just went into labor."

"What are you doing here?!" Neji practically screamed. "You should be with her!"

Yuki rolled her eyes and gave an impatient puff. "First of all," She bobbed her head and held up a finger advising caution. "If anyone should be stapled to her side, it's you. Second, labor can take up to twenty hours in our family, so really, there's no rush. And third of all, Miki was on her way to pick Beki up."

Neji had begun hyperventilating. "I need to- I- I need to get to her right now!" Neji began to gather his things. He was so distracted he dropped half of what he picked up until Lee clasped a hand on his shoulder. With a thumbs up and a confident look, Lee said:

"I'll take care of everything here. Go and fulfill your destiny!"

"I'll meet you at the orphanage in a bit. I have to go let Kakashi know where I'll be," Yuki said as she turned and headed off for town.

Lee's grip on Neji's shoulder tightened. He looked at his friend only to see a shadow had eclipsed Lee's entire demeanor. "Neji...why are you meeting her at the orphanage?!" Lee upturned his face, revealing dramatic tears streaming down his face. "I'm your friend! You should have asked me for help before resorting to this!"

"No, Lee, it isn't like that," Neji sighed, the strange set of Beki's circumstances rearing their ugly head again. "The doctor that works there, he's the one that saved Beki. With how delicate her health is we thought it better that the doctor that did her surgery be the one to deliver the baby."

Lee gave way to sobs as he strongly embraced Neji. "I'm so relieved!"

Neji sighed and embraced Lee back. If he was ever going to hug him, it would be today. And only today. Lee pulled back slightly at the sudden show of affection, his eyes sparkling with wonder, only to redouble his sobbing and hug Neji even harder.

Never again, Neji thought as Lee threatened to crush his spine. Never. Again.

…

Neji practically staggered into town in the crippling hold of his shock. He was going to be a father. This thought had crossed his mind hundreds of times over the last six months but today it had a completely different meaning. It had been a warm fuzzy in his heart as he held back Beki's hair while she threw up (the morning sickness had been nearly crippling for the better part of her pregnancy). He had made jokes with her about all her strange cravings. In fact, when joking about it with his friends or when he heard Beki talk about it with the other women, her cravings had been in fact on the extremely strange side. To the point Neji had to curb her. Fermented cabbage, red meat so rare it was practically bloody, and an aversion to sweets so strong she almost threw up if someone walked by with a cupcake. All that was going to end. The source of all the excitement, joy, and fear was about to arrive. No more would it be this amorphous, abstract thing. It was going to be a tiny person he could hold in his hands. Hand, actually. If Beki's baby was anything like Metal, Neji would be able to hold the tiny bundle in one hand.

The closer he drew to the orphanage, the more leaden Neji became. The emotions just kept stewing and swirling in his mind to the point of near paralysis. He was sweating despite the chill. He stopped and looked around to get his bearings, realizing he had been wandering off course. He looked at the shops and business and a thought occurred to him: Neji should bring Beki something. His eyes landed on the Yamanaka flower shop and Neji followed.

"Hey Neji," Ino blinked up at him, Inojin in a baby swing behind the counter. To an average customer he would be out of sight, but Neji was just tall enough to spot the blue beanie as it swung in and out of view. "What can I help you with?"

Neji shook his head slowly as he looked for the words. "Beki...she's...she's in labor."

"Congratulations," Ino smiled.

"I wanted to bring her some flowers-" Neji began but Ino cut him off.

"Sorry to stop you there but flowers are the last thing she's going to want," Ino rested a hand on her hip. "It might make her nauseous and be dangerous for the baby. They don't let flowers into the delivery ward at the hospital."

Neji cursed himself for not thinking of that himself. He opened his mouth to apologize for bothering her and excuse himself when Ino held up a finger.

"You want to bring her something, right?" Ino turned and walked into the back room. She emerged a moment later with a bottle that looked like a sports drink. "Give her this." Neji accepted it with a slightly confused expression. "She's going to seriously dehydrate herself. I know they'll have her on close watch but getting some electrolytes back into her system will be a huge relief."

"Thank you, Ino," Neji gave her a small, genuine smile. "I don't know what to say."

"Just tell her she better still be down for that trade off babysitting we talked about," Ino smiled. "I haven't gotten to go on a date with Sai in forever."

The teenage animosity Beki and Ino had shared had been bridged after Beki's return. Ino was just about to give birth and Beki had only been a few months in, so she had approached Ino for some advice. It was an odd and unexpected friendship but proved that the real reason the girls had fought like cats was because they were a tad too similar in a lot of ways.

As Neji prepared to leave, Ino laughed and gestured at the far wall. "Hey, I could send you with a cactus. That would probably be safe."

Neji nearly winced at the suggestion. "No," He raised the bottle. "This is great. Thank you."

He left the shop and stuck the bottle in his pack. His visit with Ino had been helpful in giving Neji a clearer focus. Neji needed to be thinking about taking care of Beki. Was there anything else he could do before he headed out to see her? Yuki had packed a duffle bag with some essentials for if Beki had to stay at the orphanage overnight: a sweater, pajamas, a change of underwear, etc. Magazines? Neji thought as he began to walk slowly down the boulevard. No. She'll be too exhausted to read. He thought about grabbing her some kind of treat on the way, but again Ino's words echoed to him. Beki had been incredibly sensitive to smells during her pregnancy and she might still be that way after the birth. The more Neji considered his options, the more he realized that the best thing he could do was to be there for her. Then, if Beki needed anything, he could go and take care of it for her. It was a silly errand for him to try to psychically determine what she wanted right now. Neji's resolve renewed, he doubled his pace in the direction of the orphanage only to be stopped but an unexpected voice uttering his name.

"Miyu?" Neji turned.

His former fiance stood timidly outside the store she had just left. Miyu was well dressed and had gotten her long hair cut to her shoulders. There was an unsure smile on her face, as if she half expected Neji to yell at her for disrupting his day.

"Hi, Neji," She adjusted the hem of her shirt self-consciously. "How are you?"

Sensing he was disrupting the flow of street traffic, Neji stepped over beside her. For a moment he chastised himself, he needed to get to his wife as soon as possible. Then again, Yuki had said that Beki would probably be in labor for hours yet and it would be rude to snub Miyu after all this time. Either way, by subconsciously moving to meet her, Neji had made his decision. "I'm doing well. I was just on my way to meet my wife; she just went into labor."

Miyu gave a slight start. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'll let you go-"

Neji shook his head. "It's alright. I have some time to spare. She'll be in labor for a long time."

"Oh," Miyu nodded, an embarrassed flush coming into her cheeks. "Okay."

She reached up to tuck some hair behind her ear when Neji noticed the rings on her left hand. It was a beautiful set: a diamond studded wedding band that wrapped gracefully around a plain band with a massive square cut diamond. Based on the color of the metal, Neji could tell it was platinum. For a moment his stomach sank. He would have loved to get Beki something like that but the two of them struggled to buy groceries every month. It would be a long time- if ever- for Neji to buy Beki a nicer ring. Not that Beki cared, of course. It was just one of those small digs at his manhood he had to take from time to time. Neji had a constant desire to provide (and spoil, if possible) his wife and was consistently unable to do so. Yuki had to buy them their crib and the only baby clothes and supplies they had were gifts from Beki's baby shower. Beki herself had been stuck wearing the same three dresses the last couple months of her pregnancy. Such was their life, though. Neji walked around content with his choice and although he couldn't read Beki's mind, he was sure she felt the same way.

"Miyu, you got married," Neji gestured at the ring. "Congratulations, Mrs... ?"

"Kenji," The words had hardly left Miyu's mouth before Neji's hair stood on end.

"Really," Was all he could manage, the pleasantries he'd been stewing in his mind suddenly nowhere to be found.

"My husband's family reached out to my parents shortly after you and I broke up," Miyu explained. "They've been nice to me. I know their family and your family aren't close anymore, but…" Miyu's voice trailed off for a moment as she chose her words carefully. "I hope we can stay on friendly terms. I...I don't blame you for what happened. I'm not angry. I'll admit I was hurt." After taking the initial step, Miyu began to gain momentum as her confidence grew. "I was upset with you for a while. Since then, I've seen you and Haruka together. You two...I could never make you that happy. You're a good person. You deserve that happiness after all the suffering you went through."

"Thank you, Miyu," Neji said, almost automatically. He was still stuck on "Kenji". "That means a lot. I never mean to hurt you."

Miyu nodded. "I know that. Don't worry about it. I hope that we can be friendly in the future." She paused, her fluster returning. "Not like I'm asking us all to go on a double date or anything. Just...I'd like it if we could say 'hi' if we see each other in the street. That sort of thing."

"Of course, Miyu." Neji gave her a small smile. "So, what about you? Are you happy?"

It took Miyu a moment to respond. When she did, her tone was measured carefully. "I'm lucky. My husband is a busy man, so I have a lot of freedom. I'm still able to work at the hospital as much as I would like and I'm well provided for."

"As long as you're happy Miyu. That's what's important," She looked fine. Her behavior was mostly normal and there were no physical signs of abuse. It didn't sound like the happiest marriage, maybe cold and distant as many arranged marriages were. But it wasn't Neji's place to pry.

"Say hi to your wife for me," Miyu smiled. "And congratulations, Neji. I can't wait to meet the baby."

Neji gave her a small smile in return. "Me too."

…

It hadn't mattered that Neji even came to the orphanage. He mopped Beki's brow and uttered soft words of encouragement, but once the real action started Kabuto and Miki kicked him and Yuki out. It killed him to be away from her at such a critical time but there was something in the way Kabuto told him to get out, a cruel glint in his eye, maybe, that told Neji not to argue. He heard machines beeping aggressively and his wife's muffled groans. Miki and Kabuto's voices were barely mumbles through the door. After nearly an hour, Neji heard the kitten like mewling of a newborn baby. Neji at first felt waves of relief wash over him but then the deathly silence the cries echoed in brought the elation crashing down. Was Beki alright? Miki had warned him that Beki's health was incredibly fragile. Did something go wrong?

Yuki sat passively on the bench beside him. The only indication of her unease was the way she kept bouncing her knee. She stared at the door intently, any attempts at conversation were stifled with Yuki giving a terse "shh". Neji's mind kept stewing, swirling in darkness until the void swallowed him whole. Neji had lost Beki once and it had nearly killed him. What would he do if he had lost her again, this time for good, to raise their baby by himself? It was too much. He didn't care what Kabuto would do to him. Neji could just use his Byakugan to check on her, but Neji wanted Beki to see him. He wanted her to know he loved her and was just within reach. Neji stood and crossed over to the door.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Yuki cautioned but Neji ignored her. He barged in the room with tunnel vision. "Beki!" He cried. His eyes darted around the room, taking in bits and pieces. He caught a glimpse of Miki toweling off a small pink blob. Beki was collapsed onto the table, her arms hanging limply off the sides. Her skin had a deathly pallor, ashen in the cold fluorescent light. Kabuto was threading a needle and glanced with disinterest at Neji. "Chiba." He said, like a command. Suddenly, Neji was grabbed by the waistband and bodily thrown out of the room. Neji landed on the bench across from the door and looked up at his assailant as she slammed the door shut. A little girl, about the size of a kindergartener was standing with her hands on her hips. Puffed up to her full height she stood as the world's tiniest bouncer in front of the operating room. "They told you to stay out," Chiba gave him a wide, unsettlingly toothy grin. "Beki will be just fine. You have to let momma and Kabuto work. If you interrupt them and Beki dies, then it's your fault for distracting them."

Neji's face twisted in confusion. His response had less to do with her words and more to do with the shock to his system. How could someone so small be so strong? Neji considered that perhaps in his desperation his footing was weak and she may have just carried him with his own momentum. Then again, he didn't even see the girl move. She had been a tiny flash. Ren had been an incredibly small adult. Maybe this girl was the same. Perhaps she just looked like a child but was actually older, closer to genin age? Her aura was ominous, almost threatening. It set Neji's already frayed nerves on edge. "Excuse me?"

Chiba nodded. "You heard me."

"Your form is getting good, Chiba," Yuki offered.

"Thank you, Yuki hime," Chiba grinned. "I've been working hard."

"So, is everything going okay in there so far?" Yuki asked as casually as if she hadn't seen her son in law tossed across the room by the world's smallest genin.

Chiba nodded. "She's weak and she tore. She lost some blood but she'll be okay."

"H-how much blood?" Neji's mind flashed back to Beki's blue gray flesh. "Does she need a transfusion?"

Chiba nodded. "Momma is type O negative. She had a bag of it on standby. Kabuto is gonna use it."

"How do we know she's not going to have a bad reaction? Isn't her health really delicate?" Neji looked at Yuki, desperate for someone to be as concerned as he was. Instead, Yuki appeared completely calm. She shook her head as she spoke:

"Whose blood do you think they used after Beks came back from the dead? Beki already has a pint of Miki running through her veins. If she didn't react badly to that amount, I doubt a bag more will make a difference."

"It's not hard this time," Chiba nodded. "Saving her before was a lot harder."

It dawned on Neji that he was the only person in this building that hadn't been present for Beki's revival. It even seemed this small girl had been involved. Their perspective kept them mellowed out in the face of one of Neji's greatest fears. To them, if Beki had pulled through that massive surgery, delivering the baby was a cake walk. Before he could stew further, the door opened a sliver. Miki's bright green eye swept the hall before she opened the door. Chiba stepped aside as her mother emerged holding an impossibly small bundle. Her face was drawn with concern as she crossed over to Neji.

"Beki needs a little longer," Miki said softly. "I figured you would want to meet your son in the meantime."

Neji felt lightheaded as he slowly rose to his feet. His legs went numb and his hands trembled as he took the blanket from her hands. It was cream colored and incredibly soft. Beki and Yuki had picked it out for its pattern. On the surface, it seemed harmless. Cute woodland animals pranced through forest scenes, but if you looked closer, you would notice mythical creatures hiding in their midst. The clouds over the moon looked like a rabbit. A kitsune could be seen weaving between the trees. A tanuki peeked out of the hole in a tree and a nekomata could be seen behind a bush. It was that Getsu morbidity rearing its ugly head. Neji didn't like it at all, but he supposed Beki and Yuki meant it as a ward against ill omens. An acknowledgement that these dangers existed and were out there, that they respected and feared them, and prayed the spirits would pass their family by. Such profound gestures seemed silly when applied to the pink baby in Neji's hands. He was tiny, smaller than Neji had expected. Neji held onto the bundle with both arms, securing the baby safely against his chest.

"He's a little underweight," Miki offered as if sensing Neji's thoughts. "Nothing serious. Barely under seven pounds."

"Is he okay, though?" Neji looked up at her with concern. "He's healthy?"

Miki nodded. "We were worried, of course, because of this little guy's checkered past. We had no idea what being locked in the ice and having to survive his mother's surgery would do to him. But here he is, with a set of pipes on him, too." Miki grinned reassuringly. "I think he gets that from his mother."

Neji laughed involuntarily. He was surprised when he felt tears fall on his cheeks. His smile twitched in confusion as he looked back down at the baby in his arms. His son. This was his boy. Neji rocked his baby gently, tears of joy splattering the blanket. Yuki had risen and come to his side so quietly Neji hardly noticed. She reached down and laced her finger through the impossibly small hand. "He's exhausted," Yuki said as she looked her grandson over. "Hey," She said as she came around Neji's other side and began fiddling with the blanket. "Let me see his feet."

"Why?" Neji furrowed his brow, shrugging her off protectively. Yuki scoffed and exposed a little foot to the air.

"Look at these things! He's a freaking kangaroo already," Yuki smiled approvingly. "He's going to be tall."

Again, as Neji looked at his son, it was hard to imagine him as anything but exactly what he was: Neji and Beki's entire life in one tiny, perfect package. Neji didn't care if the boy would be tall or strong, just that he was healthy and that he was finally here. A small cough caught all their attention. Kabuto stood in the doorway, wiping his hands on a hot towel. "She's awake. I imagine she would like to see what she endured thirty-two stitches for."

Neji winced and nodded. Kabuto stepped aside as Neji entered the room. Yuki respectfully remained outside, allowing the couple their first moment of joy as parents. Neji saw some of Beki's color had come back but her face was haggard. Bruise-like bags were forming under her eyes and her entire body glistened with sweat. Her platinum hair was plastered to her forehead in patches, but when she looked up at Neji and the baby, her smile could have lit up a room.

"Hey," He said softly.

"Hi," Beki replied as she opened her arms to him. Neji leaned in and kissed her gently, tasting salt as he pulled away. "Are you ready to meet our boy?"

Beki nodded. Neji gently held out the bundle to her. Beki wrapped her arms around the blanket and brought the baby to her chest. "You counted?"

Neji nodded. "All ten toes, all ten fingers. Your mom says he's going to be tall."

Beki laughed. "I would hope so with you for a dad and my dad for a grandfather."

Neji stroked her head, snuggling up against her as they looked lovingly upon their son.

"So," Neji smiled gently. "Does he look more like a Satoru or a Hikaru to you?"

Beki surveyed the sleeping boy in her arms for a moment. She ran her fingers over his head, then his little arms and fingers. "Satoru. Definitely Satoru."

"Hyuga Satoru it is, then," Neji wrapped an arm around her shoulder lovingly. "I love you so much, Beki."

"I love you, too," Beki nestled her head into Neji's neck, the three of them snuggled up in a perfect bubble of familial joy. The baby stirred, his little mouth opening in a yawn. Suddenly, Beki's mind was forcefully pulled back to the battlefield, another mouth gaping wide. It was gasping for breath as blood bubbled like fine foam from her lips.

"Curse you," The Burned Maiden's voice was deeper, louder than it had been in life. The room seemed to grow darker. Beki wasn't sure if she imagined it, but the fluorescent lights began to flicker. Her hair stood on end. The familiar chill of her body warning Beki against impending danger washed over her.

"Your children," The voice rang in Beki's ears as she clutched her son more tightly, hands trembling.

As if compelled by an unseen force, Beki spoke the last word of the curse aloud. It was barely above a whisper as the dead Maiden bellowed in her head:

"Madness."

* * *

 **This is it, the final chapter for Tale of the Three Maidens. This has been quite a journey we've gone on together and I'm grateful to each and every one of you who has supported me through this process. I still think I'm fairly green as a writer but I've built up a lot of confidence. It's become part of my lifestyle at this point.**

 **I got so used to thinking up new ideas and exploring relationships/fun situations for these characters. I think that's why it's been emotionally difficult to write this last piece. There were several times during the draft I did my little "I have an idea" gasp and started typing, only to pause and erase what I had written. Is this a perfect ending? No. There are probably questions some of you still have, things that I didn't answer in this last stretch. That was intentional. If I do end up writing a Gaiden or a sequel, I need to have some threads to pull from. Nothing feels worse than a second installment that feels stapled onto the end of the last one.**

 **That being said, I haven't gotten a lot of responses on continuing this story in either a short form piece or a full sequel, which is fine. I never thought ToTM would get the kind of attention it has. It was just some stupid spinoff piece full of bit jokes about a valley girl kunoichi I developed to get Tallman laughing and interested in writing again. It developed a lot from there, but at its core, this wasn't ever about me. It was getting the most special, talented person I have ever known back in the saddle. I know a lot of you are writers and have experienced that crippling writer's block; even more so when you have a fan base clamoring to get your attention and demanding updates you just aren't ready or able to write. It's been a slow process but Tallman is writing again and that's enough for me.**

 **I would say overall this little experiment has been a success. I finally finished something I wrote, got a lot of great constructive feedback, and I think the quality was consistent throughout. That's why I'm okay if ToTM is both my debut and my swan song. I've neglected some of my other hobbies in the fever pitch of cranking this out in two years so I have some catching up to do. If I do end up writing more, it won't be for some time. Before I published the first chapter of ToTM, I had 70 pages of content built up. That's how I would do it again.**

 **Now that my story is over I probably won't be checking in on fanfiction as often. If you have a burning question/need feedback/curious about updates or just want to talk, Tallman and I are on the discord I posted in the last chapter. I think that just about covers everything. As Seiichiro and Beki used to say, "See you on the other side."**

 **Poncho**


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